Motivation...It's All About Attitude

Motivation...It's All About Attitude
by: Bill Thomas



It has been said that there is a fine line between success and failure. When talking about success, I'm not just talking about the so called rich and famous, but about people in all walks of life who have managed to find purpose and meaning in the work that they do. While there is no one recipe that leads to success and work satisfaction, there are qualities that all successful people seem to have an abundance of, and one of those is motivation.

When you think about the word 'motivation', what comes to mind? For me, it's anything that creates desire, and motivates someone to take action, whether it be the desire to own your own business, be the best in some sports competition or maybe attracting that special someone. If one were to ask you to name several highly motivated individuals, who would you name? While your list is likely to be much different from mine or anyone else's, one trait that they all share is a passion for what they do that provides all the motivation they require.

What do you love to do? I mean what really gives you a charge, something that you have a passion for? One of my pleasures is playing guitar. When I sit down and proceed to make music, I become so enmeshed in the process that I tend to forget about time and my surroundings. When you have a passion for something, it's easy to be motivated. But what about the day to day things that we all must do, such as working at a job that doesn't always provide a lot of inspiration other than paying the bills. Are there things that we can do to help us create a greater sense of work satisfaction while experiencing an increase in motivation?

One of the things that successful people do is they are able to look beyond the tasks that they perform, and are motivated to find or create meaning and purpose in the work that they do. When I was younger, I worked my share of tedious jobs such as landscaping, driving, factory work, etc. In the beginning, I found myself becoming bored quickly, and would leave a job as soon as I became tired of it. It wasn't until I discovered ways to make a job more interesting that I actually was able to enjoy them.

For instance, I once worked for a medical lab, running routes and picking up specimens from Dialysis units. Going in and out of the units, I would see people with all sorts of health problems, in many cases people who are often at the last stage of their life. After a while, I started having conversations with some of the patients, and I found that I looked forward to seeing my regulars. I came to realize that they looked forward to our brief moments together as much as I did, and knowing that I was bringing just a slight bit of joy into their days gave me a sense of satisfaction and purpose that transcended the job that I performed.

What about you? Is there some aspect of your job that you could use to create a greater sense of purpose and thus satisfaction? Are there things that you could do to make yourself more productive? If you get in the habit of looking for ways to improve things around you, you will not only experience greater work satisfaction, but you'll be looked upon as a positive, motivated individual that is an asset to any business or organization.

When it comes to motivation, some will say that you either have it or you don't. While it's not always easy to feel motivated about many things in our life, the reality is that there are things that we can do to help create motivation. One of the most important things that we can do is just changing out attitude. Look for greater meaning or purpose in whatever it is that you are doing. As an unknown writer once said, "motivation comes from within". What motivates you?

Why Do I Love This Person?

Why Do I Love This Person?
Understanding Your Motivation in Relationships
by: Emily Kensington



As a psychotherapist specializing in couples and marital therapy, one of the first things I ask is “What do you love about one another?" If the answers indicate little depth, serious trouble is indicated. Replies such "because she's pretty,” "he's fun to be with,” are troubling signs, indicating surface attraction. Once, to my horror, a client replied "Because we like the same kind of pizza.” Needless to say, this is not a foundation for a long lasting relationship!

All of this begs many questions: Do we truly love someone or simply what they do for us? Without question, we all know that money and wealth can be insidious manipulators in any union. So how does a relationship evolve from the meeting of facile needs to a stable, committed, companionship? Happily, after considerable introspection, many couples are able to identify their attraction to positive partner qualities such as compassion, intelligence, and an ability and willingness to communicate effectively. After all, if we cannot speak openly with our partners, what hope do we have? Perhaps more important, self-aware couples are able to recognize areas for potential growth, and develop a plan to jointly work on their relationship.

While some, especially new, couples may view such questioning as cynically casting doubt upon their whirlwind romance, nonetheless this type of critical self-reflection is vital in determining ultimate compatibility. Indeed, a little work now could save a lot of heartache later.

Action For The Day: After reading this article, perform a critical self-assessment in order to determine both you and your partner's motivation for continuing your relationship.

Weight Loss Motivation

Weight Loss Motivation
by: Jason Hulott1



A lack of motivation when it comes to losing weight and dieting is the number one reason why the majority of people fail when trying to lose weight or change their lifestyle, if you have motivation and backing then you are able to stick with the diet much more easily and reach your goals.

Planning ahead is the biggest self-motivation technique, having realistic goals and expectations for the amount of weight you wish to achieve over a set period of time can make all the difference to your success. Goals which you should set out at the very beginning of your diet plan include determining the amount of exercise which you plan to do on a daily basis. However it is essential that the goals you set out are achievable, you need to have in mind what the goal will help you to achieve and what it is you have to do in order to be able to reach that goal.

Make a note of all the obstacles that you can think of which might get in your way and stop you from reaching your intending goal, then decide on ways that you can get around anything that could stop you from achieving those goals. You should also set out a goal for when you will review any progress you have achieved, where possible make this the same day and time, also determine how you will treat or reward yourself once you have reached the goals which you set out.

Positive thinking goes a long way to ensuring that you remain motivated at all times, instead of looking at your diet in a negative way such as thinking of all the things that you cannot have, instead turn it to more positive thinking by considering how much fitter and healthier you will be on your new diet and change to your lifestyle.

Other ways you are able to motivate yourself is by making sure that you plan your meals ahead of time, this is essential when going shopping. Always make sure you have in mind what you will be eating for your main meals and try to make this a variation. Going out with a list in hand will make sure that you don’t pick unhealthy foods from the shelf.

Make a list for yourself of all the reasons and benefits that you are dieting, this list should be printed out and stuck around the house where you can clearly see it in those times that motivation is lacking. When on a diet everyone will have bad days and these are the times when you need to bring back your focus and instead of worrying about the bad think if all the good and what you have achieved so far. If you do stray then don’t beat yourself up too much but instead get right back on track.

Misplaced Motivations

Misplaced Motivations

by Daniel Massicotte
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More Details about motivation here.


Ever have one of those days where everything goes right?

Motivation is more than a few reasons you want to get something done. Most people use money as their primary vehicle for motivation. I certainly did that during the three years I studied business at McGill University. I quickly realized my motivation was misplaced.

So how do we deal with misplaced motivation?

First we have to identify the root cause. Often when we exert a certain desire to do something, but are unsure why, as people we love and are concerned for our futures suggest ideas as to why we might like what we like. Some of these ideas shape our own personal reasons. With time, we forget what we wanted originally.

When I was 6 I sold bookmarks, when I was 12 I sold bread (home-made), and when I was 14 I shoveled driveways in the winter, raked leaves in the fall and took care of gardens in the summer.

Hence, when I told my friends that I was interested in studying business they concluded that I wanted to study Accounting, for a good knowledge of how businesses work. Accounting later turned into CGA (Certified General Accountant), which eventually became CA (Chartered Accountant). Did I really want to be a CA?

Today, my plans to become a CA have turned into an English Literature Major. How did I get from Business to English? I got brutally honest with myself and went back to when I was 12 years old.

This is what you are now going to do with yourself. Go back to the days when you knew no fear, and did what you wanted to do without any thought of the possible consequences.

That's right, when you were 7 or 8 years old.

What did you love doing back then? You may need to call up your parents and ask them what you loved doing (i.e. whatever you did that made you smile) before you can remember.

Take a break and do this right now.

(6-10 minutes later...)

What have you come up with? Do you feel that what you wanted to do isn't exactly what you now feel will put dinner on the table?

Join the club! But this is where the fun begins.

If what you have come up with is truly what you, only you, personally you...truly love doing, then you will make darn sure you find a way to make it work.

I understand all of this is still in your head. Imagine your entire life depends on you finding a way to make what you love BIG! In truth, your happy life depends on this. 99 percent of people settle for the pay check every two weeks and the boring day at the office.

This is where motivation comes into being. If you are doing what you love, you are motivated 10,000 percent more than if you are doing something you hate-we all know this!

For the next few days, when you express gratitude for everything that you have and are and can be, remind yourself of what you always wanted to do.

The sky is the limit! Problem is most people keep giving themselves limitations.

Dan Massicotte is perhaps the most positive oriented individual you will ever meet. You can learn more about him on his website: http://danmassicottespositiveliving.com/ Join his newsletter to be informed of new articles and website developments.

Self Motivation - how can you improve yours?

Self Motivation - how can you improve yours?



This is central to everything positive that you want to do in your life. Perhaps it is even more important than your self esteem! What you say to yourself is extremely important and if you want to learn more about self talk and how to help yourself by talking to yourself more positively visit the self talk page now.

If you want to improve your motivation or self esteem or improve yourself in any way you need the desire and will to do it.

I hear you saying that not everything comes from within. You may be motivated by external factors, others may encourage you to start something new or begin moving in a positive direction. You can be motivated by faith, by your belief in God and in doing what is right. You can even be motivated by negative events to achieve positively. But what is important is how you think about what happens to you. Optimism is a great help and will prepare you for new challenges and make it more likely that you will succeed. Negative thinking will always demotivate you so you need to think positively even in the most difficult situations. This is not denial of reality but a useful tool in your armour. Read how you can end negative thoughts and motivate yourself more.

But what is the result of these external factors? Motivation - you are moved to achieve something you badly want.

Eight Basic Personal Needs that Motivate

Eight Basic Personal Needs that Motivate




By: Jim Cairo, the author of Motivation and Goal-Setting




1.

Belonging – being a part of the group provides you with a sense of comfort, security, and partnership

2.

Achievement – gives your life purpose, reinforces your self-esteem

3.

Advancement – makes you feel successful; expands your personal and professional skills, knowledge and abilities

4.

Power – increases your authority

5.

Responsibility – increases respect, both for the person given responsibility and for the person who delegated it

6.

Challenge – drives you to grow mentally and emotionally

7.

Recognition – having others to know your achievements motivates your future actions

8.

Excellence – doing an excellent job is a reward in itself

Self Motivation: How to Motivate Yourself

Self Motivation: How to Motivate Yourself
By Donald Latumahina, October 22, 2008


People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.
Andrew Carnegie

If you want to excel in life, self motivation is essential. You must know how to motivate yourself. You must be able to keep your spirit high no matter how discouraging a situation is. That’s the only way to get the power you need to overcome difficulties. Those who are discouraged in difficult times are certain to lose even before the battle is over.

Self Motivation: How to Motivate YourselfThe question is: how do you motivate yourself? Here are several tips I’ve found to be effective to build self motivation:

1. Have a cause

I can’t think of a more powerful source of motivation than a cause you care about. Such cause can inspire you to give your best even in the face of difficulties. It can make you do the seemingly impossible things.

While other causes could inspire you temporarily, a cause that matters to you can inspire you indefinitely. It’s a spring of motivation that will never dry. Whenever you think that you run out of motivation, you can always come to your cause to get a fresh dose of motivation.

2. Have a dream. A big dream.

Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be.
Karen Ravn

Your cause is a powerful source of motivation but it’s still abstract in nature. You need to make it concrete in the form of a dream. Imagine how the world will be in the future. Imagine how people will live and work.

Having a dream is important because it’s difficult to be motivated if you don’t have anything to shoot for. Just think about people who play basketball. Will they be motivated to play if there is no basket to aim at? I don’t think so. They need a goal. You need a goal. That’s what your dream is for.

But just having a dream is insufficient. Your dream must be big enough to inspire you. It must be realistic but challenging. It must stretch your ability beyond your comfort zone.

3. Be hungry

Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way.
Les Brown

To be truly motivated, you need to have hunger and not just desire. Having mere desire won’t take you through difficult times since you don’t want things badly enough. In many cases, hunger makes the difference between the best performers and the mediocre ones.

How can you have hunger? Your cause and your dream play a big role here. If you have a cause you care about and a big dream related to it, you should have the hunger inside of you. If you think that you are losing hunger, all you need to do is to connect again to your cause and dream. Let them inspire you and bring the hunger back.

4. Run your own race

I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself.
Mikhail Baryshnikov

Comparing yourself with others is an effective way to demotivate yourself. Even if you start with enthusiasm, you will soon lose your energy when you compare yourself with others.

Don’t let that happen to you. You have your own race so how other people perform is irrelevant. Comparing yourself with others is like comparing the performance of a swimmer with a runner using the same time standard. They are different so how can you compare one with the other?

The only competitor you have is yourself. The only one you need to beat is you. Have you become the best you can be?

5. Take one more step

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
Winston Churchill

When you meet obstacles along the way, there could be the tendency to quit. You may think that it’s too difficult to move on. You may think that your dream is impossible to achieve. But this is where you can see the difference between winners and losers. Though both of them face the same difficulties, there is one thing that makes the winners different: the courage to continue.

In difficult situations, just focus on taking one more step forward. Don’t think about how to complete the race. Don’t think about how many more obstacles are waiting for you. Just focus on taking the next step.

6. Let go of the past

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Believe it or not, one of the best demotivators is your past. Your past can drag you down before you realize it. Your past can give you a heavy burden on your shoulders.

The good news is it’s a burden you don’t have to carry. Take it off your shoulder and leave it. You might make mistakes in the past. You might disappoint others with what you did. But it’s over. It’s already in the past and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Today is a new day and you have the chance to start again. No matter how bad your past might be, you still have a bright future ahead waiting for you. Just don’t let the burden of the past stop you.

***

Apply these tips and motivate yourself. Don’t settle for mediocrity. Let your self motivation take you to excellence.

This article is part of October 2008 theme: Winning Attitude

Success Secrets: Ask Yourself

Success Secrets: Ask Yourself

4 Questions


By James Allen, the Author of As a Man Thinketh


For true success ask yourself these four questions:

1.

Why?
2.

Why not?
3.

Why not me?
4.

Why not now?



The Thought-factor in Achievement

"All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts," wrote James Allen in his book As a Man Thinketh


"A man's weakness and strength, purity and impurity, are his own, and not another man's; they are brought about by himself, and not by another; and they can only be altered by himself, never by another. His condition is also his own, and not another man's. His suffering and his happiness are evolved from within. As he thinks, so he is; as he continues to think, so he remains.

A strong man cannot help a weaker unless that weaker is willing to be helped, and even then the weak man must become strong of himself; he must, by his own efforts, develop the strength which he admires in another. None but himself can alter his condition.

It has been usual for men to think and to say, "Many men are slaves because one is an oppressor; let us hate the oppressor." Now, however, there is amongst an increasing few a tendency to reverse this judgment, and to say, "One man is an oppressor because many are slaves; let us despise the slaves."

... All achievements, whether in the business, intellectual, or spiritual world, are the result of definitely directed thought, are governed by the same law and are of the same method; the only difference lies in the object of attainment."

5 Rules of Self Motivation

5 Rules of Self Motivation


Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) is the Psychology of Excellence and the Technology of Achievement





1.

Motivation is not a product of external influence; it is a natural product of your desire to achieve something and your belief that you are capable to do it

2.

Positive pleasure-oriented goals are much more powerful motivators than negative fear-based ones. The right combination of both is the most powerful motivating mix.

3.

Start with visualizing clearly your future success and model the feelings you'll experience when you achieve it

4.

Walk mentally the path towards this success and model your feelings at different milestones on the way

5.

Assign a high priority to the task

Lessons from Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs' 12 Rules of Success





Lessons from Steve Jobs,
Founder of Apple Computers

Executive Summary by Vadim Kotelnikov

Steve Jobs is one of the most successful entrepreneurs of our generation. His success story is legendary. Put up for adoption at an early age, dropped out of college after 6 months, slept on friends’ floors, returned coke bottles for 5 cent deposits to buy food, then went on to start Apple Computers and Pixar Animation Studios.


1.

Do what you love to do. Find your true passion. Do what you love to do a make a difference! The only way to do great work is to love what you do.
2.

Be different. Think different. "Better be a pirate than to join the navy."
3.

Do your best. Do your best at every job. No sleep! Success generates more success. So be hungry for it. Hire good people with passion for excellence.
4.

Make SWOT analysis. As soon as you join/start a company, make a list of strengths and weaknesses of yourself and your company on a piece of paper. Don't hesitate in throwing bad apples out of the company.
5.

Be entrepreneurial. Look for the next big thing. Find a set of ideas that need to be quickly and decisively acted upon and jump through that window. Sometimes the first step is the hardest one. Just take it! Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.


6.

Start small, think big. Don't worry about too many things at once. Take a handful of simple things to begin with, and then progress to more complex ones. Think about not just tomorrow, but the future. "I want to put a ding in the universe,” reveal Steve Jobs his dream.
7.

Strive to become a market leader. Own and control the primary technology in everything you do. If there's a better technology available, use it no matter if anyone else is not using it. Be the first, and make it an industry standard.

8.

Focus on the outcome. People judge you by your performance, so focus on the outcome. Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected. Advertise. If they don't know it, they won't buy your product. Pay attention to design. "We made the buttons on the screen look so good you'll want to lick them." "Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works."
9.

Ask for feedback. Ask for feedback from people with diverse backgrounds. Each one will tell you one useful thing. If you're at the top of the chain, sometimes people won't give you honest feedback because they're afraid. In this case, disguise yourself, or get feedback from other sources. Focus on those who will use your product – listen to your customers first.
10.

Innovate. Innovation distinguishes a leader from a follower. Delegate, let other top executives do 50% of your routine work to be able to spend 50% your time on the new stuff. Say no to 1,000 things to make sure you don't get on the wrong track or try to do too much. Concentrate on really important creations and radical innovation. Hire people who want to make the best things in the world. You need a very product-oriented culture, even in a technology company. Lots of companies have tons of great engineers and smart people. But ultimately, there needs to be some gravitational force that pulls it all together.

11.

Learn from failures. Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.
12.

Learn continually. There's always "one more thing" to learn! Cross-pollinate ideas with others both within and outside your company. Learn from customers, competitors and partners. If you partner with someone whom you don't like, learn to like them – praise them and benefit from them. Learn to criticize your enemies openly, but honestly.

How To Motivate Yourself

How To Motivate Yourself
Self Motivation
July 19th, 2007 by John Wesley

Staying motivated is a struggle — our drive is constantly assaulted by negative thoughts and anxiety about the future. Everyone faces doubt and depression. What separates the highly successful is the ability to keep moving forward.

There is no simple solution for a lack of motivation. Even after beating it, the problem reappears at the first sign of failure. The key is understanding your thoughts and how they drive your emotions. By learning how to nurture motivating thoughts, neutralize negative ones, and focus on the task at hand, you can pull yourself out of a slump before it gains momentum.
Reasons We Lose Motivation

There are 3 primary reasons we lose motivation.

1. Lack of confidence - If you don’t believe you can succeed, what’s the point in trying?
2. Lack of focus - If you don’t know what you want, do you really want anything?
3. Lack of direction - If you don’t know what to do, how can you be motivated to do it?

How to Boost Confidence

The first motivation killer is a lack of confidence. When this happens to me, it’s usually because I’m focusing entirely on what I want and neglecting what I already have. When you only think about what you want, your mind creates explanations for why you aren’t getting it. This creates negative thoughts. Past failures, bad breaks, and personal weaknesses dominate your mind. You become jealous of your competitors and start making excuses for why you can’t succeed. In this state, you tend to make a bad impression, assume the worst about others, and lose self confidence.

The way to get out of this thought pattern is to focus on gratitude. Set aside time to focus on everything positive in your life. Make a mental list of your strengths, past successes, and current advantages. We tend to take our strengths for granted and dwell on our failures. By making an effort to feel grateful, you’ll realize how competent and successful you already are. This will rejuvenate your confidence and get you motivated to build on your current success.

It might sound strange that repeating things you already know can improve your mindset, but it’s amazingly effective. The mind distorts reality to confirm what it wants to believe. The more negatively you think, the more examples your mind will discover to confirm that belief. When you truly believe that you deserve success, your mind will generate ways to achieve it. The best way to bring success to yourself is to genuinely desire to create value for the rest of the world.
Developing Tangible Focus

The second motivation killer is a lack of focus. How often do you focus on what you don’t want, rather than on a concrete goal? We normally think in terms of fear. I’m afraid of being poor. I’m afraid no one will respect me. I’m afraid of being alone. The problem with this type of thinking is that fear alone isn’t actionable. Instead of doing something about our fear, it feeds on itself and drains our motivation.

If you’re caught up in fear based thinking, the first step is focusing that energy on a well defined goal. By defining a goal, you automatically define a set of actions. If you have a fear of poverty, create a plan to increase your income. It could be going back to school, obtaining a higher paying job, or developing a profitable website. The key is moving from an intangible desire to concrete, measurable steps.

By focusing your mind on a positive goal instead of an ambiguous fear, you put your brain to work. It instantly begins devising a plan for success. Instead of worrying about the future you start to do something about it. This is the first step in motivating yourself to take action. When know what you want, you become motivated to take action.
Developing Direction

The final piece in the motivational puzzle is direction. If focus means having an ultimate goal, direction is having a day-to-day strategy to achieve it. A lack of direction kills motivation because without an obvious next action we succumb to procrastination. An example of this is a person who wants to have a popular blog, but who spends more time reading posts about blogging than actually writing articles.

The key to finding direction is identifying the activities that lead to success. For every goal, there are activities that pay off and those that don’t. Make a list of all your activities and arrange them based on results. Then make a make an action plan that focuses on the activities that lead to big returns. To continue the example from above, a blogger’s list would look something like this:

1. Write content
2. Research relevant topics
3. Network with other bloggers
4. Optimize design and ad placements
5. Answer comments and email
6. Read other blogs

Keeping track of your most important tasks will direct your energy towards success. Without a constant reminder, it’s easy to waste entire days on filler activities like reading RSS feeds, email, and random web surfing.

When my motivation starts to wane, I regain direction by creating a plan that contains two positive actions. The first one should be a small task you’ve been meaning to do, while the second should be a long-term goal. I immediately do the smaller task. This creates positive momentum. After that I take the first step towards achieving the long-term goal. Doing this periodically is great for getting out of a slump, creating positive reinforcement, and getting long-term plans moving.

It’s inevitable that you’ll encounter periods of low energy, bad luck, and even the occasional failure. If you don’t discipline your mind, these minor speed bumps can turn into mental monsters. By being on guard against the top 3 motivation killers you can preserve your motivation and propel yourself to success.

mental steps to self-motivation

mental steps to self-motivation
[Ian'sMessyDesk]

My 8 Steps

I enjoyed Ian’s article but thought it could use some definition when it comes to trying to build a continuous drive of motivation. Here is a new list that is a little more generic:
# 1. Start simple. Keep motivators around your work area - things that give you that initial spark to get going.
# 2. Keep good company. Make more regular encounters with positive and motivated people. This could be as simple as IM chats with peers or a quick discussion with a friend who likes sharing ideas.
# 3. Keep learning. Read and try to take in everything you can. The more you learn, the more confident you become in starting projects.
# 4. Stay Positive. See the good in bad. When encountering obstacles, you want to be in the habit of finding what works to get over them.
# 5. Stop thinking. Just do. If you find motivation for a particular project lacking, try getting started on something else. Something trivial even, then you’ll develop the momentum to begin the more important stuff.
# 6. Know yourself. Keep notes on when your motivation sucks and when you feel like a superstar. There will be a pattern that, once you are aware of, you can work around and develop.
# 7. Track your progress. Keep a tally or a progress bar for ongoing projects. When you see something growing you will always want to nurture it.
# 8. Help others. Share your ideas and help friends get motivated. Seeing others do well will motivate you to do the same. Write about your success and get feedback from readers.

What I would hope happens here is you will gradually develop certain skills that become motivational habits.

Once you get to the stage where you are regularly helping others keep motivated - be it with a blog or talking with peers - you’ll find the cycle continuing where each facet of staying motivated is refined and developed.

My 1 Step

If you could only take one step? Just do it!

Once you get started on something, you’ll almost always just get into it and keep going. There will be times when you have to do things you really don’t want to: that’s where the other steps and tips from other writers come in handy.

However, the most important thing, that I think is worth repeating, is to just get started. Get that momentum going and then when you need to, take Ian’s Step 7 and Take A Break. No one wants to work all the time!

Six Self Motivation Techniques

Six Self Motivation Techniques

1. Find a true interest in what you are doing. If you have no interest at all, it might mean you need to do something else. On the other hand, if it's just a task you dislike, relate it clearly in your mind to the greater goal. I don't particularly like to drive, but I don't have a motivation problem when I am driving to the mountains for a vacation.

2. Create energy. You need some energy for self motivation. Caffeine may help for a while, if it doesn't create other problems for you. You can also exercise and sleep well. Watch out for sugary foods - the "sugar blues" will kill your motivation. When you find energy boosters that work for you, make a list and keep it handy for future use.

3. Talk your way to motivation. This is one of my favorite ways to create energy and motivation. By the time I tell my wife about the article I'm going to write, I'm out of my slump and back at the keyboard. If the task itself is less inspiring, talk about the larger goals it will help you achieve.

4. Stimulate desire. Imagining their potential future motivates many to sign up for get-rich-quick plans. Good salesmen can put you in your imagined dream home in minutes, and you'll feel motivated to do anything to make it real. Why not learn to be your own salesman?

5. Stimulate pain. An effective Neuro-Linguistic Programming technique is to link pain with not acting. This is what happens when you finally stop hitting that snooze button on the alarm because you think you
might lose your job. Imagine any bad consequences that may occur if you don't do what you need to do.

6. Start with any small step. I have found that if I commit to raking up one bag of leaves, I soon want to finish the yard work. Training yourself to take any small step towards your goals is a great self motivation technique. Breaking larger goals down into small steps makes this even easier.

These motivation techniques really work, but don't ask me how to get motivated to use them. Anyhow, you already were motivated enough to read this far, so you'll be fine. Oh, and humor is technique number seven. Laughing can overcome that feeling of being overwhelmed that sucks away self motivation.

Self-Motivation Strategies for Greater Achievement

Self-Motivation Strategies for Greater Achievement
By: Peter Murphy



The key to self-motivation is setting goals. Without goals, it really doesn't matter how self motivated a person tries to be. They have to know what it is that they are motivated for.

There must be a reward or benefit for it to be motivation. That is what drives us as humans. Without this factor, there will not likely be success in self-motivation.

That is the reason why it is very important to make a list of goals. This first step will get you started in the right direction to achieving self-motivation.

Now, let's talk about goals. The goals we set for ourselves sometimes tend to be way out of our reach. When we do this, we our basically setting ourselves up for failure. When this happens, it is like taking a giant step backwards in the motivation process.

A person`s goals need to be both realistic and possible. For instance, if winning the lottery is your goal, you need to rethink that goal. Yes, it is possible but it is not realistic to win the lottery. It is very important to make sure that person's goals fit into both of these categories.

Another piece of advice in achieving self-motivation is to never look back on past failures. This is just not a productive thing to do. We tend to get hung up on our mistakes and then they become major obstacles on the way to our goals.

We can learn from our mistakes that we have made in the past, but be careful not to dwell on them. So, remembering that we are just human and we are not perfect can help us become more self-motivated.

Once you have figured out what motivates you personally, and you have set your goals, you're about one third of the way through the process.

The next step is to find your objectives. They are very specific objectives. They need to be measurable, for instance, by the week, day or month. When questioned about these objectives, the answer should be a yes or no answer. They are basically directives that will tell you what needs to be done and when.

Next comes the part where our human nature tries to step in and stop this self-motivation process. It is called the commitment step. This phase of the process is difficult more so for some than others.

Some people just have a real hard time committing to jobs, relationships, and personal gains. Some of this lack of commitment comes from low self-esteem or low self-confidence.

In order to be successful at self-motivation, one must be confident in them selves and know their own worth. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Identifying your personal weaknesses and strengths is a giant step in the right direction.

Whether you are searching for self motivation for the purpose of losing weight
, exercising more, starting a new career, or putting an end to bad habits, there are many self help websites out on the internet that can help a person with these issues.

There are also online classes that can be taken to help improve some of these areas and issues. Books on self-help can be purchased at many bookstores nationwide, as well.

The resources out there are great in number and they pretty much say the same things. But the bottom line is that it is up to you and your attitude and your mindset.

If you want to be self motivated, then all it will take is searching for what motivates you. Getting a reachable goal will also help you get started on the right path to self motivation.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report that reveals how to crush procrastination and sustain lasting motivation. Apply now because it is available for a limited time only at: motivation techniques
Tags: self-improvement, motivation, self motivation