Motivation Unleashed | 11 Bullet-Proof Motivation Techniques
Looking to deepen your motivation? Want to get that spark of hunger back so that you can push on to achieve the big goals you have for yourself?
Today I am going to share with you some powerful and timeless motivation techniques that you can use today to turn that spark into a bonfire.
Building and maintaining motivation can be a daunting task for those looking to make big changes and accomplish big things. Not having enough motivation is a huge reason why most people will never toil amongst their dreams.
Yet harnessing the power of true motivation can guide us into those upper levels of achievement once we know how to do so.
Motivation comes in peaks and valleys. Some days you will be floating on clouds of energy and focus, other days you will feel yourself literally slugging through the motions, just trying to stay on track.
The key in getting over lapses in motivation is knowing that they are bound to happen. Period.
No matter what happens, how excellent our goals or goal plan, no matter how much purpose and drive we have, there will be points where motivation drips.
At the outset of our goals it is typical to get so blinded with enthusiasm and optimism that once this initial wave of supercharged enthusiasm crests and draws back, we begin to see holes in our plan that we might not have seen before. Idiosyncracies and weaknesses in your plans become much more apparent at this point.
I’ll give you a quick example to illustrate the experience.
Recently I embarked on a new project developing a series of custom made goal books for two Fortune 500 companies. At the outset, all I could think about was the endless potential and boundless benefits, and since I hadn’t really started the “work” part of carrying out the tasks involved, I wasn’t in tune with the difficulties and work involved. This initial surge in enthusiasm is beneficial and necessary because it kick started me into work.
Inevitably, however, this euphoria peaks and slides. Results don’t come in quickly enough, and I began to feel like perhaps this project didn’t have the possibility that it initially held. My confidence began to sag and doubt began to seep in. And soon enough, even the very thought of giving up began making periodic forays into my thoughts.
So what’s going on here?
WHY DO WE LOSE MOTIVATION?
Absence of Reward/Purpose. Motivation can be hard to come by when our goals do not inspire us sufficiently. This commonly occurs with goals that reward little in the way of incentive. Many managers make this mistake by not properly incentivizing employee goals. People hoping to lose weight look at the overall goal of losing a specific number of pounds instead of how they can make their weight loss jounrey bigger than themselves, thereby giving them a far deeper sense of drive.
Hazy Focus. Procrastination and apathy tumble into this category. When we are not embedded with a laser-like amount of focus, we begin to meander. We start looking for shortcuts or quick-fix solutions to our goals. And soon enough, that lack of focus has led us astray from our goals and sapped us of motivation.
Unrealistic Goals. When we start out on the path towards our goals we are firing on all cylinders. We are so full of motivation and enthusiasm that we feel invincible. Inevitably, these emotions will pass. And when they do, those big lofty goals will start too look fat too lofty for our current emotional state. And once we view our goals as being unrealistic or near-impossible, then motivation plummets and our goals get shelved indefinently.
Alright, so now that we know why we lose it, what can you do to make sure that your motivation levels are peaking as often as possible?
11 MOTIVATIONAL STRATEGIES
11. DON’T WAIT FOR THE PERFECT MOMENT TO ACT. Particularly on days when you are not feeling up to your best, or your motivation levels are waning, avoid over-thinking and simply take action. It doesn’t have to be perfect, nor does it have to be timely. It is far more important to act. Take the first step of action, and the rest will begin to flow.
10. CONFRONT SELF-TALK HEAD-ON. The conversation we have in our brains, our thoughts and self-talk are what largely constitute how we feel. An action or event is merely that until we assign feeling to it. What are the feelings you ascribing to the events in your life? For example, if in the past you struggled with a goal, or suffered a setback, what were the resulting thoughts that went through your head? Was it something along the lines of:
“I knew it, I never would have achieved this goal.”
“I don’t deserve success, might as well give up.”
Or was your self-talk focused in the following manner:
“This is a hurdle to be overcome.”
“How will I make this the best thing to happen to me?”
“I refuse to give up. I will see this through.”
9. BE WILLING TO TAKE RISKS. Living perpetually within your comfort zone not only severely limits achievement, turns you stale with boredom, but it also inhibits motivation. The same can be said for people who set goals that are overly safe or achievable. If there isn’t a possibility of failure, the reward is undoubtedly unlikely to keep you motivated.
8. BROADEN YOUR HORIZONS. When was the last time that you learned something you didn’t know about? Or mastered a task, 
skill or ability that was previously foreign? Do you remember the ‘euerka’ moment that you figured it out? It’s a great feeling, you no doubt remember, and one that you can harness by continuously learning and broadening your skill set. Not only will your motivation and confidence levels swell, but the broadening of your horizons will also correspond to a greatly enlarged number of opportunity. Learning new skills makes it possible for you to apply these skills and abilities to your newfound benefit. Win-win.
7. PLAN YOUR MOTIVATION FOR THE LONG TERM. Each time I have emarked on a new plan or goal I find myself full of enthusiasm, so much so that it becomes impossible to maintain that brand of fiery motivation for much longer than a week or so. So how do we maintain a level of motivation to last us the long term? Restrain yourself. By doing so you will avoid burning yourself out before you have a chance to see the accomplishment of your goals.
6. BE WILLING TO CONFRONT THOSE BOUTS OF DOUBT. If your goal and goals are worthwhile and ambitious, there will times of strife. Undoubtedly during these trials you will be overcome with the sensation of quitting or giving it up. Be ready for these urges – they are natural and part of the ebb-and-flow of motivation. Your plans and motivation will rarely go perfectly, so it is best to understand this at the outset, for once those urges arise you will be more likely to give them less attention.
5. BUILD A POWERFUL SUPPORT SYSTEM. This could mean searching out a workout buddy. People with similar ambitions and values can help us stay the course over the long term. Surround yourself with positive influences who are vested in your success and you will find that your motivation will stay high.
Additionally, seeking out the services of a mentor or a coach can also be another powerful way to sustain motivation over the long term. Not only will you benefit from the experience and wisdom of someone who has been there before, but you are more likely to stay on track with your goals if you have a senior person of authority watching over you.
4. LIMIT DETRACTORS. We all like to think that we live outside the influence of people around us. But as mentioned above, having positive people around us can boost motivation and enthusiasm for our personal success. So can the same be true of people in our environment who are more interested in seeing us fail? Of course!
Detractors are all over the place. There will always be people that say we cannot do something, that we don’t deserve it, that we are incapable. They scoff when you bring up your goals, or they believe that since they were unable to achieve said goal that it is impossible for you to do so.
Sadly more often then not the detractors are some of the closest people in your life. They may excuse their negativity based on wanting to protect you from possible failure, but in reality their negativity is based on their own insecurities or envy. Be sure to identify your detractors and move swiftly to limit their influence.
3. HAVE A CLEAR PLAN. Paint yourself a clear a target as possible. It is hard to get motivated for goals that are vague, unclear or ambigous. Put up a crystal-clear bulls eye, so that you can direct every last of energy and motivation like a laser towards the accomplisments of your goals.
2. BE WILLING TO BE FLEXIBLE. Nothing saps motivation quite like unrealistic goals or expectations that are not met. The reasons that we don’t accomplish our goals can be varied, yet when we don’t strive to accomplish them the end effect is the same – our motivation and confidence tumbles. So how do we combat this?
First, it’s essential to build a plan for your goals that is flexible and open to change. If one thing doesn’t work, try something new. Over and over again until you find the magic combination that works. Imagine yourself as water – no matter what the obstacle or obstruction, you find a way under, around or over it!
1. MIX IT UP. Similar to the above point of being willing to be flexible, you should vary your plan of attack. This will do two important things:
- It Will Keep You Interested and Your Mind Fresh. Keeping yourself stimulated with new techniques or approaches will not only broaden your horizons – as you will be required to learn – but the brain responds favorably to this type of stimulation and will keep you enthusiastic and brimming with motivation.
- You Will Find Quickly Which Approaches Work Faster. Figuring out what works and what doesn’t will give you the opportunity to dial yourself in on the approaches that work, while also discarding the ones that didn’t.
Now that you know how to keep your motivation afire for the long haul, let me also show you how to set goals that will keep that motivation burning brightly with my FREE 5-Day Ultimate Goal Setting e-Course.
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