Most of us have grand dreams and aspirations. We want to have a wonderful loving family, a job that pays us huge sums of money, a great car, a great house, and friends who support and appreciate us. It isn’t that these dreams are not achievable, it’s that we often lack the motivation to persist in our dream, apply the required effort, and ethically do what it takes to achieve them.
Can an individual overcome a lack of motivation? Certainly, but only with the realization that most dreams and long–term goals are not easy and do not provide the immediate rewards of gratification that we desire and are conditioned to expect. We have to sustain our efforts towards our long-term goals within these constraints. For most of us, this means a consistent, persistent effort that we have never been trained to undertake.
We all need motivation to be successful. We need motivation in order to do things that we do not enjoy. Factors such as stress and anger can keep us from achieving our goals so we need motivation to overcome such factors. Motivation is the driving force that keeps us in the race as we strive to achieve our goals. However, before we can harness the power of motivation, I feel it’s important for us to debunk the myths surrounding motivation. What are the Six (6) Myths of Personal Motivation? Myth 1: Motivation is achieved through other Many people find it easier to look outside of themselves for energy and motivation. In a way, this is empowering others to motivate ourselves. Does that make sense? Do you empower others to decide what you should eat for lunch? Select the person for you to marry? In reality, yes, we do allow others to do or say things that give us energy and motivation, but others don’t give us motivation, we give them the ability to motivate us through our thoughts, values and beliefs. However, we have sole control over what does and does not provide us energy and motivate us. If you want to take control of your personal motivation and happiness, the source of energy must be coming from your inner core because the best motivation always comes from within! Myth 2: People are born self-motivated Some people are literally born motivated. Their natural approach is to attack the world with all their energy, passion, and strength. Typically, they know what they want and allow few barriers to stand in their way of achieving their dreams and goals. Although you probably know of a few people like this, they are rare. In fact, less then 2 percent of the population falls into this category of truly “super motivated.” However, about 15 percent of the population would be considered “highly motivated” meaning that they weren’t necessarily born that way, but still find it possible to feel and act in a highly motivated manner. What is the difference? Highly motivated people apply successful techniques and have self-knowledge that allows them to act and be motivated through conscious and unconscious effort. The key is are you willing to learn the tools and techniques of self-motivation in order to better achieve your dreams and goals? If the answer is “Yes” then you can have all the motivation you need! Myth 3: Motivation is static Some authors and motivational speakers have advocated that once you are “motivated” you stay motivated. The reality is, this is far from the case. For most people, motivation is a temporary state. It is achieved and lost, often with just short periods separating the two events. Why? The human
brain strives for balance. Highs or lows are tempered. By using the techniques of self-motivation, you can create a comfortable state of motivation without the emotional energy often associated with a highly motivated state. I will continue to share with you another 3 more Myths in my next article, stay tune!
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