Motivation is that critical thing that sparks us into action, and keeps us going in pursuit of our goals.
That's why building a motivation mindset is so important.
Everything we do, we do because we are in someway motivated to do it.
Whether it is getting a cup of coffee, running a marathon, or starting up a new business.
We only do it because of motivation, at some level.
Admittedly, each the above actions come from a whole different level of needs to one another…
…and require a vastly different amount of motivational spark, to both start, and to keep going.
A motivation mindset isn't really needed for you to get yourself a coffee, but it's essential whenever you need to see something challenging through to its conclusion.
The 3 Elements Of Powerful Motivation
There are three main elements that come together to form real enduring motivation.
- Activation – the critical spark that initiates the change from ideas/thinking/dreaming, to meaningful action.
- Persistence – the willingness to keep going, the continued effort towards a goal…grinding.
- Intensity – the amount of energy applied, the drive, the sheer effort that goes into pursuing the goal.
The degree to which these elements of motivation are present, will massively impact whether or not you can hold a motivation mindset, and therefore whether you reach your goals.
Strong activation will see that you are highly likely to initiate pursuing your goals. You won't just sit around day-dreaming, you'll get started.
Your level of persistence will be the factor that decides whether you keep working towards your goals when things get a little tough, or just drag on a little too long.
But neither of the above will come to that much if you don't go about the pursuit of your goals with intensity.
Anyone who has ever set a challenging goal for themselves understands that simply having the desire, however strong, to reach a goal, is not enough.
Achieving challenging goals takes actually getting started, persisting through the hard times, and applying a ton of energy throughout.
Where Does Motivation Come From?
What drives you?..and why?
What feeds your motivation mindset, and what depletes it?
It's a deep question of psychology.
And within psychology, motivation is often talked about as being either extrinsic or intrinsic.
Extrinsic Motivations
This is the type of motivation that is driven by things we want on the outside.
From the outside of you!
You know the sort of thing.
You want money, you want power, social acceptance, kudos, praise, a medal/trophy.
These are all extrinsic motivators.
They can't be satisfied from within us, they can only be satisfied from out-there.
Intrinsic Motivations
Intrinsic motivators are those that can be satisfied by ourselves.
Losing weight and getting fit so that you are healthier.
Learning to cook great Chinese food just so that you can.
Learning to play the saxophone with no intention of ever going out and gigging.
Doing things because they matter to us, not because of any outside reward.
Building A Motivation Mindset
Building a motivation mindset is a worthwhile goal.
If you can understand what drives you, what really fires you up, as well as what doesn't, then you will be a long way down the road of creating a motivation mindset.
Know yourself.
It is the first critical step.
Here are 7 proven psychological techniques to help you get motivated and to build a motivation mindset…
#1. Find the ‘Why' Behind Your Goals
Cast your mind back to the last time you felt highly motivated to achieve a goal.
Try and remember exactly how it felt.
Now think about what it was about the prospect of achieving that particular goal, that caused you to feel so motivated.
“Knowing the ‘whys’ behind your goals will give you the burning desire and passion that will see you through the tough times to your ultimate victory.”
Billy Cox
Was it kudos, the respect and admiration of your friends?
Was it money? Money to buy a Ferrari with?..or money to make your life more secure?
Or was it something more self-fulfilling, something intrinsic? Something that added more purpose to your life?
If you understand what it is that causes you to desire something, your motivation in pursuing its achievement will stay that much stronger.
#2. Do Not Rely On Willpower Alone
It's exhausting.
Willpower will only get you so far.
It's been proven in many studies that we very quickly burn through our reserves of willpower.
Motivation and willpower are a million miles apart.
One energises us while the other exhausts us.
Do not confuse the two.
Willpower is what you use when you have to complete a task that you hate, when you just have to knuckle down and get through it.
Motivation is what we use to achieve challenging but super exciting goals.
#3. Seek Fresh Challenges
Few things in life are less motivating than to endlessly repeat simple, straightforward tasks that do not test us in any way.
This too will result in your energy reserves becoming quickly depleted.
New tasks and challenges fire us up.
They break us out of ruts and give us new perspective.
Setting desirable goals is motivating in itself.
Facing up to new challenges in order to achieve those goals adds further fuel to the motivational fire.
We are born with an endless desire to improve. It is our natural state to constantly seek to better our skills and ourselves.
#4. Don’t Rely On Visualising Success
I'm a big fan of, and a total believer in, the power of visualisation.
But some folks seem to forget that you also have to get off your backside and put in the hard yards to achieve success.
Creating a clear and vivid picture in your minds-eye of what you want to achieve, as well as how you are going to get there…
…is incredibly motivating.
As long as you then take action.
Endlessly visualising, without taking appropriate action, is anything but motivating…it is demotivating.
#5. Focus On, And Enjoy The Journey
You have to get yourself into a place where you enjoy, and are motivated by the day-today, if you really want massive success.
If you only fixate on the final goal, the outcome, you will likely find that your initial high-level state of motivation starts to diminish.
“It is good to have an end to journey toward…
…but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”
Ernest Hemingway
If you have to grind through each and every day, so that you can achieve something you want in five years time, you will be running on willpower before you know it.
Goals aren’t only about the final outcome.
If you want success to be a constant seam running through your life, you need to enjoy the process.
So do whatever you have to do, so that your path to each and every goal is an enjoyable one.
#6. Know Your Strengths
We can't all be great at everything.
You can kid yourself along that you can be if you like, but you will end up finding yourself often frustrated if this is the approach you take.
Gain a clear awareness and understanding of your strengths, and your weaknesses.
And cut your cloth accordingly.
If you spend too much of your time working on the stuff that you are not that good at, you will end up sapping your own energy.
Knowing your strengths will enable you to make better life choices that contribute to your overall success.
#7. Purpose
This is a big one.
If you can see that what you are aiming to achieve has some greater purpose, something bigger and more meaningful than what you will personally get out of it…
…you've struck on one of the keys to sustained, enduring high-level motivation.
We see it all the time.
Look at the people who run marathons each year to raise money for charities, and to raise awareness of issues important to them.
You know the people I mean, they weren't anywhere near fit enough to go out and run a marathon when they signed-up.
But they went out, day-after-day, putting the training in, even though they would've much preferred to have stayed home with a cup of tea, watching the T.V.
And come marathon day, there's no way they were going to quit, even when every fibre of their being was screaming at them to stop.
Because they had a purpose greater than themselves.
They had, perhaps, the biggest motivator of all…the higher purpose, the greater good.
Have You Enjoyed This Article?
Why not read some more from thedoublethink ‘Mindset' series?
13 Mindest Hacks For Entrepreneurs
Mindset Of Success – What It Is And How You Can Build One
Motivation Mindset – Wrapping It Up!
Everyone, all of us, bar nobody, experience fluctuations in our levels of motivation.
It's never a constant.
Your motivation levels can be effected by outside factors, changing external circumstances…and that's totally normal.
Your levels of motivation will also be effected by ever changing day-to-day emotions…also totally normal.
And sometime you'll just feel less certain about what you want to achieve and why.
It's the same for all of us.
Stay mindful of the above tips and your motivation mindset will get stronger, and your motivation levels will come back more readily after any bumps in the road.
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