How do I get motivated to achieve success?
Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. - Arthur Ashe
I think it’s worth being clear about these two terms.
Success needs to be personally defined.
What is success to you?
How will you know when you are successful?
How will your life be different when you have this thing called “success”?
In many ways, success is not a final destination but the steps we take on a journey. The idea of ultimate success is an illusion because once something has been achieved desires, needs, attitudes and skills will have changed. These changed inspire the next step in your evolution as a person.
Motivation is really the emotional juice that oils the cogs of your actions.
All behaviour (even if you lack enthusiasm) is motivated by ’something’ within you. So it is that ’something’ that is worth exploring. Very often we fail to move forward to achieve our goals because of limiting self-beliefs that come from the ”stories” we have accepted about our abilities.
If you have a clear idea of what success is and the steps you can take towards it then you will be able to challenge these limiting beliefs.
Motivation comes from clearly stated steps towards a clearly defined future that inspires you emotionally.
People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily. - Zig Zigler
You can be motivated to move away from something you don’t want towards something you do want but, again, that implies that you know what these “somethings” are specifically.
Motivation or perhaps a lack of motivation is really a catch-all term which in and of itself is not that useful. We can often lack motivation when we simply don't know what actions to take.
Elyn Bres, which is Cornish for Clear MInd, has developed a coaching approach that focuses on defining goals and targets through four key stages.
a) Clear MInd - tools based upon mindfulness practices and approaches
b) Clear Thinking - applying thinking frameworks, like Edward de Bono's Thinking Tools, to make better decisions
c) Clear Goals - using the tools and approaches published in the best selling book The Secret to Your Future History and taught through the course Creating Your Future History. (details and FREE outline of the Seven Keys to Success) here
d) Clear Actions -the point of making decisions and setting goals is to eventually take action. For any dream to become a reality the dreamer needs to wake up!
Infuse your life with action. Don't wait for it to happen. Make it happen. Make your own future. Make your own hope. Make your own love. And whatever your beliefs, honour your creator, not by passively waiting for grace to come down from upon high, but by doing what you can to make grace happen... yourself, right now, right down here on Earth.- Bradley Whitford
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There is a rather quaint idea prompted by some "success gurus" that all you have to do is dream, create an affirmation from that dream and hand it over to the Universe in order to manifest the thing that you want. It's a soothing idea, but I think one that removes the dreamer from the personal responsibility of working towards what is desired. Now I am not dismissing this as a part of a process, but I am saying that the dreamer, you, needs to be an active part of that process.
There are many reasons why you may not achieve a goal. Some are about self-sabotage and some are to do with 'alignment'.
Alignment?
If we are really honest with ourselves maybe some of our desires would require us to transgress our own moral, ethical or personal values. I may want a certain person to 'fall madly in love' with me but because I respect the fact that this other person has the right to choose who they love, no matter what action I take there will be a lack of alignment between my desires, planned actions and values. I would argue too, that what many would call their Higher Selves, would also not be in alignment.
Even if our conscious mind is fixated on that 'desire' for another person our unconscious, which is an effective filter of our values, beliefs and values, will find ways to get in the way of such a single-minded pursuit. It will work to sabotage our efforts.
End Point.
The word motivation has the same root as motive and motion.
If we think in terms of an engine..
Motivation is really the emotional oil for the cogs of activity, emotional moves those cogs and our dreams, values, attitudes and beliefs provide the power.
Any misalignment in this engine of our dreams causes it to break down.
Our dreams and hopes for success are like the cars we drive, they need regular servicing,
Alan /|\