The topic of motivation seems to be ever present in books and articles. It is an area of great interest and concern in our society. In fact, there is a career field, a profession, dedicated solely to the topic of motivation. This profession is filled with an array of amazing 'Motivational Speakers'! We all need a little help now and then with our motivation.
What motivates you? How are you moved to action? No, I'm not asking what causes inspire you. I'm asking, how are you motivated? How you are motivated determines to a great extent the quality of your performance in anything and the joy in your life.
As human beings we are motivated in one of two ways. We are either motivated by moving 'toward' something we desire / want or we are motivated by moving 'away' from something we don't want / desire and are seeking to avoid. Some people are motivated to get up out of bed and get to work to 'avoid' being fired from their job. Other individuals are motivated to get up and get going because they look forward to the work they do. Some people buy flowers for a significant other on their birthday to 'avoid' an argument for having forgotten or disappointing them. Others buy flowers for their significant other because they love to see the surprise in their face or enjoy the feeling of making them happy.
Assess the different areas of your life. How are you currently being motivated? Are you moving 'toward' something desired or 'away' from something feared or undesirable? Negative motivation robs our creativity and reduces our quality of life. We can change the nature of motivation by changing our thinking. Maybe you don't like your job, but you enjoy the freedom the paycheck gives you. Explore that area as a beginning to a shift in motivation. The moving 'toward' motivation is most powerful and continually opens new vistas in life.
WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?