One of the questions in the job interview, when you apply for the job is “what motivates you”?
Many of us were confused about how to answer this question. I was thinking at that moment about how to answer the question to sound honest and real.
That was the mistake, instead, I should think about things that are the real booster of my energy and that make me move.
I believe lots of you have had the same experience as me at some point in your life. Every time you’ve prepared yourself for the next time, and every next time you feel the same.
When I realized this, I stop thinking about how I will please them and focused on things that really motivate me.
Different people have different ways of motivation. Moving your mind, body and spirit to fulfil your potential is called good energy.
Good energy and feeling good is the main motivator in every choice, something that makes you feel happy and fulfilled.
3 Main Reasons To Be Motivated
These 3 main reasons motivate you to work hard every day and feel good:
Autonomy is your desire to direct your own life and to do things the best way you can.
Mastery is your urge to get better at stuff every time you do something.
Purpose is the feeling and intention that you can make a difference in the world.
To stay motivated, you can make your daily <To Do> list, as many tasks as possible. Every time you finish some of the tasks on the list, you check that as finished.
More tasks are checked on the list more satisfaction during the day. In that list, you can write also things like: morning coffee, jogging, gym, reading, walking my dog, preparing lunch, etc.
Every day is a new day and every day is a new project. For that, you need a plan.
Motivation is an act or action providing why we do something in a certain way. The state or the condition of having a strong reason to accomplish something. – The Oxford Dictionary.
Our behaviour is motivated by our future goals as well as by our past experiences – Carl Jung.
Motivation is the main factor that directs and maintains our goals. The driving force behind our actions and behaviour.
The result of an action, not the cause. Motivation often comes after starting a new behaviour, not before.
Main Components Of Motivation
Knowing how to motivate yourself can help you accomplish anything you set your mind to.
Understanding motivation can:
- Increase your efficiency
- Drive you to take action
- Encourage you to engage
- Help you feel more in control
- Improve your happiness
The major components of motivation: activation, persistence and intensity. [1]
Activation is the decision to initiate a behaviour. An example of activation would be starting an exercise in order to become fit.
Persistence is the continued effort toward a goal even though obstacles may exist. An example of persistence would be showing up in the gym even though you are tired from staying up late the night before.
Intensity is the concentration and vigour that goes into pursuing a goal. For example, one might get rid of the extra weight much faster without heavy exercise, while another need to push harder to get the desired results.
Develop a strong mind and you will live a strong, fulfilled life. A strong mind is built by feeding it with positive thoughts and learning new things every day. Not now and then, but every single day.
I am what I choose to become – Carl Jung.
In one of my previous posts you can find how to set up your mind, change your energy and think positive.
How To Get Motivated
Everyone gets different motivations. Many people struggle to find the motivation to achieve the things they want.
The reason for that is wasting too much time and energy on when and where, and that can be handled later on.
Getting motivated and getting started helps if you automate the early stages of your new behaviour. You don’t need much motivation once you have started a behaviour.
Set up the schedule for yourself (your motivation), put your decision on autopilot and give your goals time and place to become real.
Stop waiting for motivation and inspiration to happen. Set up the schedule and it makes it more likely you will follow. Schedule your habits.
Difference between the professionals and amateurs is exactly that. Professionals set a schedule and stick to it. Amateurs wait until they feel inspired or motivated.
People who train every day don’t want to train every day. They are not motivated to train every day. They are something else, motivation is the wrong word. They are not motivated, they are disciplined.
Some of the most successful and creative people have daily habits they built into rituals.
Haruki Murakami wakes up at 4 AM, writes for five hours, and then goes for a run.
Twyla Tharp one of the greatest dancers and choreographers of modern times wakes up at 5:30 AM and by taxi goes to the gym (taxi is the ritual).
One of them wakes up early and one stays up late. Just as no two people are the same, no two rituals are the same.
To follow a routine is to be on autopilot, but someone’s daily routine is also a choice or a whole series of choices. The key to any good ritual is that it removes the need to make a decision.
How To Stay Motivated
Lack of motivation may be caused by stress, life changes, or underlying mental health conditions (disorder or depression).
To stay motivated you need to find what truly drives you and what is the pure source of your motivation. It would be something that keeps you happy and fulfilled.
Loss of interest could indicate a lack of motivation. Acknowledging and understanding that, you can find the best way to keep yourself motivated.
Highly successful people understand that they have limited time and energy, and because of that, they focus on things that really matter. Focus helps them align their time and energy with what they want to do. This is also why they stay motivated and are a lot more satisfied with their lives.
By finding your true motivation, you’ll be one step closer to your happiness and you will find meaning in everything you do.
When you lose motivation, you can start again by changing your approach. If one approach doesn’t work for you, find another one.
Keep trying until you find the one that will both keep you motivated and get you the desired results.
Follow your progress and reward yourself. Big and complex tasks you can split into smaller and simpler actions that you can track and recognize your progress.
Tracking it will help you realize exactly where you are and how much more you have left to do. Your accomplishments will keep you going and make you satisfied. Take time to celebrate and reward yourself. This creates external motivators and helps you feel motivated in the long run.
Final Thoughts
I hope that you found this post helpful. My goal with this post is to offer a wide array of ideas.
If you have any feedback about the motivation tips that you have tried out or any questions about the ones that I have recommended, please leave your comments below!
I would be grateful if you leave some feedback here or have any questions.
Here are some motivational thoughts of successful people.
One of my favorite is:
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”– Walt Disney
Reference
^[1] (by Hockenbury DH, Hockenbury SE. Discovering Psychology)
Thank You For Reading!
I liked post; it is informative, short enough and well structured. I also feel a very good energy here and good intention, which surely matches your personal charisma. Good luck!
Thank you very much for your kind words. I am glad you find it informative and interesting. I will give my best to stay on track with my intentions and new ideas.
Cheers,
Nela