When it comes to getting results, it takes motivation and ability. John C. Maxwell once said that “You don’t overcome challenges by making them smaller but by making yourself bigger.” With that in mind, we pull off the following set of strategies and tactics you can use to motivate yourself and others in any situation.
What You Need To Know About Motivation
Motivation comes from the Latin word, movere, which means “to move.” According to Edwin Locke and Gary Latham, motivation shapes three aspects of action:
- your direction or choice,
- your intensity or effort, and
- your duration or persistence.
Motivation also shapes how much you gain and grow, as well as how much you use the skills and abilities you’ve got. The bottom line is, motivation is powerful stuff, and it’s a skill you can use throughout your lifetime.
Motivation Makes Things Happen.
Where there’s no will, there’s no way. One of the best ways to improve your personal effectiveness is to master your motivation and find your drive.
If you can master motivation, you can deal with life’s setbacks, as well as inspire yourself to always find a way forward, and create new experiences for yourself, and follow your growth.
Strategies That You Can Adopt To Motivate Yourself And Pass It On To Others
1. Set A SMART Goal For Yourself And Write It Down.
In case you are not familiar with this abbreviation:
- Specific – be specific as possible with what you want to change/achieve.
- Measurable – keep track of your progress.
- Attainable – make sure your goal is realistic and attainable. If you set your expectations too high then your motivation will probably turn into frustration soon.
- Relevant – how important is that goal to you? Why do you want to achieve it? How passionate are you about it? The more you are passionate about your goal, the easier it will be to find ways to achieve it.
- Time-Bound – set a time when you want to have achieved your goal. This will help you create a sense of urgency and prevent you from getting sidetracked.
2. Be Passionate About It.
Research has shown that people act in accordance with the hedonistic principle. This explains why people are good at tasks they enjoy and are interested in. Sounds logical right? That’s why it is so crucial to find something that makes you happy and what you really enjoy doing. For example, if your goal is to exercise regularly, then find a work-out you have fun while doing it and stick to it.
3. Walk The Talk.
Do what you believe in. If you’re changing your attitude, your diet, exercise routine, ending a toxic relationship etc. – be patient and kind to yourself and others. There will be setbacks, stagnation, weak moments, and maybe even critical comments from others but as long as you stay focused on your feelings and what is good for YOU, you will still be one step ahead of others because you have STARTED the project “positive change.”
4. Act On Your Inspiration.
Use your best energy for your best results. Turn your ideas into action, and find the quick wins. Quick wins quickly add up, and you’ll find your confidence and competence bloom. On the flip side, your passion can expire, if you wait too long or miss the window of opportunity. In fact, a common way to kill ideas or momentum is to spread them out over time or keep pushing them out. If your passion does expire, one way to rekindle it is to talk to somebody about why you cared about it, and that can often light the fuse again.
5. Provide Feedback To Yourself Or Others.
Feedback is the breakfast of champions! It is important in any situation and environment. Humans are social beings who need a sense of belonging as well as appreciation and approval. Think about how you feel when you give someone a compliment, or when someone says something nice to you. Providing and receiving feedback elicits positive emotions on both sides. Receivers feel appreciated and as an important part of the group, which elevates their mood and improves their overall satisfaction and ability to cope with stress and emotions. It’s a win-win situation, right?
6. Don’t Be A Perfectionist.
Perfection is a fallacy and it’s over-rated. A better focus is to be effective. Make it work, then make it right. Think of perfection as a process of improvement and you can version your perfection over time. Focus on “good enough for now”! Taking action is a key way to stay out of analysis paralysis, and keep your motivation strong. Don’t worry about the perfect place to start, just start.