WHY MOTIVATION IS SO IMPORTANT
Why motivation is so important is a question that is often asked by many people. The majority of people don’t understand why a few people seem to be motivated all the time while many people aren’t the same. As a professional speaker, it took me a while to realize that I cannot motivate anyone in my audiences. The only way for me to truly motivate someone is to spend all day, every day, with them. I’ll need to hold their hand and guide them through every moment of the day. That’s just not feasible and has no lasting value.
All I can do is share good, proven ideas and see what happens. The people who are motivated will pick up some of those ideas and run with them. To the rest, my time with them will be soon forgotten.
Why motivation is so important? Without motivation, Columbus wouldn’t have sailed for the new world, Edison would not have invented the light bulb, Ford the car, the Wright Brothers the airplane. At the same time, without motivation, people wouldn’t go after a college degree, would not lose weight, and wouldn’t work to improve a relationship. They would not strive to become better with money and would not go after a bigger position at work. Thus, to achieve any level of success in life, we’ve got to realize that motivation is very important. If you want to achieve more in your life, and you’re not sure how to get motivated, here are 5 steps you can take.
1. WHY MOTIVATION IS SO IMPORTANT BECOMES APPARENT WITH A BLUEPRINT
Why motivation is so important? It’s like a blueprint for your future. In one of my careers, I was a carpenter and a builder, following my father’s work. When I was 13 or 14, we lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in a small house. My parents decided to add a bathroom, a den, and two bedrooms onto the house. My father didn’t just order a bunch of wood, have it dropped off in our backyard, and sit back, hoping that the extension onto the house would magically appear.
Nope. My father had blueprints drawn, with every detail, showing exactly what was about to be built. Without specific plans, showing every detail, that building project would have never become a reality. As I helped my father build that extension, we followed the blueprints to the letter. Thus, at the end, the project turned out great because we followed a specific, written plan.
How do most people go about their lives? With no specific, written goals. Thus, they wonder why life throws them curves. It’s like a boat with no rudder. It’s going to end up wherever the wind chooses. No matter how old you are, don’t waste your time on what could have been. The only thing we have is this moment, a moment that will be the past of 5 years from now.
Start your written plan NOW. There’s a wonderful saying, “Follow your dreams, they know the way.” Thus, write down what you want in your life 5 years from today. Where do you want to live? How do you want your family situation to look and where do you want to be in your career. If you need to improve your health or financial situation, write down where you want to be in 5 years. Then, break those goals down to what portions you need to accomplish in the next 12 months. Next, break those goals down to the steps necessary in the next 30 days. If you don’t believe some of those goals, lower them until you do believe. Now take action on those 30-day goals. Walt Disney said, “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”
Get pictures of your goals and post them where you can see them every day. Look at those pictures and envision yourself in them! Just the fact that you have formed a clear blueprint of your future, and are taking small, initial steps, will help motivate you.
2. FOR THINGS TO CHANGE, WE’VE GOT TO CHANGE
Why motivation is so important? It makes you a better person. In order to achieve your dreams, some personal development steps may need to be taken. It’s true, for things to change, we’ve got to change. Thus, in order to get motivated, you may want to declare some positive affirmations that will help your mind believe that you could achieve your goals blueprint. Here are some affirmations that I would suggest you declare, out loud, the first thing each morning and the last thing each night while you look at your pictures.
Everything I touch prospers and succeeds. I create great relationships, improve my health regularly, am managing my money productively, and creating opportunities at work to move ahead. I’m excited about my goals and am taking steps each day to accomplish them. I have a great attitude every day!
3. TAKE CONTROL OF FEAR
Why motivation is so important? It helps us overcome fear. Many people don’t get motivated to accomplish greatness because of fear. They’re afraid they will fail, that they may look foolish to others. If this is your problem, we have to find a way to deal with it so you can be properly motivated to achieve a great future. As the sign says, “On the other side of fear is freedom!” Action, even small steps, in the right direction, is a great antidote to fear.
The saying goes, “Fear knocked at the door, faith answered, and no one was there.” Another saying: “Courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you.” Much of what we worry about never happens. Thus, fear is a big waste of time. If you make an effort and fail, in most cases you can start again. Total failure is not making any effort.
If fear is a problem for you, I suggest you read the Dale Carnegie book “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living.” He suggests that we live in day-tight compartments, focus on only what we can do today that is productive. Even if it’s a small step. Carnegie said that, if you’re worried about something, write down what you are worried about. Then write down what is the worst that could happen. Next, write down an action plan of what you would do if the worst were to happen. In most cases, this process will get rid of the fear. In addition, your positive daily affirmations will help strengthen your belief in your dreams. Strong beliefs, in the right direction, are a great antidote to worry.
4. ATTITUDE IS A CHOICE
Why motivation is so important? It helps to improve our attitude. And attitude is everything! No matter which way we look at our future, a bad attitude will kill motivation. Every morning, when we each wake up, we make a subconscious choice as to our attitude. Most people, because it’s simply easier, will gravitate toward a negative attitude and look at what’s wrong with their lives. The people who work at positive motivation, make an effort to direct their daily attitude in the right direction. They realize that it isn’t easy, but they know that it’s very important!
Since reading builds character, the right books can help our attitude greatly. It’s better to read one or two books, over and over again, than to read a bunch of books one time only. Repetition is the mother of skill. I suggest two of the best attitude and goal-setting books ever written. They are “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie and “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill.
In order to stay motivated, I suggest reading one or two pages in each book every day. Then, when you get through reading them, read them again. Read each book at least 3 or 4 times during the next couple of years. And, if you get depressed about the progress with your goals, pick up either book and read a page. The people stories and the stories about achievements of some very successful people will motivate you.
5. CREATE A MASTERMIND GROUP
Why motivation is so important? It helps us identify with whom we should spend time. Staying motivated means you may need to stay away from certain people. We are the total sum of the five people we spend the most time with on a regular basis. Thus, if your friends don’t have specific goals that are admirable, maybe you need to get some new friends. Look for goal-oriented people who care about their personal relationships, stay healthy, manage money productively, have a positive attitude, and are working on exciting goals for their future.
Napoleon Hill, in “Think and Grow Rich”, described what he called a “Mastermind Group.” He defined that as a group of good people, coming together in a spirit of harmony, to encourage each other to achieve their dreams. This group could be anywhere from three to eight or nine people. Get together on a regular basis, maybe every two weeks, or monthly, and report to each other your progress on your most important goals. Look for ways to help each other achieve your dreams. Hill describes in the book a mastermind group, a long time ago, that included people like Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, and Alexander Graham Bell. They used to get together regularly, share ideas, and encourage each other.
There you have it. Motivation is very important if we want our lives to be better. Zig Ziglar, the famous speaker, said: “Of course motivation is not permanent. But then, neither is bathing; but it is something you should do on a regular basis.”
DAILY MOTIVATION AFFIRMATIONS
“Everything I touch prospers and succeeds. I create great relationships, improve my health regularly, am managing my money productively, and creating opportunities at work to move ahead. I’m excited about my goals and am taking steps each day to accomplish them. I have a great attitude every day!”
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Get Motivated and Stay Motivated with a Championship Attitude. Learn more about Boaz, Speaker of the Year: Boazpower.com
Copyright 2017 by Boaz Rauchwerger
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