♦Motivation covers all aspects of your life.
♦Extrinsic motivation (rewards or fear) can motivate – but there are better ways to get you motivated.
Motivation truths
Truth 1: Motivation is a luxury – you don’t have to have it!
So true! A luxury is desirable but not essential – and, it’s often something that’s hard to get. So too with motivation! If you have a job to do and you’re highly motivated – that’s wonderful – enjoy it. However, we are all completely capable of doing something we don’t feel like doing. We’re capable of working even when we’re unmotivated and most people have experienced that feeling. If you’re not feeling motivated, acknowledge your feeling AND do it anyway.
Truth 2: Motivation is catchy
So true! Think back to a time when you were extremely motivated to do something. How high were your enthusiasm levels? Probably quite high... Motivation and enthusiasm seem to go hand in hand. In fact, one of the definitions in the Encarta Dictionary for motivation is enthusiasm. And, enthusiasm is highly contagious. Therefore, we can also deduce that motivation is catchy.
If you’re working on a project with someone who is highly motivated and enthusiastic, there’s a strong possibility that you’ll begin feeling the same way. So if you’re concerned that you’re unmotivated about a task, start faking the enthusiasm until it becomes real – and the motivation will follow. I’ve been doing this with gym lately. I wake up at 4h45 on gym mornings. In winter, when it’s cold, I despair when the alarm goes off. I shout out (in my head), “I really, really don’t feel like this!” Once I realised that a pattern was developing, I gave myself a strict talking to – after all the outcome of gym does have positive consequences. When the alarm goes off, I now say, “Yay, gym! It’ll be good to work out so that my body grows fit and healthy.” It definitely helps to get me out of bed.
Truth 3: You’re motivated by the consequences of your work
So true! I do quite a lot of pro-bono work with prisoners. The reason I choose to do this is not because I love criminals and certainly not because I love going into prison with doors locking behind me. I choose to do this work because these prisoners are unlikely to recommit crimes once they’ve been through the programme. Rehabilitation is the consequence of the work that I do in the prison and that makes the hours worthwhile, giving me a reason to go back. It’s the consequences of the work that motivates me.
If you are feeling unmotivated about a task, think about the outcomes of it. If the outcome inspires you in some way (hopefully it does, otherwise why are you doing it?), then visualise that outcome using all your senses. Run this movie through your head often to help with your motivation levels.
Truth 4: Start the work, motivation will follow
So true! I experienced this over and over again while writing this book. Often I didn’t feel like sitting down and writing. So I’d say to myself, “I don’t feel like this, and I’ll write anyway.” If I felt really bad, I’d promise myself that if, after 20 minutes, I still didn’t feel like it, I could stop. That never happened. Once I got going, my motivation levels rose, and then I didn’t want to stop. So get going, even if you don’t feel like it – motivation will sneak in while you’re working.
Truth 5: Motivation is a habit
So true! Humans often develop habitual ways of being in the world. If you’ve developed an attitude where you see hard work as negative and unpleasant, you’ll mostly feel unmotivated. If you focus on the hard work instead of the outcome of the hard work, you’ll mostly feel unmotivated. If you say to yourself how awful it is and how much you hate it, you’re unlikely to feel motivated. Fortunately, the opposite is also true. If you focus on the outcomes of any project and your attitude to work is healthy, you’re likely to feel motivated about most things in your life. Attitude is a habit. What you focus on is a habit. Motivation is a habit.
Explore your habitual way of being in the world. What are your common thoughts? In what areas do you display a healthy attitude and where in your life does your attitude not add value? Describe your enthusiasm levels for different aspects of your life. Where do you need to make changes?
♦You’re quite capable of doing a task even if you don’t feel like it.
♦Motivation is a luxury – you don’t have to have it!
♦If you’re not feeling motivated, acknowledge your feeling AND do it anyway.
♦Motivation is catchy.
♦Motivation and enthusiasm go hand in hand.
♦Enthusiasm is highly contagious.
♦Therefore, motivation is also catchy.
♦Pretend to be enthusiastic until the enthusiasm becomes real. Motivation will follow.
♦You are motivated by the consequences of your work.
♦Visualise the outcomes of your project to help build up your motivation levels.
♦Start the work; motivation will follow.
♦Motivation is a habit.
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