You dream big, you realize you want it…more than anything and you feel that initial burst of enthusiasm and energy to go after it.
But soon, you begin to put it off, make excuses, and prioritize other things…and before you know it a month has passed and you haven’t made any progress towards your goals.
Most people want to change but few have the motivation required to go after it. However, building that motivation and maintaining the momentum is needed to go after what you want.
This is why motivation is such an important thing to understand and master as an entrepreneur.
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What is motivation?
Motivation in the simplest form refers to the drive you might have to achieve your goals or needs. That feeling of movement and momentum will dictate your actions and behaviors.
If your motivation is high, you will consistently take the steps required to get closer to your goals.
On the other hand, if your motivation is low, you’ll likely procrastinate, put things off and not take the necessary actions to reach your goals.
Motivation is the thing that helps to get you out of bed and get going.
It is the reason why you follow through…
Why is motivation important?
1. Helps to set and achieve goals.
When you are motivated you feel that sense of purpose, you have a direction that allows you to set the right kind of goals and to focus all your energy and efforts to execute them.
2. Improves wellbeing.
Naturally, feeling motivated and striving towards a goal with full force can massively lift your mood, reduce any feelings of anxiety, as well as improve your self-esteem and confidence.
3. Improves your relationship with yourself.
Motivated individuals tend to feel better about themselves because they are continually making the effort to work towards goals. This builds the trust that you have for yourself – if you set your mind to something you will execute it!
4. Sets your priorities.
With a sense of motivation guiding you, you will be far far more productive and focused. You’ll have a deep understanding of exactly what you need to do which means you will be better equipped to set the right priorities and let go of things that could be distracting.
5. It makes you more optimistic.
Motivation can give you a far more positive outlook on your goals but also on life in general. That’s because it provides you with a sense of meaning as you are working on the things that are important to you.
6. Gives you a sense of purpose.
Motivated individuals are more likely to pursue goals that align with their values and beliefs. That is why motivation can give your goals a greater sense of purpose.
7. Provides that hope you need.
Motivation as a feeling means that you are doing or working towards something which means a lot to you and therefore, in a sense, it provides you with that feeling that you have control over how you shape your future. This can massively reduce any sense of helplessness about your future and also give you hope to continue.
8. Pushes you through setbacks.
A sense of motivation is also a reflection of a growth mindset and with that, you will see that any setbacks or challenges along the way are opportunities to learn rather than fail. This can boost your resilience and help you face any challenges.
9. Teaches perseverance.
Motivated individuals tend to have a far greater understanding of why they are pursuing their goals. They are crystal clear of the why of it all which is why they can persevere through the ups and downs.
10. Improves your productivity.
Motivation improves productivity because it drives you to take action toward your goals. You will be more likely to put in the effort and stay focused on the goal.
11. Helps you strive to be the best you can be.
It inspires you and helps you reach your full potential.
12. Inspires others.
Isn’t it nice to also be a source of inspiration for others? When you are motivated and striving to become your best self and reach all your goals people are likely to be impressed by your level of commitment and your results. That kind of energy is contagious.
13. Fear deterrent.
A clear understanding of what you want to achieve and why can help you overcome any fears and doubts. You will be able to take action with a far more relaxed frame of mind.
14. Improves self-esteem.
Motivation can lead to a sense of accomplishment and pride which can boost your self-esteem and increase feelings of optimism.
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What are the three keys of motivation?
There are three key things that influence the level of motivation one has. Each plays an important role and shapes the very core of your motivation.
AUTONOMY – your right to work on what you want and when you want to. This is why few people generally enjoy their jobs. The work might be enjoyable however it’s the lack of freedom around it that makes it tiresome.
MASTERY – experience in a particular task or skill and wider knowledge can increase motivation.
PURPOSE – probably the most important one. When you have a strong sense of why your eagerness and motivation will skyrocket.
What are the three most important motivators of successful people?
- Failure
- Wanting to improve your life.
- Loving what you do
- Ensuring you live a regret-free life.
- Seeing the bigger picture of why it’s important.
- A sense of passion and purpose.
- The ability to give back.
What influences motivation?
Clarity of goals.
Clarity of goals allows individuals to set achievable milestones. This can help to maintain motivation levels by providing a series of smaller successes along the way to the larger goal.
Commitment to your goal.
When a person is committed to a goal, they are more likely to take ownership of their actions and decisions. They feel a sense of responsibility to follow through on their commitments.
This can lead to increased motivation, as individuals feel a sense of pride and accomplishment in their efforts.
Love of challenge.
The love of challenge is important for motivation because it drives individuals to push their limits, creating a sense of excitement and engagement.
When a person is faced with a challenging task, they are more likely to be fully invested in it, as they see it as a chance to test their skills and abilities.
This can lead to increased motivation, as individuals feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in their efforts.
Feeling in control of your life.
This means relying on intrinsic motivation rather than extrinsic motivation. So, what is the difference and why is it important?
External motivation
Extrinsic motivation as the name suggests comes from the environment, situations, and people around you.
This includes things like rewards, praise, fame, popularity money, or material possessions.
But this type of motivation is fleeting, you have no control over the external world, at least not as much as your internal world.
External motivation can diminish as quickly as it is gained.
Internal motivation
Internal motivation is generated within. It comes from you and you only and includes things like joy, satisfaction, the experience of the activity itself, and loving the process.
It is well tied in with self-esteem, the faith you have in yourself to achieve what you want, and relies little on other people’s opinions of you.
This type of motivation does not tend to decline.
How to stay motivated?
Figure out what motivates you.
The best advice for finding out what motivates you is to find your purpose. In other words, truly understanding your why. In the interest of maintaining motivation, it is also vital to align that purpose to internal motivation factors.
Yes, we all want some recognition, and we all want to have financial stability, especially as business owners. There is nothing wrong with this. But this should not be the only factor and having a strong internal motivator will take you further. That’s where purpose comes in.
To identify your internal motivation and purpose you can ask yourself the following questions:
- What are my values?
- What do I believe in?
- What brings me the most joy?
- What makes me feel alive?
- What is my passion?
- How am I making a difference?
Set good metrics to measure progress.
Your why can be a great metric for your success. Once you have identified it, make this your ultimate metric – this is the best way of providing you with tangible evidence of your progress.
Now, this is very specific to your individual why – but the most important thing is to note it down. It could be a record of a number of clients, your habits, your thoughts, and feelings, or gratitude.
Sometimes when we are in the middle and making daily steps towards our goals it is difficult to look broadly at the overall process you’ve made, because each step forward opens up the next step. In this loop, it can feel like you are not making progress.
Recording your progress is a way to objectively visualize how far you have already come and that can keep you motivated.
Set realistic goals but aim high.
Now when it comes to setting goals there is this kind of a fine balance. You want to set goals that are realistic so that you are not discouraged and lose motivation. But at the same time, you want to set the goals high enough so that you can get excited about the prospect of going after them.
In this case, it is vital that you follow your intuition and follow those feelings. When you begin to feel overwhelmed try breaking the goals down into smaller steps. When you are not feeling energized by the prospect of your success, you might not be aiming high enough.
Allow that intuition to guide you.
Write your goals down.
There is a real power to writing down goals on paper that makes them more powerful than simply thinking about them. Not only does it help you clarify them and your direction. But by writing them down you are in a way creating a roadmap for yourself of how you will achieve them.
Writing them down regularly can massively help to reinforce your commitment to your goals and in a way help to keep you accountable.
Don’t burn yourself out.
The important thing about burnout that most people miss is that typically they only respond to burnout when they are approaching the critical point. If you are feeling overwhelmed and despite that, you keep pushing rather than taking care of yourself, you are only delaying the inevitable.
You should never have to reach that critical point but recognize the early signs and intervene there. The longer you keep pushing the harder it will be for you to get back to your alpha state and the harder it’ll be for you to get your motivation back.
Early signs of burnout include:
- Difficulty concentrating.
- Decreased enjoyment from what you are doing.
- Avoidance of responsibilities.
- Physical symptoms such as headaches and muscle pain and digestive issues.
- Changes in sleeping pattern.
- Increased frustration and irritability.
Don’t tackle too much at once.
Multitasking has become such a buzzword and in a way a status of success. But increasingly it is becoming ever more apparent that multitasking and tackling too much at once can be counterproductive rather than beneficial.
Our brain is literally not wired up to multitask. Multitasking for the brain is like trying to get an algorithm that is designed to predict weather changes to predict stock markets. It’s not possible because the hardware is not designed for it.
Trying to multitask leads to more stress and anxiety and you will get far less done in the same amount of time as you would if you gave each item your full attention.
So, the solution is to focus on one task at a time and give it your full attention. This will help you to be more productive, reduce stress, and improve your mental health.
Don’t wait for it – make it happen.
One of the best ways to put motivation into action is simply to take action. Fighting that initial resistance to start is what will help you build that momentum.
Once you get past this initial stage everything will start to feel easier and your motivation, with each step, will grow and grow.
Work through limiting beliefs.
You know those damaging thoughts like “I’m not smart enough”, “I’m not talented enough” etc. etc… This type of internal monologue is incredibly damaging because it can put a stop to you taking action and achieving your goals. If you attach any meaning to it.
So, work through your limiting beliefs, identify them, and challenge them through a bit of cognitive behavioral therapy. This way you can let go of any grip that these though hold over your life so you can step into your full potential.
Shower yourself with support.
You should be your number one fan. In business and in life.
It does not mean you can’t rely on other people for support. In fact, having these strong connections and relationships is vital to your well-being. But there is a certain level of power that you can have if you can be your own source of support too.
Protect your energy, invest in your personal development, speak positively to yourself, and invest in self-care. Look after your mind, your body, and your soul.
Surround yourself with the things that bring your joy and peace.
Switch to INTERNAL motivation.
Ultimately, the key to making the switch from external to internal motivation is to focus on what truly matters to you and to find ways to integrate your personal values and interests into your goals and activities. By doing so, you can tap into a deep well of internal motivation that will drive you toward a more fulfilling and satisfying life.