“Be
miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your
choice”. ~ Wayne Dyer
Happiness has a
direct correlation to motivation which leads to productivity. The Harvard Business Review conducted a study
that found that people are more productive when they are positive. Thus, one can assume that having a positive
outlook and being happy makes people more motivated.
When one loses
motivation, it is typically due to one of three reasons: 1) a lack of confidence, 2) a lack of focus,
or 3) a lack of direction. When one has
a lack of confidence, they do not believe that they can succeed, so they don’t
even try. When there is a lack of focus,
one does not know what they want to do.
It is difficult for them to realize what they really want to do. Lastly, if there is a lack of direction, they
don’t know how to do it. If one doesn’t
know what to do, they will not be motivated to do it.
To get more
motivated, one must boost their confidence.
Eliminating negative self-talk is one way to start. One may begin to focus on what they do not
have or what they are lacking. One may
become jealous or make excuses as to why they cannot succeed. When this occurs, one must begin to focus on
gratitude. Be grateful for what you do
have and what your strengths are. Think
of your past successes and current advantages.
Increasing your confidence will get you motivated to build on your
current success.
A lack of focus
is a detriment to motivation. We may
often focus on what we do not want instead of what we do want. One must focus on a positive goal instead of
a vague fear. The law of attraction
comes into play here. Instead, focus on
what you do want to come into your life.
Clearly defining your goal will determine your actions steps. Once you have concrete and measurable steps,
you can move forward. Devising a plan is
the first step toward taking action.
Now that you
have confidence and focus, you must gain direction. Direction is your strategy of achieving your
goal. If you do not know what your next
action should be, you may be more inclined to procrastinate. A good example is if one wants to be a
writer, but they spend more time researching topics or other writers instead of
sitting down and typing or putting pen to paper. If you want to be a good guitar player, of
course, it is good to take note of the great guitar players. But to be a good guitar player yourself, you
must actually play!
There is an
order to your goal.
1.
First,
you learn the parts of the guitar.
2. Next, you learn how to properly
tune your guitar.
3. Then, you would learn your
scales and chords.
4. Before long, you will be
learning to play actual songs.
5.
The
more that you practice, the better you will be.
What if you just
don’t feel motivated? Just do it! Fake it until you make it. Get started and the motivation will follow. People mistakenly think that motivation leads
to action, but the opposite is true.
Once we take action, we become motivated. Start with a small task, and once it is
complete, it will create momentum to pursue another task. If your motivation wanes, maybe you need to
rethink or reorganize your plan.
Motivation takes discipline. To
achieve a goal, it is vital that you maintain discipline as well as motivation. Start with a small step if the big goal seems
overwhelming. If you want to do a marathon,
start by just running for three minutes.
Start small and build up! This
will build momentum, and consistency will create a habit. Small actions will snowball into bigger
accomplishments.
Make a list of
what needs to be done, and then set yourself up so that you cannot fail. For example, if you want to go to the gym
every morning, go to bed in your gym clothes.
Have your gym shoes by the bed.
When you get up in the morning, you are ready to go. If you want to eat healthier, get rid of the
junk food in your home. If you get
hungry, your only options will be healthy ones without all of the
temptations.
Put your money
where your mouth is! To ensure your
commitment, make yourself a wager. Give
yourself a concrete goal with a timeline, and monitor your progress until it is
done. Put some money on the line. If you fail, you must donate fifty dollars to
charity. If you succeed, keep the fifty
dollars, and you can give yourself a treat like a pedicure. Of course, make sure any treats that you give
yourself are positive ones. (If you are
trying to lose weight, don’t treat yourself for losing ten pounds by ordering a
piece of cake.) This will give you
consequences for your actions or lack thereof.
A method such as this will help your progress in creating a habit.
Do you love what
you want to do? Money is not a strong
motivator. If you are passionate about
what you want, you are more motivated to take action. What you are doing should be fulfilling and
satisfying. If you are doing something
that you love, it is easier to get out of bed in the morning. Instead of thinking of a task as something
that you have to do, think of it as something that you get to do!
Get in the
mood! If you want to inspire motivation,
put on some music that gets you moving.
A little “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC will get your heart racing. “We Will Rock You” by Queen will get you on
your feet. Put on your jam and get to
doin’! Unlike TV or the computer, music
can be less distracting but give you the white noise you need to keep the
clutter of your mind down.
If you are still
having trouble getting motivated, go back to the beginning. Ask yourself why this is your goal. If you cannot answer why you are doing
something, then you should reevaluate if this is truly something that you want
to do. When developing goals, you must
come up with the: who, what, when,
where, why, and how. Of these, the WHY
is the most important to figure out.
My book, The Heart of Happiness, is available on Amazon
at: https://amzn.to/2IZpXNP
Website: www.ChristyEidson.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristyEidson
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ChristyEidson
TikTok: @christyeidson
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