Motivation is the key to success. When you place a goal, your level of motivation is high, but as time goes by, the biggest challenge is to be able to maintain your standard of motivation. And it’s fundamental because motivation is the gasoline that keeps you going, that keeps you going, that keeps you going despite the obstacles, even though you go back in your path. In this episode, I will explain how motivation works, what steps you have to take to create and maintain your motivation, and if you stay until the end you will find out what some of the most successful people in the world do to stay motivated.
What’s the motivation?
Motivation is an internal force that pushes you to achieve your goals. The problem most of us face is that motivation levels are only very high when we start.
When we set ourselves a goal, we feel that we have that inner force that pushes us to achieve it, but as we move forward, as that path becomes more complicated, as obstacles appear or only as the results do not come to our levels of motoring gradually go down naturally.
And if we do nothing, it finally disappears, and the most common thing is that we end up abandoning and renouncing that objective or great dream that we had proposed.
How does Motivation work?
So here comes the big question: How can I be able to maintain that motivation that inner force that I implored to achieve my goals tirelessly? The first thing you need to know to use motivation in your favor is to understand how it works. There are many theories about how brain-level motivation works, but let’s say, that motivation is “something that’s in your head.” In this sense, two forces motivate us: intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. Here you have 10 Steps to create and maintain great motivation.
- Define a single target.
The first step is to define a goal, and it is essential that you mark one. When we want to change our life, we tend to want to change everything together. We believe that a single target is not enough. Then we set ourselves 2, 3, or even four goals.
- You find why.
Answer the following questions:
- How will my life change if I achieve this goal? What about the people around me?
- How will I feel every day if I can move forward without giving up? How will others see me if I reach my goal?
- What if I don’t get it? What would my life be like in five years if I didn’t get it? How will I feel if I quit?
This way, you’ll both define intrinsic motivation as extrinsic.
- Visualize the achievement.
The third step is to visualize what your reality will be like when you have achieved that goal. A system you can use to do this is a vision box. Choose some images that remind you of the reality you will reach once you achieve that goal. It includes phrases that motivate you.
- Develop a plan of action.
Mark a route that takes you from where you are to your target. What you have to do is define all the tasks that you think will lead you to achieve that goal and set a timetable for action.
- Start small.
These days I’ve started reading a book called “the power of the simple” by Leo Babauta. In this book, the author defends the power to reduce our tasks to be more efficient.
- Create a support team
Surround yourself with other people who are motivated to achieve a goal similar to yours. These people will urge you to fight for your purpose and not give up.
- Check your progress.
Check frequently how you’ve advanced to your target. Somehow, if we do not track our results, it is easy to ask ourselves.
- Make positive statements.
Using positive affirmations can become a great source of motivation. It is essential that each day begins by repeating a single statement in which you reinforce the mindset of achievement. You must put yourself in the role of someone who gets what you’ve proposed.
- Surround yourself with positive references.
The most common thing when you mark a goal that doesn’t fit our environment is to find sources of demotivation: don’t do it, don’t risk it, you’re fine. That’s why it’s important that you somehow combat these negative messages that you can meet.
- Reward yourself and rest
Don’t forget to reward yourself for those little advances. Sometimes we focus so much on moving forward that we forget to recharge the energy and end up burned: we need to reward ourselves and take breaks.