REAL MOTIVATION COMES FROM WITHIN

REAL MOTIVATION COMES FROM WITHIN

Chapter 11 of Life's Greatest Lessons: 20 Things That Matter By: Hal Urban

No matter who you are or what your age may be, if you want to achieve permanent, sustaining success, the motivation that will drive you toward that goal must come from within. - Paul J. Meyer

THE THREE KEYS TO MOTIVATING YOURSELF

Think for a moment about an important goal you have -- something you're certain you want to achieve in life. Now check your motivation by answering these three questions: - Do you have enough desire to attain it? - Do you have a real belief that you can accomplish it? - Do you have a clear mental picture of yourself achieving it? If your answer to all three is a confident YES, then you're ready. Because these are they keys to being self-motivated.

1. DESIRE

Motivation starts with a sense of desire...

When you want something, you become motivated to get it. - Denis Waitley

Desire is the seed from which all achievement grows. More than any other characteristic, it determines whether we're going to be mediocre or successful in life. Desire, not ability, separates average people from those who excel. It's that something extra which makes it possible for ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. I love the old phrase "burning desire" because it's so descriptive. People who have it are almost impossible to stop. The stronger the flame burns, the greater the determination, and the more likely the success. An important aspect of desire is commitment -- a promise that we make to no one but ourselves. This is what keeps us going when things are the toughest. Instead of giving up in the face of adversity or defeat, we bounce back. Famous psychologist Dr. Joyce Brothers thinks commitment is the pivotal quality of success. She says, "Total commitment is the common denominator among successful men and women. Its importance cannot be overestimated." This kind of desire has a way of strengthening us. It helps us make sacrifices when they're needed, and it helps us dig down for extra effort in seeing our goals through to completion.

2. BELIEF

Your chances of success in any undertaking can always be measured by your belief in yourself. - Robert Collier

The only limitations we have are the ones put on us, first by others and then by ourselves. They exist because we believe them, and they won't disappear until we exchange them for a new set of beliefs. In the introduction of this book, I wrote that most people don't know how good they are and how much they can accomplish with their lives. We need to realize that we're more capable than we give ourselves credit for. We have inner resources we've never used. But remember, that's good news. The first step to tapping into all that potential is to increase our belief in ourselves at least enough to try, even to risk failure. Eventually, this effort pays off. It leads to small achievements and builds self-confidence. This, in turn, brings more success. As habits of constructive thinking take over, a new cycle is set in motion. We believe in ourselves, and we start looking for reasons why we can. Good things happen because when we believe, we make them happen.

3. MENTAL PICTURE

You must first clearly see a thing in your mind before you can do it. - Alex Morrison

Dr. Charles Garfield, a psychologist at the University of California, has specialized for years in studying the habits of high achievers in science, business, industry, and athletics. He wrote about many of them in his book "Peak Performers." He says there's something all of them do: they "...report a highly developed ability to imprint images of successful actions in the mind. They practice, mentally, specific skills and behaviors leading to those outcomes and achievements which they ultimately attain." Garfield also reports on something which they believe: "All maintain that the potential for major increases in achievement and self-development exists in everyone; and that the starting point is an internal decision to excel."

If you have a burning desire, a solid belief, and a clear picture, you have all the motivation you'll ever need.

Motivation is an inner drive. - Denis Waitley

--- Can you tell that I love this book? I refer to it from time-to-time when I need a pick-me-up in getting my priorities straightened. I pasted a little excerpt from Chapter 12 -- "Goals Are Dreams With Deadlines" -- in this blog. To read that, click here.