Motivation is a word that has been used extensively in recent years. Motivational speakers are everywhere and dozens of motivational books are published every month. But what does it mean? It is best described as a driving force -- a force that cannot be contained. It is a fire within that gives a person the passion and enthusiasm to reach the highest levels of a sport, profession, or other endeavor.
What does it take to achieve it? Will power is critical; in fact you have to have tremendous will power along with a passion. Goals are also essential. You have to have something to motivate you, and goals are usually what you are striving to achieve. But how does super- motivation differ from ordinary motivation? Basically, it's taking it a notch higher. It's motivation along with a fierce or stubborn determination to achieve a goal. It's what olympic athletes have when they are training. It's what other athletes -- golfers tennis players and so on -- had when they were struggling to reach the highest levels in their sport. Concert pianists and many others also had it. It's the motivation that takes you to the highest levels of success. People who have it push forward with no second thoughts. Their motivations is rifled in a particular direction, and they know where they are going and what they want to achieve.
Few people have this type of motivation, as it takes a tremendous dedication and an incredible amount of work. But it is the fastest way to success, and even if you are not concerned with reaching the highest levels in your field, it can help you achieve your goals faster. Many people become enthused about something, but lose their enthusiasm when they find out how much work is involved. The super-motivated don't let this stop them; they never lose their dream.
Super-motivation can, in fact, be used for many things that are difficult for some people to achieve. Stopping smoking is a good example. Many people are motivated to quit, but they try and try and never achieve their goal. Many people also try to lose weight and encounter the same problem. Simple, or moderate, motivation isn't enough; it doesn't take them where they want to go. What they need is super-motivation.
Super-motivation can also be applied to learning a new language, or a new technology quickly. Indeed, it can be used for many things. In particular, if you want to reach the highest levels in your profession, or any activity, you will do better with super-motivation.
It's important to remember, though, that super motivation requires a strong desire and a passion to succeed -- a feeling of pushing forward and not worrying about obstacles. It is achieved best when you have a love for what you are doing, or want to achieve. The hardships are not problems; you see only the end result -- the rewards. You know you will succeed. You train, or study, or work feverishly toward your goal.
How Motivation Helps You
High motivation has benefits besides letting you achieve a goal faster than usual. It gives you self-esteem, and self confidence, particularly as you achieve partial goals (short-term goals along the route to you major goal). It makes you feel better about yourself, and you learn to deal with challenges and problems more effectively. You learn how to deal with worry as you become more and more confident you will succeed. You will also likely be happier, and more satisfied with your life. Each day will be a new adventure.
How to Get Motivated: First Steps
First of all you have to be motivated to do something. So decide what you want. What is your goal? Think about your passion for it. Ask yourself if you are passionate enough. It can't just be a "wish;" a simple wish is not enough. See it as a serious goal. Get excited about it; learn everything about to make sure you are positive it is something you want passionately. Read about others that have succeeded in the same field or activity. Find out how they made their way to the top, and what problems they experienced on route.
Build anticipation as you think about how you are going to achieve your goal. Set up a plan. think it through carefully as you modify, adjust and refine it. Get excited about the plan. Write out each step with short term goals along the way and time limits for each. Post the goals where you can see them. Look at them every day.
How to Increase Your Motivation
Several things can be used to increase your motivation. One of the best is to use mantras, or slogans. Think about them as you read through them. Typical of them are;
"If you believe in yourself, anything is possible."
"You can do anything you set your mind to."
"Challenge yourself -- you may be surprised.
"If you want to accomplish anything in life, you can't just sit back and hope it will happen. You have to make it happen."
"You are what you think of all day.'
Self-talk is also of considerable value. We all have a little voice going on in our head all day. Use it to talk to yourself (but be careful of doing it out loud in public). Use it to inspire yourself. Tell yourself that you can do it. Think of the little voice as a motivational speaker. Talk passionately to yourself, let yourself go. Pump yourself up with enthusiasm. Encourage yourself.
Closely associated with this is affirmations. They are brief statements you say to yourself for encouragement. If you say them enough, you soon begin to believe them. Examples are:
"I will succeed, nothing can stop me."
"I can do it. I will keep at it."
Do this frequently throughout the day
It's also important to visualize your goals as if they are already accomplished. Think about how you will feel. See the rewards. Feel happy and satisfied with life. Don't let the hard work get you down. Thrive on it, and the best way to do this is keep your energy up with good health habits. This will help fuel your motivation. Finally, don't let mistakes slow you down, and don't let them depress you, Learn from them and move on.
What to Do When Your Motivation Slumps
We all have bad days. Even the most motivated and enthusiastic people have the occasional bad day, and for most of us there will be more than a few. Don't be discouraged; expect them and learn how to deal with them. A few things that help are:
- Find inspiration in books and articles. When your motivation starts to slump read about people who have achieved the goal you want. Keep several articles of this type ready for use. Read them over and over whenever you need them.
- Keep your eye on the benefits and rewards. Don't think about the hard work you're going through, think about the rewards.
- Squash any negative thoughts, in particular, thoughts about quitting, and whether it's really worth it. Don't let them enter your mind, and if they do, substitute positive thoughts for them immediately.
- Remember that this moment of your life is precious. It will never come again, and you may never have another chance to attack your goal. Live for today; tomorrow may be too late.
- Reward yourself for accomplishing what you have so far. I'll leave the kind of reward up to you.
- Face problems and challenges one at a time. The problem with some people is that they get overwhelmed and don't know how to attack all the problems they are facing. It's important to take them on one at a time and overcome them.
- Don't let people deter you. If you have done your homework, know your abilities, and know what is ahead of you and are confident you can achieve your goal, don't let naysayers influence you. Ignore "You could never do that" talk.
- Talk to positive people. Get encouragement from them. Surround yourself with as many as possible.
- Always finish what you are doing. You will have many short term goals before you meet your major goal. Finish each one at a time. Use determination to get through each.
- Music is sometimes helpful. When you are down, sing a cheerful long; use it to lift your spirits.
The Magic Ingredient of Motivation: Hope
The spark that triggers motivation is hope, and it's the flame that keeps it going. Hope is desire. It's the expectation of realizing your dream, and it's important that you keep it alive.
Never lose hope; it gives you strength and it keeps you going. It is essential for strong motivation. The hope for something better gives you motivation; it's the fuel that keeps you going.
When you're feeling low, hope is what pulls you out of it. Hope is what makes you set goals. Hope gives you faith that you will succeed. And if you have tremendous hope for something, you will eventually get it. It's the magic ingredient, and something you definitely need.
How to stay Motivated for Life
Motivation for a single or even several goals is important, but even better is motivation for life. It gives your life meaning and makes it more complete. So once you have motivation don't let it stop, and the best way to do this is to keep it alive by thinking about it every day.
True motivation can be exciting. It fills you with enthusiasm and anticipation. You bounce out of bed every morning eager to go. Each new day is a new adventure to you. And indeed you can sustain motivation for as long as you want, as long as you try. Remember that motivation depends mainly on two things: emotions and imagination. Your emotions fire your feelings, and give you the urge to continue, and your imagination helps stoke the fire.
Barry Parker, Ph. D., is a professor emeritus (physics) at Idaho State University. He is the author of 25 books on science, health, writing, and music. His website is BarryParkerbooks.com and he has several blogs, one of them is at Barrysbuzz123.blogspot.com. He has done research in biophysics (mutations in the DNA molecule) and in relativity theory (Einstein's field theory), has a strong interest in health and fitness, self-improvement, and in music (particularly piano). He taught a writing class at ISU for several years. One of his recent books is "Feel Great Feel Alive."
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