“I’m in need of motivation” – that is a line I hear from many clients. The conversation goes along the following lines – “I really want to get fit but I don’t have the motivation”, or “I really want to do something about my work life balance, but I never get around to it” or “I know I should do more planning, but I’m just not motivated to do it” There are loads of other examples, but you get my drift!
What I find fascinating is that these comments come from people who are enjoying success in other aspects of their lives! So, how come they can be successful in some aspects of their lives, and not in others – and areas they say they want to make changes in!! So it is not a question of being in need of motivation.
You see if they really believe that the issue is “I’m in need of motivation”, and if they continue to seek an answer to their issue in finding out how they can become more motivated, they are looking in the wrong place for their answer! And we all know that looking for results in the wrong place, just ensures that we continue getting precisely what we don’t want.
When I do executive coaching with clients who seek peak performance, I am always harping on about the fact that change only comes about by changing what we do and how we go about it! Sounds simple, but do you know what get in the way? Our mind!
Let me elaborate on that for a bit to understand why it is not about being in need of motivation!
The best and most obvious example is – “I want to get fit, but I never seem to get around to it! “When you delve a little deeper as to what happens, the answers are always along the following lines – “the day just went by and I did not have the time”, “I felt really tired when I woke up so I decided that I was not up for i”t, or “I started looking for my gym shoes and could only find one”, “it was raining so I thought I would leave it till tomorrow”! The answer from my clients – “I’m in need of motivation”.
What has happened here? The mind has interfered and taken control. If you want to change your life, you must master your mind – not be a victim of it! You must set yourself up for success, and get your mind out of the way. You do not lack the motivation, you are not in need of motivation – you have decided what you want and why you want it, and that is all the motivation you need. Now you need a process to make sure you follow through.
Let’s go back to the gym example to illustrate this. So, what do you need to do?
- Decide when and where you are going, and put it in the diary – just like any other appointment
- Get your gear ready the night before, so you do not have to think in the morning – if you are up with your gear on, then you will go!
- Hire a trainer – making a commitment to another person really does help.
- Have a specific plan for each training session – don’t just turn up and wonder which machine you will use today
- Have milestones to track your progress – amount of weigh to lose, distance to run, or whatever goal you have.
You see your barrier to success is not really that you are in need of motivation, because my guess is that you are pretty motivated in many aspects, your barrier is that you allow your mind to play tricks with you.
In the example here I talk about fitness, but this applies to all aspects of our lives. Are salespeople in need of motivation to make sales calls? Of course not, they just allow their minds to get in the way by having this sort of conversation with themselves – “Monday morning is never a good time to get my clients attention”, or “the market is really bad for my products right now, so there is no point” or “I need to do more research before I contact my clients”. These are all examples of the mind getting in the way.
So are you in need of motivation to deliver peak performance? I don’t think so, you just need to get into action and get in control of your mind and stop listening to that little voice – it is not your friend, and you only need a couple of seconds to break through that barrier of a procrastinating thought that can stand in your way. In need of motivation? No! In need of a plan of action and control of your mind? Yes!!!