Episode 159: The Truth About Motivation (and Why it Feels Mysterious)
Have you ever thought to yourself, “I wish I was motivated the way SHE is.” As if motivation were some magical thing that gets doled out from the divine and you were somehow skipped?
That is not real. It’s not true. Motivation is a choice.
Today we’re going to break down why people aren’t more motivated than others and the four steps to get motivated – from initial spark to continued growth.
Let’s talk about why some people aren’t more motivated. We live in a society of reaction – we are massive consumers. We’re sitting back and waiting for the world to give us new circumstances, news, ideas and that new show to watch. It’s easy to sit and scroll.
Even if you’re the person who calls the shots in your family – be it planning a vacation or setting up a doctor’s appointment – you’re still reacting to what life’s giving you.
We live in these reactionary lives where we’re constantly waiting for circumstances to dictate what our next actions should be – and quite frankly, that’s why more of us aren’t more motivated.
Living a life of reaction isn’t living a life of choice. It’s not living a life of ambition. Obviously, there are day-to-day things that must be taken care of, but what happens when we start to choose?
If we are not going to be reactionary, we have to step forward and start to choose. Let’s review four steps to make that happen.
1. Have a reason to be motivated
I know it sounds super simple, but do you have a reason to act?
Motivation is motive.
Why are you writing that book? Why are you on that diet? Why did you start that podcast? Why did you choose to go out to dinner with those people you don’t like?
If you don’t know, you’re in reaction mode. So the first step is choosing your reason for acting right now and the big picture why.
2. Spark your motivation
Now that you understand the why, you need that spark to push you into action. The spark comes from two things: ambition and expectation.
I know some people think ambition is a bad word – I want to bust that up. Ambition simply means you have the ability to dream of an alternate future. You have the ability to dream that something might be able to change. This is a uniquely human ability.
Ambition causes a gap between what is and what you see as possible. But ambition without expectation is really demoralizing.
If you’ve got your reason and you’re starting your new project, you can see the future, but you might not have an expectancy. The truth is, it’s going to get really challenging and really hard, really fast.
So how can you “see” expectations? One of the easiest ways is to look for people who have already succeeded. You’ve heard me say this before, but no one is special. You can do it. Another way is to have faith in yourself. You can believe that you will learn what you need to learn, take the next step and have the courage to keep going.
So when you're getting ready to start a project or a new venture, you want to look at your ambition, and you want to stoke that ambition. You want to get excited about the new future you are seeing, and then you have to create expectancy. You can do that by seeing that other people have done it, so you know it's possible, and you do it by increasing your own confidence, which is faith in yourself.
3. Sustain your motivation
Now that you’ve recognized the expectation, you need to sustain your ambition. You’re excited, and you’ve created a gap. The gap is the space between your ambition and your results. This is where the magic lies, beautiful people!
You have to condition yourself to keep going before you see the results. This is where most people drop off.
The magic of the goal is not in setting it – it’s in who you will have to become to accomplish the goal. That’s where sustaining motivation comes in.
To sustain your motivation, you need to have attention and effort. Your attention should be focused. Do you have a plan? Whereas the effort comes from showing up when it gets tough. If you want something extraordinary, it’s going to take effort. You’re going to have to do something you’ve never done.
It means facing discomfort. It means consistency. It means dedication. The sustained attention and effort are where you expand yourself to become the person who gets things done.
4. Amplify your motivation
You’re in it for the long haul. You’re sustaining; you’re getting things done. Now we want to amplify with your attitude and environment. Business success is 80% mindset and 20% strategy right. This is the same thing. Attitude is your 80%.
Attitude is everything. So if you are looking to really fight for your ambition this year, look at some really great quotes. Pull out some wonderful things that inspire you and keep those around you. Keep your inspiration present.
Your environment needs similar treatment. Work on your environment. Make it conducive to matching your reason, matching your spark, and helping you sustain. That includes your people.
I want you to notice what you do have control over. If you are looking to amplify your motivation, you must understand what sources and what forces are pulling you in a direction you do not want to go because in order to be motivated human, you must take responsibility for your environment, you must take responsibility for your choices and you must take responsibility for your own success.
I hope this got you motivated and understanding that motivation is your choice. You can choose to have reasons that inspire you to do more, to try more, to dream bigger, and to study more so that you can see that this is all possible.
