ebernick Attending a motivational talk, or reading a motivational book, can leave you feeling motivated, but this type of motivation usually lasts for a limited time only. It’s a bit like taking a hot bath, but the water soon cools off.
So, does this mean you need to “plug into” motivational sources every day to sustain motivation? While there is merit in drawing motivation from outside sources on a regular basis, the best source of sustained motivation is generated from within yourself.
ENTHUSIASM: This feeling is closely associated with motivation. Enthusiasm is not something you can buy. It is created from within. How? John Kehoe (author of “Mind Power”) proposed this exercise:
Write down three lists as follows:
10 Reasons why it is good to be alive
10 Reasons why others will benefit from my products/services
10 Reasons why it is important for me to succeed
Read these lists daily and then you will build your enthusiasm
People who are enthusiastic go about their daily lives with the air of confidence that nothing is impossible. Minor day to day difficulties are swept aside as if they did not exist. Their words have power, their eyes sparkle, and when others come into contact with them they are drawn to them.
Enthusiasm sustains motivation.
INSPIRATION: This feeling is also closely linked to motivation. An inspired idea, thought or feeling is the driving force behind motivation. For example, I am motivated to go to gym every morning because I am inspired by my goal to look and feel fit and healthy.
Every time I ask an audience to raise their hands if they can sincerely say that they are inspired, less than half the people raise their hands. Why are many people not inspired? Usually it is because they do not have meaningful goals, which excite them and inspire them to jump out of bed in the morning to chase their dreams.
Perhaps even more sadly, people fail to be inspired because they do not have life purpose. Write down your life purpose (which is usually derived from your values). Be clear and concise. Clarity is power! It does not have to be a lenghty statement.
Once you know your life purpose, you will find it easy to have meaningful goals which are aligned to your life purpose. You will also find it a simple choice when presented with new ideas/goals/opportunities as to whether you should pursue them. By asking yourself whether they align with your life purpose and values, the answer will immediately be clear. You do not want to invest your time, energy and resources in activities which will not add value to your purpose.
Hence, you can generate your own motivation from within by having a clear life purpose, and having exciting, meaningful goals aligned thereto, and generating enthusiasm in your daily life.
Add to this the motivation you enjoy from external sources (talks, seminars, positive conversations, books, CD’s, etc.), and suddenly you will find that your life has become much more meaningful.
Lastly, the more you become, the more you have to give. And when you give to others, you will find that you are energized and even more motivated, because your higher needs of contributing to society are also being met.
Written by Eberhard Niklaus
Copyright 2015
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