Seriously please help. I need motivation. At this moment I am writing this blog post because frankly my brain has farted and I just wanted to write again. So in writing this and researching this topic I hope to get my ass motivated and in turn motivate your asses!
Motivation – or the LACK of motivation. The reason things are left undone; the reason why we go on grubhub instead of going to the market and cooking something tasty and healthy for ourselves; the reason that our tvs get more use than our treadmills. What is it that causes a lack of motivation? Better yet what motivates us?
Let’s start by defining motivation and then hopefully figure out how we achieve it.
mo·ti·va·tion mÅdəˈvÄSH(É™)n/Submit noun the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way. “escape can be a strong motivation for travel” synonyms: motive, motivating force, incentive, stimulus, stimulation, inspiration, inducement, incitement, spur, reason; informal carrot “his motivation was financial” the general desire or willingness of someone to do something. “keep staff up to date and maintain interest and motivation” synonyms: enthusiasm, drive, ambition, initiative, determination, enterprise; informal get-up-and-go “keep up the staff’s motivation”
So just taking a look at the definition we can take away a few things, the first is what could motivate us: travel, financial, hobbies/interest. These are a few powerful motivators. Secondly i see some synonyms for the word: e.g. enthusiasm, drive, ambition, and determination that pop out for me. These definitions are helpful but they are just scratching the surface of what really motivates us.
There are, in fact, many theories on the topic of motivation and what causes it in each individual. And individuality is just that so no one situation will ever be identical to that of another person. A few theories are listed below but the research will be up to you – many of these theories apply specifically to macro work place theory.
I would love to get into each one of these in more depth but for attentions sake, yours and mine let’s skip that and get into the meat and potatoes of this article.
My top 5 ways we can get more motivated:
1 – Eye on the prize
It’s much easier to be motivated when you are striving to get something or have set a goal to reach. For me if i am going into a long endurance event like a Spartan Beast (14+ mile obstacle course race) my motivation is to finish. There are intrinsic and extrinsic motivating factors to this goal. Intrinsically i do these races because they challenge me. They take me into the moment and each one is unlike the next. I do it because i feel self worth and accomplishment.There are also extrinsic factors at play here. As I compete in these races my motivation is also the competition. I am doing it to place better and eventually, hopefully, to win.
These goals and intrinsic and extrinsic factors are what lead us to being motivated or not. It is our job to identify them and then set a plan in order to keep motivated towards our goals. Keeping our goals front and center is important. Some ways to set and envision goals are:
Post notes in/on the fridge, the bathroom mirror, the front door.
To-do-lists
Set goals with milestones
Vision Boards
2 – Exercise
A body in motion will stay in motion. Yes sitting down eating pizza and watching Netflix is a wonderful thing but it leads you down a vicious path and continuing cycle of negative habits.
Get up and move/exercise. Whether it’s busting out 10 pushups a few times a day, walking a few blocks outside or taking the stairs; you are beginning to trigger your body and mind to move and get going.
You may have heard of some of the positive effects of exercise: more productive work life, reduced stress and more energy just to name a few. These all lead to a more motivated individual!
Get up and get moving. Start at 10 minutes if you have to.
3 – Music:
Yes, music – and you know what I’m talking about. We all have that song or songs that push us to the next level. This can be before going to work or before a badass workout. I am a dedicated metal head when it comes to increased intensity and motivation.
My current arsenal
As I Lay Dying – Confined
Drake and lil Wayne – Right above it
The Cumshots – I still drink alone
Jeezy – By the way
Alkaline Trio – Warbrain
The right music can help us feel more successful and evoke positive emotions. I think that says it all right there on the music topic.
4 – Cut out the Bullshit
We all have a lot of outside distractions these days. Most of them come via our electronic devices: cell phones, computers, tvs just to name a few.
Sure it’s nice to decompress and sure we like to make sure we are getting all our likes on Instagram and Facebook. We couldn’t live if we didn’t see them all, right? These distractions eat away at your productivity and motivation to do the real things that drive you and make you happy.
Limit yourself. Try to put a time stamp or an amount of times you want to check your social media throughout the day, only watch 30 minutes of tv instead of binge watching a whole season of Stranger Things on Netflix.
Just imagine of how many productive hours you would then have to focus and get motivated towards our true passions.
5 – Surround yourself with like minded individuals
(Peers, mentors, successful people)
It is important to our growth and in our ability to stay motivated to surround ourselves with people who are like minded. One of my favorite sayings is you should never be the smartest person in the room.
Peers have an understanding of who you are. Just being in their presence can drive you and pick you up. Your peers also know how to push your buttons – sometimes good – sometimes bad. Surround yourself with the ones that will support you in your goals.
Mentors can instill thought and provoke great ideas or better perspectives on things. When your feeling down, or things aren’t going your way, they can offer points of view and perspectives of how to get out of those feelings. A great read which interviews and asks thought provoking and motivating perspectives is Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferris. Tribe of Mentors
Individuals who are successful or who have reached the peaks of their careers and professions can offer insight and can awaken the brain. The information is out there and we often just need to find the key to open it. Successful individuals may have these keys. Some motivational speakers you may want to look into are listed below.
Tony Robbins
Greg Vandechuk
Michelle Poler
Hopefully you are on your way to being motivated or at least to having some goals in sight. I know I feel more motivated just researching and writing on the topic.
If you still need help getting more motivated – you can always reach out to me. Together we can figure out what your motivations are and how to harness them to help you achieve your goals. My contact info is listed below.
