Finding Motivation in Everyday Life
Finding Motivation in Everyday Life
None of us are super-human. Just because we have goals that seem unattainable, doesn't mean we should give up and resign ourselves to a life of mundane mediocrity. It's just not sustainable.
The truth is that, the majority of adults can't be bothered with any effort more serious than eating whatever meal they're craving or going to the nearest bar for a drink with friends (don't worry, there is nothing wrong with drinking socially). In essence, they don't want to put in the work required to excel at anything outside of their comfort zone and will find an excuse on why it "won't work", when it actually would have if they just made an effort.
I know it's tempting to just go with the flow and get the least amount of work done possible and still be able to pay your bills and maybe even land a promotion or two. When you're in this mindset, it's easy to think that other people are putting in more than what is required of them. You've succumbed to low expectations and no longer believe that you can achieve great things, but don't worry, I'm here to help you change that.
In order to find the motivation necessary for your success, there are some questions you need to ask yourself in order to get over any motivational problems that may hinder your progress:
1) What type of life do I want vs. the one that I'm currently leading?
This is the most important question of all. When you can answer this question, you can begin to see what kind of role you play in the world and what kind of impact you have on those around you. Once you know this, it's easier to develop a plan that allows for on-going success.
Over the years, I've learned that most people are so focused on their everyday lives that they don't realize there could be more to life than what they're currently experiencing. By being aware that your life is only just a small fraction of your true potential, it becomes easier to make changes because now it's not as hard as before.
2) What's holding me back?
This is the most important question that you can ask yourself. Too often, we focus on what the solution is when actually, we need to address and correct the problems that are holding you back from reaching your full potential. I'm not saying that it's wrong to have goals, but instead of focusing on how you're going to get there, you should focus more on what obstacles are preventing you from getting there. That is what will make everything else more transparent.
3) What have I already done?
This particular question is important because it will tell you how much you've already accomplished. Everyone has their fair share of failures, but what matters more is how you choose to rise above those failures and then use them as a stepping stone for future success. When you realize that your success is possible if you just try harder, it becomes a lot easier to develop the necessary mentality required for your achievement.
4) What can I do right now to get my mind right?
There's no point in waiting or putting it off until another time. Just start small and then work your way up from there by taking action on a daily basis. This simple exercise will give you the sense of urgency that you need to keep on track.
5) What are some things that I think will work?
One of the best questions to ask yourself is what strategies have worked for other people in similar situations and then apply them to your own situation. There's no need to reinvent the wheel, especially if it hasn't worked for you before, so why not find something helpful and then apply it? Doing this will allow you to get unstuck from a situation that is no longer serving you and point yourself in the right direction towards your full potential.
6) What are some things that I think will not work?
This is the most important question. Sometimes, when you begin to think about your goals and what's holding you back, you may get so overwhelmed that you forget to look at some simple solutions. Sometimes, it's easy to get over-dramatic and just assume that nothing is ever going to work for you any more than it already has. Instead of wallowing yourself in pessimism, ask yourself what your options are and then choose the least harmful option until a better strategy presents itself. This will prevent you from making the wrong choice and then beating yourself up for failing afterwards.
7) What does my life have to look like in order to reach my goals?
This is the most important question. This question will help you to realize how hard it is going to be to achieve your goals and the sacrifices that you'll have to make in order to do so. This knowledge will allow you to develop a plan that takes into consideration everything that you would like to achieve and then analyze the hurdles that may prevent you from getting there. Once you have this answer, it's way easier for you to put yourself back on track as opposed to making excuses such as "well, I guess I'll just live with it".
8) How will I improve on a daily basis?
If there is "one thing" that will keep you motivated, it's this. One of the reasons people fail to achieve their goals is because they place all of their emphasis on tomorrow. They don't think about tiny steps that they can take every day to get to where they want to be, but instead, they just expect themselves to reach that goal without a journey. The reality is that even if it takes years or even decades for you to achieve your goals, as long as you're improving on a daily basis then nothing can stop you from achieving your long term goals.
9) How will I improve on a weekly basis?
After you've asked yourself the previous question, it's time for you to set some goals every week in order to ensure your success. By establishing these goals, it becomes easier for you to stay persistent and motivated because you see that you're moving towards something greater. Furthermore, these weekly goals allow for gradual improvement over time and that way, it makes it less overwhelming when compared to the long term.
10) How will I improve on a monthly basis?
When your weekly goals have been completed, then this is when your monthly goals are set in place.
Conclusion
There are so many more questions that you can ask yourself, but the bottom line is that these ten questions are some of the most important.
That is, if you really want to reach your full potential.
This will prevent you from being stuck in one place for too long because once you realize that something is preventing you from reaching your full potential, then it's then easier to get unstuck and become unstoppable.
How do you motivate yourself on a daily basis? Do you have any ways that I may not have addressed in this article? If so, please comment below because I would love to hear your point of view.