“When you look at people who are successful, you will find that they aren’t the people who are motivated, but have consistency in their motivation.” —Arsene Wenger

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

 

The Problem

As leaders, we set the tone for motivation. The problem is, sometimes we struggle with keeping ourselves motivated. We can’t effectively motivate those we work with if we lack motivation ourselves. So, how do we stay motivated?

Attention

We must give motivation our conscious attention. Jim Rohn said, “Give whatever you are doing and whoever you are with the gift of your attention.” You should focus on increasing your strengths. Giving your attention to the areas you are strong in is more motivating than focusing on overcoming weaknesses. Look for opportunities that leverage your talents. Again, it’s easier to stay motivated at things you are good at. Set small measurable goals to help yourself keep your eye on the ball and then set deadlines. Purposefully create a practice that builds focusing on your goals into your daily routine. Determine what is important to you and why it is important. Then ask yourself if you want it bad enough to put in the hard work necessary to achieve it. Finally, identify where you are, where you want to go, and then focus your attention of what you need to do to get there.

Benefits

Napoleon Hill explained, “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” Being clear about the benefits is a big factor in motivation. Keeping the benefits in mind will help you to remain motivated when times get tough. Great successes are often preceded by obstacles and failure. Use these failures as learning opportunities, remind yourself of the benefits you will experience once you succeed, and keep moving forward.

Visualization

Harvey Mackay said, “I believe that visualization is one of the most powerful means of achieving personal goals.” It helps keep you motivated when you can literally see your goals. Many contribute much of their ability to achieve success to using a visualization board. You can remind yourself what all the hard work is for by creating a board that illustrates not just what you are working towards, but also why. It also helps to create a mantra that reinforces a positive mindset. A visualization board and mantra can be very effective because your brain responds to the way things make you feel, not the things or actions themselves. Get a clear vision of where you are going and then see yourself on the journey; that’s where your motivation will come from.

Consistency

Jim Ryun explained, “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” Consistent motivation is about thinking long-term. It requires conscious commitment. Your real motivation will come from having a clear vision what is important and why, and then developing the self- discipline that allows you to focus your attention on a consistent basis. It helps if you commit to your goals publically so you have a sense of accountability. Consistent motivation means you never let yourself become complacent and content with the how things are currently. Make the commitment to continuously motivate yourself to reach your goals and fulfill your dreams.

Keeping Motivated

Les Brown said, “Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way.” When you find your motivation is lacking, remember that what you did yesterday will not be sufficient tomorrow. You must fan the flames of motivation on a daily basis. Build attention to your goals into your daily schedule. Clearly identify the benefits you will experience. Use visualization and mantras to preserve the positive feelings of you purpose. And be consistent. The better you become, the easier it gets to keep motivated. It’s your life, you are in control. Once you learn to keep yourself motivated, then and only then, can you start motivating others.

 

 

 

© 2014 Elizabeth Stincelli

 

Elizabeth Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the CEO of Stincelli Advisors where she focuses on helping organizations engage employees and improve organizational culture. Elizabeth holds a Doctor of Management degree with an emphasis on organizational leadership.

Learn more about Elizabeth by visiting her website, stincelliadvisors.com and connect with her on Twitter @infinitestin, Google+, and LinkedIn. You can contact her by email at stincelliadvisors@gmail.com.