2 Reasons We Struggle with Motivation!

Motivation is a natural part of who we are; why does it come and go? Why do we struggle to find motivation or to maintain it? how can we super-charge our motivation to get our lives on track?

In this video we’ll talk about these aspects of motivation and give some strategies to keep the momentum in your motivation.

The first reason people struggle is a basic misunderstanding of what motivation is and isn’t;

Many people believe the Myth that motivation is constant; that it’s a steady thing for those who are blessed to be motivated people. That some people are constantly “driven”, and others are not. And that if you’re not that motivated of a person, then you’re just not one of the lucky ones and you’re always going to be that way.

The true nature of our internal motivation is that

1. it ebbs and flows;

2. it is not steady and constant for anyone!

3. It can be developed and strengthened, like any muscle, or any skill.

4. is not something you have or don’t have.

Instead of telling yourself you’re unmotivated, look at what motivates you; there are areas of your life that get your attention and motivational energy; what are they and now look at shifting that to the other areas you want to shift it to.

Often people who believe it’s a steady thing for some people, wait and wonder when they will “get” motivated. But since it comes and goes, we have to see that for what it is and isn’t; and then manage our motivation accordingly; That means that we must

1. make decisions and goals, for ourselves; write them down; spell them out specifically,

2. make commitments to these; again what areas of your life do you commit to and follow through; reinforce that you have the ability to follow through; even if it is that you brush your teeth twice a day; see that as a commitment and that you follow through; why then can’t you follow through on this? You CAN and then

3. create good habits to see yourself through the ups and downs.

4. push past the low times. You don’t always feel like brushing your teeth but you do it anyway because It’s become a habit that you’re committed to.

5. What are the habits you can put in place to make up for the motivation ebbs? Journal them, put them in place and stay true to them.

6. Journal daily to monitor and support your growth and progress or trouble-shoot if you have a lapse.

This is how you develop the habits and strategies to maintain the committments when the motivation lapses.

The second part and probably the main reason people struggle with motivation is that they misunderstand how to support themselves in developing their internal motivation.

1. Many people believe that If they’re not motivated, they need to have someone tough to keep them on track through coaching. The Truth is; The most powerful voice is the one in our heads; we talk to ourselves something along the lines of 40,000 times a day; if our internal voice is berating us, running us down, telling us we’re stupid, useless, never going to get it together, etc, that’s 40,000 times a day we’re hearing that! Can you imagine someone walking alongside you saying that out loud to you all day? You’d be a wreck; but truthfully, most of us are walking around with that level of self-deprecating going on in our heads all the time.

2. If that’s you, you need to take some steps to change it if you want to be more motivated;

3. what are the main messages you hear in your head when you mess up? What is the tone and attitude; is it self-deprecating or self-sabotaging, both? Whose voice is it?

4. A lot of people feel That old voice in their head is just how they are; and they’ll never get away from it. well, it’s not you at all; no one is born with that self-deprecating voice in their heads. That is someone’s voice and that person had a habit of running you down, hounding you with insults or put downs, with unkindness, lack of empathy and low or no encouragement.

5. It is important to identify that person,

6. And then to recognize that is not healthy or necessary to talk to yourself that way, and

7. You can then put more positive and self-encouraging messages in your head. What are the truthful and positive messages you could be saying to yourself? How do they make you feel? What else would be more helpful? If you struggle with this ask yourself, How would you talk to a friend who was struggling? The answer to that is who you really are; not the critical voice.

8. Journal these answers and practice putting them in their place; whenever you hear yourself putting yourself down in your head, stop and let yourself be more kind and gentle with yourself; also more encouraging and uplifting to help yourself want to move forward; think of this as your internal coach; do you want the coach that screams and yells obscenities at you as you try to run down the field of your life, or the one saying, “go, you got this, you can do it!”

So in summary; the two reasons we lack motivation are; misunderstanding the nature of motivation and that it demands that we back up our waxing and waning motivation with goals, commitments, habits, and practice.

And secondly, that we need to listen to our internal coach and notice if it’s self-deprecating or Self-coaching/self-encouraging.

Be your own best coach, cheerleader and support; remember; 40,000 messages a day can be devastating or uplifting! Make it uplifting!