What Motivates You?

"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well neither does bathing. That's why we recommend it daily." -Zig Ziglar. In life different things motivate us to do things. I really like this quote because just like exercising our muscles so that they do not waste away we need constant motivation to keep us going in an upward direction. What are some ways that we can be motivated?

External motivation is a common motivation in our lives. In the example of children, if you motivate them with candy to do a task then they are more likely to accomplish this. Also in adults, you see all these different types of life coaches, whether it is a career coach, personal trainer, a "self help" book, or even clever phrases on Pinterest.com, etc. Although these are great ways to get started with our personal development they are still rather temporary. Back to the example of giving the child candy to do something, if the candy is no longer a reward the child is not likely to do the task. So how do we stay motivated each day like Ziglar suggests?

I propose that it is internally that we must look for daily long lasting motivation. If the child in the previous example learned to enjoy doing the task for the sake of being apart of the helpers for the greater good of himself and everyone else, he would be more likely to continue doing it. Even if he does not get the reward each time, he does the task simply because it needs to get done. Like the child, we always have to find the greater reason why we need to do things. When we have the "why" then we will not drag our feet as much when we work on a task. Another thing we need, along with the "why," is a view of the bigger picture. When we understand how each task relates to a bigger picture it makes each seemingly miniscule task worthwhile. Although these understandings are vital for us to develop internal motivation, we are still missing the key that holds everything together. In order for us to be continually self-motivated we need to build ourselves up. Build our self-esteem. Simply put, We Must Love Ourselves. As soon as we awaken to the incredible being that we individually are, the easier it is to do the things that will help us live to our full potential. Yes these are great principles, but you may be asking yourself how do we apply and develop them?

Here are the keys to master inner self-motivation:
1) You have to want something. (my example: I want to help others realize and live to their full potential through NSA chiropractic care.)
2) Next you need a plan on how to get there. This is where some of the external motivators can help. They can help set goals and plan the steps of achieving the goals. (I need to complete chiropractic  school, and receive all training necessary to perfect my craft. Each day I study and work hard in my classes to achieve this overall goal.)
3) You need to come with grips that you will not be able to do everything at once. You will fail along the path. That knowledge should help to empower you to continue on. You are not perfect but the potential inside you is. (I have failed tests but still pushed through and prevailed in my classes.)
4) Track your accomplishments along the way. In the process we can lose sight of the progress that we have made but if we have a record to look back on we can see that in reality we have accomplished so much. This fuels us to continue on. (I keep a list of all my classes that I need to graduate and after each quarter I check off all the classes I have completed. This helps me track my progress.)
5) Finally you need to love yourself. Every morning you need to look yourself in the mirror and say this phrase: "I love myself for who I am right now." Even if you do not believe it at first, through daily repetition and hearing yourself say the words, you will come to believe it. So get some sticky notes and put this phrase on your bathroom mirror and have it scrolling by on your screensaver. The more you see and say it, the more you will come to love yourself and be motivated to live to your full potential.

I hope that through reading this I have helped motivate you to become more self-motivated. The choice is ultimately yours, my motivation to you is temporary. I cannot force you to do these things to better your life. I can simply share my experiences and knowledge and hope that you will take the next step.

-Mike E