Motivation is a curse word!
Motivation is a fleeting momentary fluctuation of emotion directed towards something that one wants to endeavor.
What’s the key word in all this? Momentary.
Because that’s what motivation is, momentary. Motivation isn’t enough to get you the results you need. A better word for results is consistency, or habit.
Now that’s not to say motivation is largely a derogative term. Results from consistency and habits usually start with that fleeting moment of motivation. It’s the habits you form from this feeling that get you a black belt, the promotion, or the beach body.
Alright, enough talking about definitions. Let’s get started on what you do with your next captured motivational feeling.
1. If it is new- do your research while you are passionate, if it isn’t new, do it anyway.
The passion is burning, the feeling is there- go and google everything you can about the topic. If it is getting in better shape, you’ll be able to source a basic workout plan. If it’s getting a promotion, look at areas you can improve on in both knowledge and skill that you can prove to your boss. If it is something you have previously done before, research anyway, you’ll still probably learn something new, or, at the very worst, remember something that you’ve previously forgotten.
2. Write everything down on a mind map.
Write your goal in the center of a page. Circle it. Start to pluck lines from the circle with different aspects of the goal into sub-categorised circles, continue the process until the page is full, or you’ve gone to the most detail you can- see picture for more detail.
Mind maps are great because they are the starting point in getting your fresh and captured ideas down on the page.
3. Write down a list.
Look at your mind map. Look at the key points made and start to write down an actionable list of things you need to physically do to reach the goal.
4. Schedule Actionable events into your timetable. Start slow.
I get it, your reading this like…well I don’t have a daily mapped out schedule. Mentally equate that into a time slot available somewhere in your day. If it’s a “I don’t have time” – then you’ll have to sacrifice in another area of your life or stop reading now and wasting your time.
5. Surround yourself with like minded individuals or join a community.
Ever wonder why people are so passionate about following a sporting team? Why they refer to the team as “we?”
It’s the sense of belonging. It’s hard wired into our brain to crave a sense of welcoming, being wanted and following something bigger than what we individually are. Use this psychological hack to your advantage and join a community on the same topic as your goal, whether it’s online, a meetup or physically in the setting. You’ll slowly feel that sense of belonging, and people will naturally start keeping you accountable for whatever it is.
If its something you end up really enjoying, you’ll crave it. If it’s ingrained in your timetable, people are keeping you accountable and you’ll start to get excited about it, you are already far enough to continue reaching that goal in the future. If it’s not something you get excited about, at least it’s grounding a place in your daily schedule.
Sure, we are not perfect, and progress and consistency isn’t linear. But at least it is a start. And that’s all you could need.
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