Motivation is a perception and perception is everything
Change how you look at the world and the world looks different
The glass is 1/2 empty or the glass is 1/2 full. Either way you are right,
The only difference is whether or not you are focused on a positive or negative outcome.
Motivation definitions:
- The general desire or willingness (of someone) to do something:
- It is the reason (or reasons) for acting or behaving in a particular way
Today, my intention is to not just help you get yourself motivated but to understand why you are not motivated
If motivation is (according to the definitions) the reason you want to get up and take action, and you find yourself unmotivated to take action, you may want to consider asking yourself WHY ? Why do you want to get up and take action? Why should you get into action?
The term action simply means getting into motion by doing an activity, task or something there of, you are move forward and making progress
Sir Issac Newton said, “An object in motion will stay in motion, an object at rest will stay at rest”
Consider this; if you are not moving forward, you are stand still or worse yet, you are going backwards.
In the grand scheme of life, the goal is to grow by moving forward. If you are going staying still or moving backwards you are at the very least stuck.
So, how do you know if you are moving forward and making process in your life and how does this correlate to motivation?
I’m glad you asked. Since motivation is derived from willingness or reason to do something or behave a certain way, you need to understand what drives you to take action.
What goals do you have for your business and life? Is there a purpose for setting the goal?
Yes, I said purpose. You need to know why you set that goal in the first place. That reason is the back bone to your mission.
*****I once worked with a women who’s sole purpose for starting a business as an independent consultant was to have money so her family could go on vacation ( they were planning a minimum of 3 trips that year)
We would have check in calls periodically to see how she was progressing. Each check in she would have a reason why things were not going well. Long story short, the family did indeed go on vacation and the only impact of her not reaching the goal was very minimal.
It’s not uncommon for entrepreneurs to set money goals. What I think is amusing is the “I want more money” statement. That’s when I hand out a penny and say “there, mission accomplished
Let me back up for a moment …
The way I was introduced to the concept of mission and purpose goes like this: my mission in my life is ultimately linked to my legacy – It is the big picture of what I desire to accomplish and contribute to the world. It is way bigger than me and it might not be accomplished in my lifetime.
My purpose is the reason behind my mission.
For example my mission is to inspire and empower 5 million people to become the best version of him/her self. To feel confident, self assured, to experience all the fun, freedom and fulfillment they desire and learning how to do so with little or no guilt or regret. Learning how to Love life, not just live life
My purpose (the reason) is because I desire to make a positive impact on this world. Knowing that it’s up to me to Be the change I want to see. So, I’ve chosen a very special niche to work with… mompreneurs. Women working a business from home around their family. Why? Because Moms are the nucleus to the family and children ore the next generation. So, for me to have the biggest impact, when I can help mom improve her communication skills, gain control of time and emotional management, it will naturally and effectively ripple into the family and into society.
Will I know for sure if I impact 5 million people … probably not. But if my my purpose is strong enough, it will ensure that I take the actions I need to fulfill my mission.
Good or Good?
Do you know what your mission is in life is? Do you have a purpose?
Not sure? Here is a simple (and some what repetitive) exercise
Ask yourself – For what purpose did I get out of bed today
You might answer, to go to work, to make money, to take care of the kids….
(Continue to repeat the question for each answer) If you are really honest and transparent, at some point, you will arrive at your core answer – which is deeply connected to your values.
Your values are what drive you to take action. When you are acting and behaving outside of your values, that’s when you get those feelings of guilt or regret.
My top values are honestly, integrity and excellence
These values are essentially my guidance system for making decisions, designing and taking actions in my life. When I’m out of sync with them, my results are usually less then ideal
Speaking of taking action, have you ever noticed that when you take an action and you like the result, you get excited!
Then, you most likely take another and another action until something that you do doesn’t meet you your desired result.
What happens next is this; you evaluate (miscalculate) and get mad, irritated, frustrated and so it goes. Before you know it you are having thoughts like _ this sucks, no one likes me, no one wants my products/service, etc
Let’s chat for a moment about your emotional cycle.
Another way to look at motivation is understanding the emotional cycle. In the beginning, you have an idea. Most likely it’s an inspired thought – one that derives from your inner knowing. This idea excites you! You begin to day dream about all the amazing possibilities that this idea brings. It might be financial reward, quality relationship, cleaner environment, self improvement, etc. If this state of excitement you are sending positive messages to the brain and you take positive, forward moving action steps.
Along the way, you get a hiccup in your plan. Perhaps, one of your actions did not give you the result you anticipated or expected. The more you think about this, you start feeling frustrated. The longer you stay frustrated, you move into a state of shock – I can’t believe that didn’t happen (or that did happen) I thought it would be easier, etc.
Shock leads to Denial… this is when you begin to slow down, withdraw and procrastinate
Procrastination happens for one of many reasons: it’s too hard (perception) , it takes too long, I don’t understand, I don’t want to, it’s not fun, … If you procrastinate for too long, Fear will begin to settle in. Fear that it will fail again, and you will look stupid. Self doubt creeps in and you say things like : Maybe this is not for me. Maybe I’m not cut out to be an entrepreneur…
You can move out of fear, but you’ll probably do it by first being angry at the world (or at least angry at someone else) Mad because they sold you a crappy course, built you a non converting website, put your
If you stay there long enough you’ll probably start think about how stupid and incompetent everyone else is around you and begin blaming others for your misfortune, your bad luck, the crappy website, etc
*****This is where most people get stuck
At this point you have a choice.
You can keep blaming everybody and everything Or, you can make a decision …own your actions and learn from your mistakes .
Then Let it all go! Re-focus and recommit
Should you choose to let it go, and find yourself if the glorious place of Re-commitment You are Ready to take inspired, positive action, once again.
Why ? Because you are EXCITED!
Although this may sound lengthy, but I want you to understand that your goal is to train yourself to go through a full cycle in a matter of minutes rather days, weeks, months or years.
Awareness is the first step . Are you aware of where you are in the emotional cycle? If you are feeling stuck you are somewhere between denial and anger.
Would you like a strategy (or strategies) to help you get unstuck and start making progress again in your business and life?
Now remember, since motivation is subjective, in the sense of each person is uniquely inspired, all tips may not apply to everyone.
Tips for staying motivated during this unprecedented time of challenges:
Identify your top 5 values
Write down your mission statement. How do you want people to remember you when you are gone?
What would it be like or feel like if you DON’T accomplish this goal or at the very least, who will this impact if you don’t make progress or complete?
Next, write out in detail, what steps you need to take in order to reach that goal.
Can you Identify stepping stones or mile markers along the way?
If you don’t have stepping stones or mile markers, how will you ever know you are on the right path?
Have you ever gone on a state hiking trail? They are usually in the midd of nowhere. You are supposed to sign into the registrar so that you can be accounted for your where about should anything happen to you (we won’t go into that any more )
Often times you have more than one option to choose from , the easy (or short rout) or the difficult (longer )route. Each trail is marked with a specific marker, such as a tag or ribbon that coordinate through out the entire route.
Now, here is the kicker. Should you dare to venture off the marked trail, one of a few scenarios might happen: you might find your way back quickly and easily (depending on your sense of direction) you could end up on the opposite trail head and make your trip longer of shorter than planned Or you could be lost, walking aimlessly for hours, or days.
Recap: What you need to stay motivated
Visual Dream board, lists , visualize
Auditory – Describe your mission and your purpose and record. Listen every morning and evening
Language – use only positive language – Write out mantra/declaration for your goal – be aware of ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts)
Kinesthetic touch/emotion Act as if it’s already happened and envision how it feels
Well, there you go! I hope you now have a better understanding of why you are not motivated and steps for getting back up and moving forward again.
If you have any questions about how to begin or how to implement these strategies, be sure to schedule a free strategy session @ www.abalancedlifeforyou.com/apply
Fill out the questionnaire that will help us make the best use of our time together then select a time that works for you.
DREAM BIG
Rhonda
