People are always trying to find a way to stay motivated and get things done. They think that their lack of lasting motivation is the reason they don’t seem to get things done or even started.
People have a strange relationship with motivation.
They believe that people who start big projects or manage to get work done consistently are motivation machines and that they have a constant stream of motivation which they can conjure up at will.
I hope by reading this you even start to realise how ridiculous this idea is. Motivation is something that comes and goes so it is very unreliable when it comes to being consistent.
Yes motivation is needed.
But it is not the main component.
What really is motivation?
The definition of motivation is:
“A reason or reasons for acting or behaving in a particular way”
Most people see motivation as a feeling or force which allows them to do something they otherwise can’t be bothered/don’t want to do.
If you look at the most important word in that definition then it really shows how wrong people have got it.
That word is REASON.
Why you do something or your reason for doing it is really the secret to long lasting motivation.
Waiting around and hoping for motivation to come wont get you anywhere fast.
The REASON or the WHY.
Okay, now you know that motivation alone is a load of crap.
Now time for the fun stuff. Here comes all the self development cheesy quotes and tips to make you the best version of yourself……
joking of course.
I just have some knowledge and experience on this topic and thought somebody might find it useful.
I can’t remember exactly where I first heard the term ‘Finding your why’. I know Simon Sinek talks about it all the time but it was always something I never gave much thought about.
Maybe it sounded a bit too far fetched. Or without sugar coating it, a load of sh*te.
I kept hearing it over and over again from various books, videos, podcasts etc.
I was always interested in the subject of motivation and trying to stay consistent. So I started to look into it more and the more I did the more it started to click.
I would always feel that burst of motivation when starting a new project. Then not long after I’d started I would always get that sinking feeling or that ‘couldn’t be bothered’ attitude.
Sound familiar?
The truth is that you’re going to feel like this at some point. It’s what you do when feeling like this that really counts.
Having a STRONG ‘reason’ or ‘why’ for doing something will greatly increase your chances of succeeding in it. I know it’s helped me.
I emphasise the word STRONG here because if your reason is weak then don’t expect it to pull you out of that demotivated state anytime soon!
Tailor your reasons around you and your personality. What do you feel will be a good enough reason to get you off your arse to do something when you aren’t in the mood to do so?
Think of the reasons that motivate you in your everyday life already?
An example to look at is one that you more than likely come across everyday in your 9-5 job. The ‘reason’ you don’t stroll into work an hour late everyday is because if you did, then you would be sacked. We call this extrinsic motivation (click here to find out more on that).
Whatever your ‘why’ is for you, find it and use it!
Being consistent
Now you have your reason or why nailed down it’s time to get passed the really difficult part.
Being consistent and gaining that long lasting ‘motivation’.
I’ll be honest here.
There are no real short cuts or hacks when it comes to consistency. You need to put in the work and it’s going to be a struggle. At least in the early stages anyway.
But don’t worry there are ways you can help yourself to make this change less challenging.
Start small
I believe when it comes to making any new changes to your routine or instilling a new habit, 99% of people get it wrong because they go too hard too quick.
They make massive changes in a short amount of time. Perhaps they want to lose weight, so they go cold turkey on all snacks and junk food. On top of that they are training twice a day five days a week.
Then the inevitable happens.
By the end of week two they have broke like a plate and ate their body weight in crisps, chocolate and jellies.
Sound familiar?
I know it does to me because I’ve done the exact same thing myself (I’m addicted to chocolate).
Start off small and build yourself up week by week.
When I first started to write blog posts I used to get quite overwhelmed with it. I thought if I wasn’t knocking out posts on a consistent basis then I was a complete failure.
So in the end I used to procrastinate and end up having nothing written up.
Until one day I just broke it down and aimed for a few hundred words a day. Two hundred words a day is 1400 a week! Doing this just made writing easier for me because the target was achievable and by the end of the week I could potentially have a good sized piece of content ready to publish.
I must admit though, I haven’t been as consistent as I’d like with the blog but I am getting there.
Say your goals publicly
Going public with your goals can be a powerful force when it comes to getting things done.
It allows you to make yourself more accountable for your actions.
I done a blog post on my website for my goals in 2020.
Probably not the best year to try and smash your goals I’ll admit but I wasn’t aware at the time the whole world would shut down over a contagious virus.
But my intent was to get my goals out there so people could see them, which in turn would give me that little bit more drive.
If you announce to everyone you are going to do something, you are more likely to follow through then if you didn’t.
Give it a try and see how it turns out. Hopefully you don’t do it right before a global pandemic like me.
Reward yourself
Give yourself a reward whenever you complete a task. In fact, rewards and actions are closely related.
Think about it.
You work a job to earn money.
You go to the gym to lose weight or gain muscle.
Every action is related to some sort of outcome. Some outcomes just don’t show up as fast as others.
You shouldn’t feel guilty for treating yourself. Guilt only happens when you procrastinate and put off what you initially intended to do.
What’s the point of working flat out if you can’t enjoy yourself either.
Work on your Intrinsic Motivation
I talked about extrinsic motivation earlier.
But what is Intrinsic motivation?
Intrinsic motivation is when your behaviours are driven by internal rewards. Whereas extrinsic motivation refers to being driven by external rewards.
One person may be extrinsically motivated to do their job so they can avoid being sacked and can collect their pay cheque at the end of the month.
An intrinsically motivated person might do their job because they like the work that they do and find some sense of personal achievement form doing it also.
Both workers will do their jobs but who is more likely to do good work on a consistent basis? Obviously the intrinsically motivated person.
The good news is that you can build up your intrinsic motivation. I would need to do a separate blog post altogether to get into it but I can leave you with this.
What interests you?
What do you find yourself drawn to?
Find the answer to these types of questions and you’ll be well on your way to building a strong intrinsic motivation (click here for more info on intrinsic motivation).
I go to see daily a few sites and blogs to read posts, except this blog provides quality based posts. Marti Perry Shishko
Thank you very much 🙂