What motivates you? How do you stay focused?
We're all motivated a little differently. Some of us are turned on by money-or rather what we think the money will do for us. Others are motivated by ego and the drive for glory. Sometimes, we're motivated by fear-of loss, of death, of loneliness and a host of other things. Still others are driven by the desire to help people.
What we need is drive that doesn't drive us over the edge. We need motivation that keeps us going through the discouraging times. We need motivation that enables us to consistently do what we know we need to do and then to do it at a level of excellence of which we can be proud.
I can't say what will work for you, but I'd like to share what's worked for me in my 50-plus trips around the sun. These are what I call the three keys to developing sustained motivation.
Key 1: A Purpose to Live For
First and foremost in staying motivated is to have a strong purpose. One person with a dream can accomplish more than 100 others without one. If you have a burning desire, you can accomplish anything. The biographies of great men and women are full of stories of how they did seemingly impossible things because they had a dream.
Much of the time, people are expending too much effort working on the "how," when what they really need to focus on is the "why." If you don't have a strong enough reason, you won't find out what you need to know, you won't do the things you need to do, when you need to do them.
We're either motivated by moving away from something or moving toward something. Each can be a driving force, but I believe moving toward a worthy purpose will provide the greatest fulfillment.
One of the most important things you can do to ensure your success is to be clear on your life purpose.
Key 2: A Self to Live With
Too many times, I've seen people doing the right things and even doing them for good reasons, but they self-destruct because they don't feel worthy. They've taken shortcuts. They've not done the little things that add up to being a big person.
When the person we are and the person we "appear" to be are inconsistent, we're at cross purposes to ourselves-we're out of integrity. And as Bucky Fuller said, "Integrity is the essence of everything successful."
Fanny Brice said it quite eloquently, "Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be-because sooner or later, if you're posing, you will forget the pose and then where are you?" It takes far too much energy to be someone other than who you are-so just be yourself. Besides, there's nobody better qualified.
We must learn to appreciate and accept ourselves. In doing so, we can love and accept others more easily.
Key 3: A Faith to Live By
I've never met or studied anyone, whom I would consider to be successful, who did not have strong faith. To have sustained motivation, it's necessary to have a powerful faith-in yourself, in your product, in your team, in your purpose-in something greater than yourself.
I think that developing this faith is best done with quiet intro-spection, by listening and by being open to a higher power and presence-what Napoleon Hill called "Infinite Intelligence."
When I'm in tune with this Infinite Wisdom, my life works. When I'm not, it doesn't. When I'm "in the flow," things seem to come to me with ease. "Coincidences" happen that don't seem to occur when I'm operating separately.
It hasn't always been the case, but I've learned to love myself even when I screw up. I don't spend much time at pity parties feeling sorry for myself. I've learned to accept and even laugh at my failings and then look for what they can teach me.
I realize that I won't ever fully accomplish my purpose. That's why I will never retire. I fully expect to live to be 120 years old in good health. And if I died tomorrow, I would make my transition knowing that I'm living my life on purpose. That keeps me at peace. It keeps me motivated.
Michael Angier is founder and CIO (Chief Inspiration Officer) of SuccessNet - a support network helping people and businesses grow and prosper. Get their free Resource Book ($27 value) of products, services and tools for running your business more effectively. And most of the over 150 resources are FREE to access and use. |
