The Motivational Minute

Sis boom bah, rah, rah, rah. Come on, everyone, get motivated!

What a crock. No one can force anyone to be motivated. Seeing people pay big money to attend seminars/retreats with big motivational gurus sometimes upsets me. They pump you up, and some of you will spend money you don’t have on their materials. Then, 24 hours later, they find themselves sitting in their underwear, eating Cheetos, and watching soap operas.

Motivation is both mental and emotional. You must be passionate about doing something and doing it well, and then you must have the right mindset to make it happen. The dictionary describes motivation as “the drive to achieve a goal or need.” This definition sets in motion the complex question of HOW you become motivated.

Let’s be perfectly clear: I am not a psychologist, neuroscientist, or philosopher, so I am not even going to attempt a scientific discussion on how a person becomes motivated. However, I am a Master Business Coach and have worked with business owners, entrepreneurs, and executives globally, so I have some real-world, straight talk on motivation and how to achieve it.

1. GET A FIRE IN THE GUT: You must want something so bad that you would do anything to get it. You would work as long as it takes to commit to your vision. It is my experience that many people are simply lazy. They have a vision, but they don’t want to put in the effort to make it happen, so they become complacent and satisfied with their mediocrity.
2. HAVE A VISION: A vision is a goal or personal/professional success only you can see (sometimes). You can close your eyes and see yourself having achieved it. No matter what anyone says, you believe it is possible. I was raised on a farm and couldn’t finish college, but I always wanted to be the CEO of an international business. And I did it.
3. POSSIBILITY THINKING: No matter what happens, you must resolve to think like an optimist. You must always look for the possibilities surrounding you and never fall into the abyss of a mindset of just surviving. Remember, you may not be able to control events, but you can control how you react to them!
4. CONTROL WHAT YOU CAN: Do not worry about all of life that you have no control over. Only concern yourself with the things you can control and hold sway over. You have supreme control over your attitude. How you deal with your attitude will make you rich or poor.
5. SET CLEAR GOALS: It is said that 97% or more of our society does not have written goals. The odds look pretty good for you when you do take the time to set clear, written goals. Only then do you have a clear plan, vision, and roadmap for getting to where your vision and goals can take you.
6. MANAGE PRIORITIES: One of the best ways to become demotivated is to be so disorganized, trying to do everything that you think you need to get done, that you’re working eighty or ninety hours a week, and you’re still “busy.” Time management in today’s fast-paced digital world has gone the way of the dinosaur. Successful people today do not manage time; they manage priorities, and priorities are all that they focus on. Priorities are tasks with a very high consequence attached to them. Successful people manage priorities and forget about the rest. I have clients who went from ninety to 55 hours a week and accomplished more.
7. FOCUS: When you are at work, WORK! Don’t get caught up doing low-priority, low-to-now-consequence tasks all day. Most workplace angsts are caused by procrastination or lack of focus.
8. CHANGE YOUR FRIENDS IF NECESSARY: Surround yourself with positive people. You can’t afford to hang with negative people, what I call Success Vampires., people who suck the motivation right out of you. Move on. Find new friends. You’ll be happier.
9. BELIEVE: Have some faith in yourself and believe in your dreams—believe in yourself. Believe in your cause. Believe in your colleagues. Believe in your community. And finally, believe in ACTION. Nothing gets accomplished to get you toward your goals when you’re sitting on your butt.

Passion for your beliefs and love for accomplishment drive motivation. So, please do yourself a favor and be passionate about something!

Your life will change when you are!