7 Weeks to Glory – Motivation System Week 1
We need motivation to succeed at life. You will face many tests, but strong motivation will drive you to success no matter how tough times are. Whether you are losing weight, studying for exams, looking for work, or trying to earn more money, we need motivation to keep our eyes on the prize.
The Collins Dictionary’s definition of motivation: “the process that arouses, sustains and regulates human […]behaviour”. Many people focus on arousing their drive to success, which is a great start, but they forget to sustain their motivation. This is why so many people start well but burn out long before the finish line. The best motivational tools perform two functions: arouse motivation and/or sustain motivation.
This Motivation System is divided into seven weeks, and each week will address another way to successful motivation. This week we will focus on using success stories as a valuable tool for self-motivation. Success stories arouse and sustain motivation.
Success Stories
Something powerful brought you to this place. Maybe you’ve had a bad experience, are frustrated with your current situation, or were inspired to change. To have good mental health, we must live positively – a bad experience and frustration are far from positive – so let’s focus on being inspired to change.
Who inspires us? Others. They could be family, friends, co-workers, celebrities, or complete strangers. Yesterday you felt trapped, but today you feel free because someone has shown you there is a way out, a way to escape.
What now?
Choice No.1: Envy them.
You want to be as fit, healthy, loved, happy, etc as the people who inspire you, but you envy their success. The jealousy and bitterness devours you from the inside out. They continue to achieve more and more while you wallow in self-pity and do nothing.
Choice No.2: Aspire.
You ask them how they succeeded, and they tell you. You get some useful tips and start working towards achieving success too. Soon you celebrate your successes together, and spread the motivation to others just by achieving your dreams and sharing them with the world.
Which option motivates you? Exactly.
Now you must expand upon your decision to avoid jealousy and aim for success. You have asked ONE person about their success, but what about FIVE people? What about TWENTY? Why even set a limit when there are millions of success stories willing to help you succeed?
Just Ask
If you want to lose weight, ask someone. If you need relationship advice, ask someone. If you have a question, ask it. Maybe you have countless questions bottled up inside. Now is the time to ask them.
What’s the worst that could happen?
Embarrassment? You’ll get over it. The person refuses to share? Ask someone else. Is it a private/personal question? Check whether it’s all right to ask. See? It never hurts to ask. Just ask. If not you’ll always wonder, “What if…?” Ask in person, over the phone, or on-line. Remember to make notes for future motivation.
Just Look
If you really, REALLY don’t want to ask any questions, don’t force yourself. On the internet and in books are thousands of success stories. Even better, people love to share Before and After photos with stories. Note the differences in how the person looked and felt as their journey progressed. Imagine your own transformation.
Only you can decide how your success story will read. It can end with a new beginning, where you are ready to set new challenges as you continue to uncover your fullest potential, or end with disappointment because you gave up and walked away.
The decision is yours.
Just Follow
If you’re still lacking motivation, jump right in and follow someone else. Sometimes motivation won’t come until you get started! When you’re asking and looking around, note down what worked for success stories and do it. As long as their method is safe and suits your lifestyle, keep doing it.
Another great thing about following success stories is their positivity. Of course they struggled, we all do at times, but they made it to the other side. Their great qualities – determination, drive, ambition, patience – will rub off on you just by associating with them. Follow along and learn.
When you have a lots of motivational success stories and photos, keep them somewhere safe because you’ll need them for week five.
Some people think that they don’t need continuous motivation on a regular basis. This leads to burnout and the opposite of success: failure. It is far easier to maintain motivation than it is to re-motivate yourself, so grab a hold of motivation and don’t let go. To succeed, you need to motivate yourself every day. Remember, everyone struggles before they reach success, even those success stories.
Summary
1. Success stories show victory is on the horizon.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask success stories lots of questions.
3. Collect success stories and browse their journeys and photos.
4. Follow success stories to feed off their positivity.
5. Weekly motivation leads to success.
When you are ready, move on to next week.
Sources
Motivation definition: “motivation.” Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins Publishers. 31 Jan. 2011. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/motivation>.
