MOTIVATION

What do you think about motivational quotes? (like the one I put in my picture above) Do they inspire you or make you want to punch the quoter in the face?

I personally love a good quote. I have often joked that I live by bumper stickers and song lyrics. My love language is words. You put a quirky feel good quote on a picture and I am sold, in love, over the moon, twitter pated, and MOTIVATED. Which is an interesting thing because if you just say a motivational quote to me in a time that I lack motivation I will roll my eyes at you. If I read it myself though I will take it to heart.

What is motivation? It is the reason or the driving force behind humans’ actions. Motivation is that which initiates, guides, and maintains behaviors that are goal-oriented. Motivation is very individualized. What pumps me up and gets me going may be nothing close to what gets you out the door.

We are all so different (thank the good Lord). So it stands to reason that we are motivated by different things. Are you motivated by fear? By praise? By negativity or positivity? By the internal satisfaction of doing something? Or by doing good in the world?

Some people are more likely to find motivation within. Intrinsic motivation is the internal rewards such as satisfaction and fulfillment. While others may be spurred on by external events such as being cheered on and encouraged by others. Extrinsic motivation can also be things such as money, praise, or a raise.

Internal motivation may be hard to come by because it requires a certain constant level of desire to do the thing. No one is ever always wanting to go go go. External motivators may be just as scarce at times. There won’t always be an attainable goal within reach and sometimes there isn’t anyone cheering or a prize to be had.

So when all of the feel good slogans, and the will-power come to a grinding halt, as far as moving you forward; or the raise didn’t happen and your co-worker got the award and promotion, what then? What moves you forward when motivation is gone?

Lack of motivation can be a sign of burn-out; which is a state people find themselves in after prolonged and/or excessive stress. It is emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion. While stress is the root of burn-out and therefore a lack of motivation; boredom, overwhelm, and lack of a clear goal can all lead to lack of motivation as well.

If you are not experiencing burn-out or any other mental health crisis (depression, etc.), and the well of motivation has simply gone dry; and you can’t find anything within and there is no moving factors without, what takes the place of motivation?

Setting goals and planning are fun. But the energy you get from that is waning. It is like an ice cube melting, you have to move before it is all gone. So what can take you from thought to action if motivation is gone? Is it momentum? Consistency?

If you are struggling with motivation, action seems to be the key. Keep moving forward. Your lack of motivation may be temporary, and if it is, continuing to move will bring you that much closer to your goal than remaining stagnant while you wait for motivation to return.

The biggest thing that will build motivation, whether intrinsic or extrinsic, is to know your WHY. Why are you doing what you are doing? Why do you want certain results? Why do you do what you do? If you know your why, lack of motivation may happen less if you are always aware of the meaning of what it is you are doing.

Motivation is a funny thing. Some people are never really motivated; and some people have internal motivation at times, and external at other times. It can come and go. Wax and wane. We don’t have to be motivated to DO things. There are some things that we just HAVE to do- feed our kids, be to work on time, drive sober, etc.

We are almost through one third of the year. This is a good time to look at what you said you were going to accomplish this year. Is your motivation to do those things high? Low? Non-existent? I will use myself as an example: I wanted to train to run the marathon in May again this year. I ran it last year with zero training. (would not recommend- but I did get to check it off my bucket list). I put it on a written list and felt highly motivated to do it on January 1st. Every time I have tried to start training I have gotten sick. Not just a sniffle, I’m talking two full weeks of upper respiratory symptoms one time and GI bug the next and then back to upper respiratory. Guess where my motivation is now that it’s April. And ya know what? I am taking a page from the book my body and Mother Nature are writing together and I am bagging the whole idea. I am not motivated to run another marathon. In fact, I don’t give a flying flip about running another road race in my life. I have no desire. I have no WHY for doing it. None. Zippo. What I want to do, and what gets me kind of giddy is trail running. Now, that, I will get up early for. That, I will use as motivation, in itself, to spur better eating, better sleep management, better flexibility, you get the point.

The morale of the story is this: motivation is what you use when you need more than just basic survival to make you move forward toward a goal. You are allowed to have periods of not being motivated and you are allowed to manufacture motivation AND you are allowed to give up on something that you just plain don’t want to do (except feeding the babies, and other things that negatively affect others’ safety).

So here is to all the sappy, witty, soul-stirring motivational quotes, stickers, songs, and motto’s. Here is to inner knowing and outward applause. Here is to the runners, the walkers, the couch-sitters. Cheers to us all!!!!

P.S. Stickers available email me if interested.