Yesterday my teenage son Matt came home with a less than stellar report card. (Yes, even peak performance experts sometimes have trouble motivating others.) Now Matt is by no means stupid. The reason he got poor grades is because he did not do the work that was required for some of his classes. Why didn't he do the work? According to him, he didn't feel motivated to do it. After having a loud discussion with him (translation: I was ranting and raving), I realized that Matt is no different than many people in his erroneous idea about motivation and success.
The impact of motivation on success is highly overrated. Motivation has very little to do with success. Successful people do not wait to feel motivated to do things that need to be done. They take action whether or not they feel like it, and this continuous action towards a goal is what results in success.
Realize What You Are Losing
If you are not doing what you need to do, you are paying a price for it. It could be the constant stress of knowing you should be doing something but not doing it. It could be the subtle feeling of realizing that by your inactivity you are not achieving what you know you can achieve. Many people have a vague idea of what their inactivity is costing them, but they try to push away these thoughts because they are very uncomfortable. I am suggesting that you not only don't push away these thoughts, but that you experience them fully.
Think about what your lack of action is costing you and notice how miserable this feels. Am I telling you this because I am sadistic and want you to feel bad? No, I am urging you to do this so you connect with this discomfort. Feeling this pain will often spur you to give up your excuses and move. Most people will do more to avoid pain then they will to move forward towards pleasure. Recently, my toe has been causing me some problems. This has been going on for several weeks. I know I should have gone to the doctor to get it checked out, but I didn't want to take the time to do it. However, the pain has been getting worse and is now preventing me from participating in some activities that I enjoy, so I finally made an appointment to see him. Pain catches your attention.
Are you experiencing the pain of mediocre revenues in your business because you are not doing enough marketing and selling? Have you been having conflict with your team because you have not effectively dealt with a difficult employee? When you experience enough pain, you will be surprised how motivated you will be to take action.
Focus on the Pay Off
If you don't particularly like the task that you have to do, don't focus on how miserable you might feel at the moment. Instead, focus on the pay off that you will receive as a result of your work. People who are successful in any area of their lives usually focus on what they will get out of their activity.
I have been a size four since I was 15. Most people who have problems with their weight will often comment that I am lucky to be so thin. I tell them that I exercise a minimum of one hour at least five days a week. Their next remark is usually, "You must love to exercise." No, I don't love to exercise. I would much rather get up and make a pot of coffee. To me there is almost no greater delight in life than enjoying a cup of freshly brewed coffee first thing in the morning. That's my exercise pay off. As I am in the process of exercising, I count the minutes left that I have to do it before I can have my cup of coffee. Does this sound simplistic? Maybe, but it works. This simple strategy has motivated me to work out consistently for many years.
What is your pay off? Is there something that you really enjoy? Tie it into the task that you know you should do, but that you have been putting off. Make the pay off be the carrot that drives you to action.
Don't Worry About Perfection
One of my biggest blocks in getting started with doing something is that I'm afraid I won't do it right. This is usually in connection with something new that I don't have a lot of experience with. I want to do a good job and I don't want to mess it up. So what happens? Nothing. I focus so much on my fear of making a mistake that I often do nothing at all.
When you are starting a new project, don't worry about doing it right initially. Just do something. There is a common principle in physics that states, 'A body at rest tends to stay at rest, a body in motion tends to stay in motion.' Get moving. Recognize that you will need to make adjustments along the way. Making adjustments is part of the process of learning how to be successful in any new endeavor. As you begin to do the new task, you will find out what else you need to know. You will discover additional information that will help you achieve your outcome. Don't focus on the success or failure of each step. Be concerned with taking the most intelligent action at any particular moment and make whatever changes that are necessary. Action, not perfection, creates results.
Develop a Plan
Sometimes we have a new idea but it seems so overwhelming that we do nothing. Create an action plan for a project and then just do one step at a time. I wanted to create an electronic newsletter for more than two years. On a regular basis, I felt the guilt and self-recrimination that comes from knowing that I should do it but not taking action. I am technologically challenged so the entire project seemed more than I could handle. Finally, I decided to create an action plan. I would find other successful electronic newsletters and see how they were put together. I would determine ways to distribute the newsletter to subscribers. I would find ways to let others know about my newsletter. I focused on completing each step and within two weeks, I sent out my premiere issue of Peak Performance Pointers. When I finally broke the task down into simple action steps, I was able to get it done.
Motivation Comes From Action
An interesting thing about lack of motivation is that when we begin a project that we have been putting off, we finally start to feel motivated. Motivation often comes from the doing. When we start something and see it begin to take shape, it becomes exciting. Once we get started, we often find it difficult to stop until the project is completed. As we work on accomplishing a new idea, it is easier to focus on the end result and this creates even more motivation to get it finished. So recognize that if you are waiting to feel motivated to do something, start to do it and then the motivation will kick in.
Many people erroneously believe that successful people are super motivated individuals. Nothing could be further from the truth. While it is wonderful to feel motivated to do something before you begin it, don't let motivation cause you to fail. Take action towards your goal and you'll be filled with more motivation than you can handle.
Della Menechella is a speaker, author, and trainer who inspires to achieve great success from the inside out. She is a contributing author to Thriving in the Midst of Change and the author of the videotape The Twelve Commandments of Goal Setting. She can be reached at della@dellamenechella.com. Subscribe to free Peak Performance Pointers e-zine - send blank e-mail to mailto:subscribe@dellamenechella.com.
We stood in the kitchen talking. I was discussing my... Read More
1. "If you have faith the size of a mustard... Read More
When was the last time you were asked, what is... Read More
"The measure of your success usually comes down to who... Read More
As each day ends and another begins, the words of... Read More
Have you achieved your dreams? Dreams are an important part... Read More
Confidence: The word conjures up images of self-assurance and... Read More
Do it now! Whatever it is you have been putting... Read More
Well....., I got some good news and I got some... Read More
Persistence will carve you as a leader in your industry.... Read More
Recently, I was driving past a local nursery and saw... Read More
"It is not what happens to you, but how you... Read More
Curing procrastination is not necessarily about will power or forcefully... Read More
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not... Read More
Need to move ahead and yet find yourself holding back?Edward... Read More
What CHOICE do you want to make?Dictionary* says:the act of... Read More
What is your PASSION?Dictionary says: strong liking for or... Read More
Whatever happened to all the dreams? The wants, the desires,... Read More
Hello Creative Entrepreneurs!As many of you may know I have... Read More
Yes, that's me up there! Interestingly enough, I used to... Read More
How are things going for you? Are you sitting on... Read More
Making money is easy when you move to cause rather... Read More
Beep. Beep. Beep. 5:51 am. The alarm is once again... Read More
If you want to be a winner you have to... Read More
I hope you do. Sounds awful, I know. But I... Read More
We encounter constant changes throughout our life; it could be... Read More
"You can't get anywhere in anything without work, action, movement..whatever... Read More
Procrastination is a complicated behavior that affects all people to... Read More
Many people are too busy today trying to fit themselves... Read More
Studies have shown that on average an optimist will have... Read More
I am always concerned that there are so many books... Read More
Today, when I awoke, I suddenly realized that this is... Read More
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SELF-MOTIVATION FOR TRAINERS: Lack of self-motivation is... Read More
There is hardly anything more personal that what motivates each... Read More
Yesterday at the dinner table, my eleven-year-old daughter asked me,... Read More
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a... Read More
Ever feel like quitting? "Are you kidding?" you ask, "A... Read More
I was having coffee with my friend the other day.... Read More
Most people have no idea where their money goes. They... Read More
Wisdom eludes me. The more I learn, the less I... Read More
Fear is the minds great mortal sin.And isn't it just... Read More
The inner critic is that voice inside your head that... Read More
In other words, it is in the "doing" that we... Read More
Someone once pointed out to me that in many of... Read More
Your ability to perform in life is determined by a... Read More
Have you hit the 'brick wall' yet?No? Well it won't... Read More
The secret to getting started on something when you don't... Read More
It may sound silly but the key to self-confidence and... Read More
...it is in this whole process of meeting and solving... Read More
Procrastination is a complicated behavior that affects all people to... Read More
This whole idea of change is founded on a single... Read More
I worked hard for the past 17 years. I felt... Read More
The importance of will-power is recognized by most men, yet... Read More
Here's an interesting story from the world of race car... Read More
It is just amazing the amount of people who don't... Read More
Would you like to feel and function like age 40... Read More
Throughout my life I have observed many things and I... Read More
It was only about 18 months ago that I could... Read More
The motivation to change my oil came the other day... Read More
The physical journey mirrors very accurately the spiritual journey of... Read More
The cream rises to the top. That means that it... Read More
Motivation is an oft-discussed subject, particularly with regards to whether... Read More
In our information age, having the right knowledge at the... Read More
"Every truly great accomplishment is at first impossible." It's a... Read More
I woke up one morning with a sharp pain in... Read More
You know the feeling.There's something you want to do. You've... Read More
Motivation |