Are successful people always motivated? We might need to define, what success is first. For one person success could mean achieving a certain grade in a competitive exams. While for others it could mean getting through the day. For an athlete it could mean beating their own record. Wherein for someone battling a life threatening illness, it could mean completing the treatment.
Now, all these people, how do they always get the motivation to do what they are supposed to do? Are they motivated all day, every day? Like me, have you ever said, I’ll get started on that painting when I feel inspired. Or I’ll go to the gym when I feel motivated. There are days, when I need motivation to get out of bed. When I pick a new interest (for e.g. photography), I am excited and I want to learn new techniques, I want to take pictures every day. However, in a few months it becomes not so exciting and I lose interest. So, how is it that some people are always motivated? They pick one subject, or a skill, a field and they just run with it.
I’ve always been perplexed with this question and have doubted, rebuked and loathed myself. I’ve felt inadequate and not normal. Naturally, I looked for answers in all the places I could. I read books, listened to podcasts and ted talks, spoke to successful people, friends and mentors. The more I read or spoke to people the more I realised there was a common theme.
Here’s what I learned about finding the motivation when you need to –
1) Remember – Everyone feels unmotivated
Yes. No matter whose biography I read or which psychological research I flipped through. Every person talked about the moments when they did not feel motivated enough. You’d think that it probably is a rare phenomenon. Surprisingly, that’s not the case. Everyone feels unmotivated or bored more often than we would like to believe. Andre Agassi in his autobiography Open dedicated better part of the book on how uninterested, bored and unmotivated he felt about tennis. Yet ,he has won all four grand slams, is former world no. 1 tennis player and is now running a super competitive training institute.
I’m not even going to get into Steve Jobs and Bill gates. How they were not interested in finishing their degrees. I recommend watching the Ted talk by Tim Urban, where he gives a hilarious yet eye opening speech about procrastination. Nearly everyone I know feels bored or not motivated at some point or another. Now that we know everyone feels this way, what’s the trick to get out of this slump? How do the successful people do it?
2) Do it anyway
Yes, the long and short of it is you still do it anyway. Will you risk not putting enough effort? Compromise on quality? Well yes, that’s a risk you should take unless you are performing a surgery on someone. If you speak to any successful person, a motivational speaker or a gym instructor, one thing they all will have in common is, they’ll tell you to do it anyway. Don’t feel like going for a run – well do it anyway. Don’t feel like writing a word – do it anyway. What’s the point? The point is many fold. There are chances you will like doing it once you start. You will feel good after not skipping another day at the gym.
You’ll feel proud of yourself for maintaining your streak. There are many philosophies behind it. There’s the 2 minute rule Japanese follow. If you don’t feel like doing something, do it just for 2 minutes and more often than not, you’ll continue with it for much longer. James Clear talks about the value in forming and sticking to habits in his book Atomic Habits. Jordan Peterson’s books, podcasts and courses are wonderful resources if you are struggling with the importance of routine. The list can go on. You need to summon the will to just get started.
I’ve argued against it for the longest time. Unless I feel motivated, I won’t be able to do justice to the task. But I lost a lot of time in finding the motivation. Now, there are times when it can be even more deep seated and difficult to take the first step. What do you do then?
3) Recall your past achievements
Motivation to do or not do something can emerge from or impact our overall state of mind. If it’s been bothering you for some time and you start to doubt yourself. It will do you good to do a quick scan of the past accomplishments. In the daily grind, we can easily forget all that we have already accomplished. The effort that we put in and the rabbits we took out of our hats. A quick trip down the memory lane can bring back the excitement we are missing and put us on the right track in an instant. When I’m feeling lack of motivation. I think about little achievements that I thought were impossible at one point and I already have under my belt.
There’s a story in Indian epic Ramayana. Lord Rama’s soldiers were dumbfounded when they realised they had to cross the ocean to reach Lanka (Now known as Sri Lanka). One soldier among them Hanuman was capable of flying or crossing the sea in one jump but didn’t remember his capability. The other elders told him stories of his valour and eventually he remembered what he was capable of and flew across the ocean. This is not a story from the current world we live in, but I guess the point I’m trying to make is no matter the era, mythology or real world, we can find motivation from our own past.
4) Workout
This may seem a mountainous task if what you are trying to find motivation for is to workout. Nevertheless, the benefit from workout is the endorphins, adrenaline and dopamine your body releases that affect your mood and motivation level. The advice I’m sharing with you here is backed by my personal experience and countless numbers of researches. Every time I workout, my mood is instantly lifted. Not just my body that feels more open, flexible and slightly stronger 🙂 My mind feels refreshed.
5) Take a break or take a nap
If you’ve been working on something for a few hours and feel stuck about the next step, stepping away from it for a few minutes might do the trick. Go for a walk outside. Studies show that when you get some fresh air your brain gets more oxygen and you feel refreshed, Go on a higher altitude or some place where your view is not obstructed. This is extremely beneficial, if you are thinking about a solution, devising a plan and you need to broaden your perspective. Hence the phrase ‘broaden your horizon’.
On the other hand if you’re feeling exhausted, it’s probably a good idea to take a nap. Albert Einstein was famous for taking a 20 minutes micro nap in the afternoon. He would keep a spoon or a pencil in his hand to ensure he didn’t drift into sleep. As soon as the pencil fell he knew it was time to wake up. According to some studies, waking up during the first stages of sleep taps into the part of the brain that creates vivid imagery and sensation and you can get the idea you had been waiting for all along.
These are a few ways I try to get back my motivation and carry on with the goal I assigned myself. 🙂 You can also check my post about how to set and achieve goals.
Until next week! Ciao! 🙂
