Four Ways to Find Motivation
Motivation can feel elusive at times, but there are certainly ways to find it, if we know where to look..
Motivation is the thing that drives us to take action in a particular area of our life. Unlike inspiration, which is merely the desire to do something and has no tangible action associated, motivation is defined as the reason for acting or doing the things we do. Remember after all- dreams and desires don't get results, goals and actions do.
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Why do we go to the gym four times a week even though we work full time schedules and have a busy home life? Or why do we pick ourselves up after failing in a business venture? Motivation is directly tied to a reason for taking action. So, lets talk about the four ways to find motivation- self motivation that is, the kind that is intrinsic and comes from our own desires and thoughts. These are the types of motivation that stay with us throughout life.
1. Motivation from Starting
First we find motivation in starting something new. When you decide on a goal or a dream that you want to see come true, you must take your first step in that direction, and that first step is so exciting. Maybe it's your first client after changing the way you sell a product, or you see your first few pounds drop after going to the gym. That is exciting, and it makes you feel motivated. You think- wow I spent all this time thinking it was impossible and now here I am taking the first step to a better future. This is a great source of motivation. Unfortunately, motivation does not last in this one state forever. You can't always be motivated from taking first steps, because you're not always going to be taking first steps.
2. Motivation from Progress
A lot of great people say that the key to happiness is progress, feeling like you're moving forward in any area of your life. While motivation from getting started doesnt last forever, progress, can. Try to take a look at the details, the changes and the improvements you've made along the way in your life. If it helps, look back over a longer term to get motivated. Losing three pounds last week might not seem like much, but losing thirty pounds in ten weeks, now that's motivating. Making progress is one of the main components of the formula of scalable success.
Motivation from progress however, can dissipate over time, especially as your progressions become smaller and smaller. Diminishing returns must always occur, and while you certainly can find motivation from the small progress, there is a greater place to draw motivation from.
3. Motivation from Achievement
Doesn't it feel good to achieve something? Maybe you've achieved that dream job you’ve been working for, or got that perfect score on a very important test, or maybe you’ve found that special someone in your life. Getting that mental (or in some cases, physical) trophy is a sign that says “I did it”, or “I made it happen”. That means I have what it takes to achieve other things.
Achievement doesn't have to be the big stuff- the billion dollar investment or the new house, it can be achievement of a personal weight that you’ve set as a goal for yourself, or it can be the achievement of being a better partner for your significant other. By the fact that you’ve achieved something, we can deduce that you can achieve something else in a different area of your life- that’s a pretty motivating thought!
4. Motivation from Helping others
Helping someone else in life is one of the greatest rewards we can ever feel. We have the ability to help others who can't help themselves, and we can help others by sharing our expertise and knowledge, teaching what we know with the world. The more you give, the more motivated you’ll feel. When we give to others, we feel good because we are reminded why we’re doing what we do. It can give us a sense of accomplishment that what we’re doing is having a positive effect on the world.
If you’ve ever had someone tell you that your actions have made their life better, you know what this type of motivation feels like. If not, this could also be a time to evaluate if your actions are truly giving value to others. Get motivated by the fact that what you are doing, is making someones life better.
Those are the four places to find motivation in life. If you're struggling to push yourself or feel like you're just not going anywhere and need a push, take a look at these four areas and draw from them the motivation you need to succeed.
To get the full effect of how these four areas of motivation can be identified in your own life, please consider listening to the full audio lesson on my website. This also supports the creation of future lessons and guides.
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Aleksey Weyman
Aleksey Weyman is a web designer, music artist and creator of Millennial Moderator
