You may be wondering why you can't "get motivated" or why you don't "feel motivated" but if that sounds like you, you needn't worry. You see, "getting motivated" is really just a myth. Motivation isn't something you can turn on and off like a tap. Sure, you can watch a self-motivation video or read a self-help article like this one and feel full of passion and hope and have great dreams - and then all of a sudden you fall flat on your face. Life has got in the way again!
A true state of motivation occurs when you have a strong craving to achieve something, you can imagine exactly what it is you are trying to achieve, and you are prepared to do anything to make it happen. When in this state you will wake up each day ready to take on the world and make your dreams a reality. That is the real essence of being motivated. But how many of us really feel this way when we get up in the morning?
But let's go back a step or two. In order to find a true state of motivation it's important to understand how and why each step along the way is important. You see, if you understand why a certain task is important to complete, there is a much greater chance you will complete it. For example, if my goal is to learn to speak Indonesian (one of the easiest languages to learn by the way) and I find a CD set that teaches you how to learn Indonesian I am very likely to buy the set and go through the activities. That's simple enough to understand isn't it?
On the other hand, if you feel the task does not benefit you, it is very difficult to see how or why you would want to complete it. You will have no motivation to complete the task. You are also likely to rebel against any tasks that you perceive have no benefit to you. For example, if I want to learn to speak Chinese but I'm put in Spanish class, my motivation to complete the tasks required to pass the class will be very low. Why? Because there is no perceived benefit. I don't want to learn Spanish, I want to learn Chinese!
The real challenge in motivation is just identifying the relevance of the task - because without relevance there is absolutely no motivation to take action. However, just because you can't see the relevance doesn't always mean there is none. Sometimes tasks do have relevance to what we are ultimately trying to achieve but we just can't understand it clearly enough.
If you want to feel motivated then whatever you are being asked to complete should take you one step closer to your ultimate ambition. It's never about the task itself - it's about the overall outcome. Isn't it? Sure you can say things to yourself such as, "I want to get good grades" but the real driving force is what the good grades will result in. Getting into a great college or a great university, getting a job you really enjoy, or learning how to one day build your own business are all reasons to power your way through mundane subjects or tasks because if you are being truly honest what you are really trying to do is give yourself the best chance to live the life you want to live - aren't you?
What do you really want from life? What are you determined to accomplish? Everyone wants different things. So what do you want - for you? If you aren't sure what you are trying to achieve then it's really no wonder at all that you don't feel motivated! Conversely, if you are sure of what you want then take think again because if you really want it bad enough you should be willing to do anything to get it. If you understand what you want, the tasks simply become a means to an end. Complete the task and get closer to what you really want.
If you have to complete your Maths homework in order to get a good grade, in order to pass the subject, in order to pass the year, in order to get into College, then just do your Maths homework! Remember, it's not about the task; it's all about your grand ambition. Start by creating an ambition that is meaningful to you and then do what you have to do to achieve it. Now is the time to ask yourself, what is your grand ambition and what are you willing to do to get it?
A true state of motivation occurs when you have a strong craving to achieve something, you can imagine exactly what it is you are trying to achieve, and you are prepared to do anything to make it happen. When in this state you will wake up each day ready to take on the world and make your dreams a reality. That is the real essence of being motivated. But how many of us really feel this way when we get up in the morning?
But let's go back a step or two. In order to find a true state of motivation it's important to understand how and why each step along the way is important. You see, if you understand why a certain task is important to complete, there is a much greater chance you will complete it. For example, if my goal is to learn to speak Indonesian (one of the easiest languages to learn by the way) and I find a CD set that teaches you how to learn Indonesian I am very likely to buy the set and go through the activities. That's simple enough to understand isn't it?
On the other hand, if you feel the task does not benefit you, it is very difficult to see how or why you would want to complete it. You will have no motivation to complete the task. You are also likely to rebel against any tasks that you perceive have no benefit to you. For example, if I want to learn to speak Chinese but I'm put in Spanish class, my motivation to complete the tasks required to pass the class will be very low. Why? Because there is no perceived benefit. I don't want to learn Spanish, I want to learn Chinese!
The real challenge in motivation is just identifying the relevance of the task - because without relevance there is absolutely no motivation to take action. However, just because you can't see the relevance doesn't always mean there is none. Sometimes tasks do have relevance to what we are ultimately trying to achieve but we just can't understand it clearly enough.
If you want to feel motivated then whatever you are being asked to complete should take you one step closer to your ultimate ambition. It's never about the task itself - it's about the overall outcome. Isn't it? Sure you can say things to yourself such as, "I want to get good grades" but the real driving force is what the good grades will result in. Getting into a great college or a great university, getting a job you really enjoy, or learning how to one day build your own business are all reasons to power your way through mundane subjects or tasks because if you are being truly honest what you are really trying to do is give yourself the best chance to live the life you want to live - aren't you?
What do you really want from life? What are you determined to accomplish? Everyone wants different things. So what do you want - for you? If you aren't sure what you are trying to achieve then it's really no wonder at all that you don't feel motivated! Conversely, if you are sure of what you want then take think again because if you really want it bad enough you should be willing to do anything to get it. If you understand what you want, the tasks simply become a means to an end. Complete the task and get closer to what you really want.
If you have to complete your Maths homework in order to get a good grade, in order to pass the subject, in order to pass the year, in order to get into College, then just do your Maths homework! Remember, it's not about the task; it's all about your grand ambition. Start by creating an ambition that is meaningful to you and then do what you have to do to achieve it. Now is the time to ask yourself, what is your grand ambition and what are you willing to do to get it?
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