Motivation: may be rooted in a basic impulse to optimize well-being, minimize physical pain and maximize pleasure and is an inner drive to behave or act in a certain manner. These inner conditions such as wishes, desires, goals, activate people to move in a particular direction in behaviour. (Thank-you Wikipedia 🙂
I don’t know whether it is the hangover from those New Year’s Resolutions gone awry or if us ladies are starting to think about our cute, limb-revealing, spring wardrobe, but the topic of motivation seems to be more popular than ever. I have noticed over the last few weeks that my clients seem to share in the motivation to learn more about motivation. What is it? Where does it come from? What affects it (internal and external)? How can we control our level of motivation? What does being motivated look and feel like?
Motivation is the drive that takes you from where you currently are to where you want to someday be. It separates the best from the rest by pushing you to work hard enough, sacrifice enough and persevere through everything that stands between you and success.
Motivation stems from deep within and is ignited by a sense of purpose. Purpose is the why behind your drive to pursue a meaningful goal or objective. Only when benefits out-weigh the costs are we driven into action. We need that push of motivation to get us to continue forward or upwards when the going gets tough.
There are two distinctly different forms of motivation: deficiency (-) and desire (+). One motivates with fear (we run away from) and one motivates with excitement (we run towards). Imagine how you feel when you are afraid: tense, anxious and small. Now imagine how you feel when you are excited: bigger than life, fast and strong!
Motivation is most powerful when it comes from within (internally), not from without (externally) because you can control it when it comes from within. Learn to tune into it, listen to it and harness the energy that comes from deep within you when you connect with a deep and meaningful purpose and pursuit, and motivation will become yet another tool in your performance toolbox.
Practice focusing on what excites you most and align your actions with achieving that; you will be able to accomplish a lot more and your motivation will last a lot longer.
Until next time, make every performance count!
-Coach Susan
