Motivation is the driving force that drives you to stick with and achieve your goals. It’s the desire to run a marathon, perform well at work, and lose weight. Without motivation, you would have no desire to achieve greatness. Before you can work on improving the finer aspects of your life, you must first address your basic motivations.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs describes how you are motivated to prioritize your physiological and safety needs before pursuing love, self-esteem, and self-actualization. Take care of your most basic needs first, before delving into all of the psychological theories of motivation.
You’ll be ready to take on your higher purpose once you’ve completed the fundamentals. Some people will struggle to stick to their goals if they lack the passion that drives their motivation. When your thoughts, goals, and actions all align, you’ll be crossing the finish line before you know it.
The most important step is to align your motivation with your purpose and passion. That is why you must ask yourself:
“What goal is important enough to me right now to devote my mind, body, and soul to it?”
The Importance of Having Motivation
Finding and developing motivation is critical because it allows you to:
- Alter your habits
- Become the best version of yourself.
- Set attainable objectives.
- Learn how to manage your time effectively.
- Develop your abilities and skills.
- Enhance your mental health.
Motivation has a compounding effect. It can be difficult to stick to your goals at first. When you’ve gotten past the initial pain, you’re more likely to stick with it until the end. You’ll notice that in those instances, it allows you to:
- Adapt to a fast-paced, constantly changing environment
- Work productively
- Develop your courage and character.
- Boost your internal drive.
- Our physical and mental health are also linked to motivation. When we lack motivation, our well-being suffers. Our basic needs will no longer be met, and our mind and body will suffer as a result.
You must be motivated to go to the gym and work out. You must be motivated to be a good parent, partner, and friend. When we lose motivation for simple tasks like cleaning our rooms, it sets off a chain reaction that can have a negative impact on our well-being.
For these reasons, you must discover your motivational drive. It is an essential component of living a Full Life and achieving happiness, success, and other goals.
Why Is It Difficult to Maintain Motivation?
The difficult part about motivation is not getting started, but staying motivated. Every New Year, thousands of people resolve to make positive changes in their lives. Fewer than 10% actually keep their resolution, and that is being generous. Many common reasons for motivation loss are listed below.
Not Striking Far Enough
While it’s tempting to believe that setting simple goals will keep you motivated, doing so may actually harm your long-term motivation. If you set goals that are too easy to achieve, you will become bored and lose interest. You should try to strike a balance between pushing yourself and setting realistic goals.
If you’re used to staying in your comfort zone, you’ll miss out on the satisfaction that comes from achieving a life-changing goal. Pushing yourself will allow you to develop unshakeable confidence as you crush goal after goal. It will all be worthwhile when you look around one day and realize you are living your dream.
Are You a Procrastinator?
If you have trouble staying focused and getting started, you will fall behind.
Procrastination is a bad habit that you must overcome if you want to achieve your short-term objectives. Simple steps to overcome procrastination include committing to starting a task for at least 3 minutes, making daily, weekly, and monthly to-do lists, and rewarding yourself when you complete your tasks.
Uncertain Vision
Uncertainty about the future is a common source of anxiety for many people. It can be paralyzing when, instead of acting, we begin to wonder, “What if?”
“What if things don’t work out?” What if my dream isn’t really mine? “What if I don’t make it?”
If you struggle to create a vision, you risk drifting aimlessly through life. When you discover your purpose and passion, you will be motivated to achieve greatness. To begin the process of discovering your life purpose, ask yourself, “What would my ideal life look like?”
Allowing Fear to Control Your Thoughts and Actions
Fear can hold you back from achieving your goals. You may be apprehensive about taking action and moving forward because you are afraid of failing.
You must not let fear hold you back. If you don’t learn how to manage your fears, you’ll inevitably miss out on career, relationship, and self-improvement opportunities. Fear, fortunately, can be overcome.
Looking for the source of your fear is one way to manage it. Deep introspection can help you pinpoint the exact moment that triggered the fear that has been impeding your progress. This will provide you with an opening to communicate with your inner being and find release.
The only way to become the best version of yourself is to face your fears. You don’t have to solve your problem overnight, but taking small, deliberate steps can have a big impact on how you deal with your inner and outer worlds.
Feeling Overburdened By Your Work And Responsibilities
Overexertion, also known as burnout, causes you to experience depression and makes it difficult to achieve your goals. Burning out occurs when we put our well-being on hold in order to advance in our careers or hobbies.
When we are overwhelmed and lose sight of ourselves, it is difficult to relax and find balance in our lives. Burning out indicates that you are motivated, but you must learn to separate work and personal life. Without this distinction, the lines begin to blur, and it may become increasingly difficult to find motivation for yourself when you’re constantly exhausted from work.
Bringing Your Thoughts, Goals, and Actions into Harmony
Have you ever been pumped up with motivation only to wonder why you started in the first place?
This is a common reason why people struggle to stick to their goals. You’ll only have a piece of the puzzle if you don’t have inspiration and positive thinking to go along with your motivation. When your passion and motivation are in sync, the amount of energy available to you can feel limitless.
You don’t have to be concerned about motivating yourself right away. Take your time determining your passion. Make a mental note of where you want to be and write it down. Your positive thoughts will influence your actions, which will get you closer to your goals faster.
Sharing your vision with your closest family and friends will assist you in remaining accountable. By telling others that you intend to achieve a specific goal, you will influence the way you think. When it comes to being and staying motivated, aligning yourself will be your most powerful tool.
“Motivation will almost always beat mere talent.” — Norman Ralph Augustine
Getting and maintaining motivation will make a significant difference in your life. You’ll be able to pursue goals and dreams that you’ve been putting off for years. You’ll also be able to set new and exciting goals for yourself that you wouldn’t have considered before.
Always stay motivated!
