What Motivation Really Is...

So many people here seem to lack motivation, or so they think...

Here's what motivation really is...

Let's break down the word and discover what we're really talking about when we say motivation...

It comes from the root word "motive." A motive is a reason why. So, to say you lack motivation is really relative to saying that you don't have a reason why when it comes to diet or exercise, here at least.

That's probably not exactly true for most of us, but what may be true is the power of our reason why. Our reason why is being OVERpowered by other forces.

Here's something that might help you. It is a proven fact that whatever you focus your energy and attention on will grow stronger in your life, it will have increasing power.

With that in mind, rather than saying you lack motivation, you should begin to feed your reason why, rather than give attention to the circumstances that try to oppose your motivation. So, how do you feed your motivation? Easy! You think about your results, meditate on them. You MAKE yourself exercise even when you don't feel like it. This creates momentum in the right direction, rather that feeding a failure mentality. And then there's this...

You focus on discipline. Truly, when people speak of lacking motivation, it really isn't that their reason why is gone, it's that the feeling is gone. That's when you must learn to lean on the power of discipline. You see, discipline will pick you up and take you when motivation gives out and leaves you. Simply put, it's the difference between being dictated to by your feelings and doing what you know needs to be done, despite how you feel.

Anyone who's ever raised children before has had to learn this already, to some degree. Let's say you had a bad cold, yet your young child still needed care and attention. You didn't feel like it, but you did it anyway because it needed to be done... that's the only reason (except that you love your child and have a strong sense of responsibility to them). It was the right thing to do.

Or, you have a major project going on at school or work, and it's due tomorrow. Even though you don't feel like it, you stay up half the night and finish the project, even though what you really wanted to do is sleep.

These examples should show you that you do possess the ability to make good decisions, even in the absence of supportive feelings.

Plus, I've found by experience that when the feelings are not there, making myself get up and get with it will almost always causes the feelings to return. The feeling follows the action... not the other way around.

So, be encouraged. When you lack motivation, lean on personal discipline. Those feelings of motivation will come running back to you when you show them that you are going to press on whether they are there or not.

All the best,

ijohn