Motivation - It's a Process

I ran into an old friend a while back and in the course of our conversation we got around to asking what each of us was doing. When I told him about our Leadership Centre he said, "Oh, you're in the motivation business."

I acknowledged that motivation was part of what we did, even though that's not quite the way I would have described it.

But then he said something interesting. He said, "I've tried that stuff before—went to hear one of those motivational speakers—but it didn't last more than a day or so."

Why would someone think that being motivated or inspired is something you should do once and never have to do again?

It reminded me of Zig Ziglar's famous line, "Motivation doesn't last, but neither does taking a bath. That's why we recommend it DAILY."

The process of getting and staying motivated is just that—a process. You are never done. Just as you feed your body every day, you need to feed your mind every day.

The problem is that most people's mental diet is negative. It serves to de-motivate rather than motivate. Certainly one seminar or limited exposure to good information cannot be expected to overcome a lifetime of mental malnutrition.

We must stand guard at the doorway of our minds. If we don't choose and control what goes into our mind, there's no telling WHAT will get in there.

We're either self-motivated or self-defeated. But by taking control over what we read, listen to, see and experience, we position ourselves for success. We are motivated to do the things we need to do in order to achieve what we desire.

By maintaining our exposure to the good, the clean, the powerful, the inspiring and the uplifting, we're nourishing our minds and positively affecting our attitudes.

It's all about what we think about.

And by creating the right environment and feeding our minds healthy things, our thinking will be the kind of thinking that keeps us motivated and inspired.

So what do we need to focus on as a team?  Clarity in goal setting is vital in order to achieve.  You would never ask a waiter to go and get you some food as you know you need to be more specific yet this is the instructions we give our own minds and colleagues on a regular basis.  More sales for example will rarely achieve more sales, at least not as effectively as we would want.  We need to get specific.

Being specific creates clarity and clarity creates confidence which in turn creates positive motivation.  People who are motivated become creative when encountering barriers along the way.  This stimulation can feed on itself while ever an expectation that ‘it’ can be done is maintained.  This why reaffirming the goal and dealing with obstacles with the team/individuals within the team is one of the key roles of a leader.

Of course the balance between urgent (that which acts on you) and Not Urgent (that which you must act on) activity is the main cause of goal failure.  Taking phone calls and responding to questions are urgent while planning and coaching are not urgent.  That is they can be, and often are, put off. 

This practice is the single biggest cause of crises management.  It is inefficient and unsustainable.

Recognize the basic fact that you always have a choice. Making no choice is actually a choice in and of itself, and it's your choice to allow other people or events decide for you.

Set goals for yourself and note how, by working towards these and achieving these, you are controlling what happens in your life. As you do this, you'll find that your self-confidence quickly builds.

Develop your decision making and problem solving skills so that you can feel more confident and in control of what happens.

With these tools, you'll find that you can understand and navigate through situations that would otherwise damage you.

Pay attention to your self-talk. When you hear yourself saying things like, "I have no choice" or "There's nothing I can do", step back and remind yourself that you do, in fact, have some degree of control. It's your choice whether you exercise it or not.

Use the processes, systems and tools you are learning to help you set, go after and achieve your goals.