MOTIVATION - FOCUSING YOUR ENERGIES ON YOUR GOALS
Author: ROY BURTON

Picture this: A sales manager gathers his team around him and then says something like ‘Well, um, hello guys. I have this idea that I would, um, like to tell you about. I admit it’s not all that brilliant, but times are hard out there in the marketplace and it is the only thing I could think of, so just give it a little go and see what you can do”. How do you think a group of willing, eager salespeople would react to that flabby statement? It is an absolute certainty that any interest or commitment that team had would have flown straight out of the window. Not only did this sales manager not know what he had to do, he lacked the one thing that would have got his people fired up, ready to get out there and sell - he lacked the power of Motivation. But, before we can ever hope to ignite the enthusiasm and commitment in others we must first learn how to motivate ourselves. It is a fact that motivation, if applied skilfully, will turn a mediocre idea into something glorious, a dream or a goal worth aiming for, so it is well worth the effort of developing this skill and using it to your advantage. Here then are some great tools you can use to put you on the road to success and riches.

HAVE BELIEF.

You must believe in yourself. Your success in life depends on the firm belief that you can achieve your dreams. This belief is vital to the outcome, for if you approach your goals with any hint of a negative attitude then all is lost. Saying to yourself, or others, ‘I don’t think I can manage that’ or ‘I don’t expect that to work’ is a sure recipe for disaster. The attitude must be one of expecting success, of believing that no matter how many problems or obstacles you are confronted with you will win through. And never, ever put yourself down. Saying something like ‘I’m not very bright’ is an attitude that is guaranteed to result in your failure. Developing an unshakeable belief in yourself is the first priority for it is at the very heart of everything that you aspire to, the realisation of all your dreams.

GREAT PERSONALITY.

Some people seem as though they have been born with a magnetic personality, that they have an irresistible power over others, and that they can assume easily the role of Leader. Their body language alone tells you that they know where they are going, and that they have the confidence and the capability to see the task through to the end.

This does not mean that they have an overbearing, bullying attitude – quite the opposite. And it does not mean that they make you feel as though you are inferior, standing in their shadow. However do not think that this attitude is exclusive to the select few for like every other discipline it can be developed in anybody. The characteristics of this type of man or woman are that they easily make friends, they have a genuine interest in others, and they are optimistic and enthusiastic. Most of all they fill those around them with the same determination and positive outlook that will make winners of all who are drawn to them.

BE A SELF-STARTER.

There is surely nothing so humiliating or degrading than having someone make your decisions for you, or having to constantly push you to do something. Inaction and procrastination are the silent killers of all those dreams and aspirations you may have for a successful future. So you must develop the habit of acting upon a decision straight away. To achieve anything of substance in this life you must be a self-starter, one who, once the goals are firmly established, will go forward with the positive expectation that success and riches will be achieved. A self-starter is enthusiastic, excited, and totally focused on his goals, and always believes that he will achieve his dreams. So do not hesitate, do not turn away from what has to be done, for if you do you will spend the rest of your life in regret and mediocrity. Speed of decision, and quickness of action are the keys to a better future, and adopting a positive attitude will surely mark you as a winner.

BE FLEXIBLE:

As in the case of goal setting (and all self-motivated people have goals) a certain amount of flexibility must be accepted. It would be a folly to go obstinately on if you know that the end result isn’t what you truly want, or if there is no gain. No goal, or task, should be so rigid that you cannot allow any room for change. If this was the case no aeroplane, or transatlantic liner, or whatever, would ever reach it’s destination because it is necessary for the crew to constantly steer this way and that, altering and adjusting it’s course. Re-generating self-motivation is not always easy, far from it. Take the case of someone who has set himself a goal of giving up smoking. He does well for fourteen days, and then on the fifteenth day he succumbs to temptation, pulls out a packet of cigarettes and lights up. However, the pleasure is temporary, and very soon he will be suffering agonies of guilt believing that he has failed completely. What he has to understand is that he has not failed, he has momentarily strayed onto the wrong path, and that he has to get back on course without delay. Remember that ultimate success is all about reinforcing that motivation no matter what obstacles or setbacks occur.

VISUALISATION.

Although dismissed as nonsense by some sceptics, visualisation remains one of the best ways of keeping you moving forward on the highway to success. It is a potent tool, which if used with a firm belief in a positive outcome, can change our lives for the better. After all, if you think about it, nothing on this earth that is man-made ever came about, or was created, unless it was first conceived in somebody’s mind. It does not matter what it is, our computer, our car, our TV set, or a million other things, it was all the result of creative visualisation. So what do we have to do? There are several methods that can be employed, from pasting pictures of those things you desire into a scrapbook, to just sitting quietly, away from the stresses and demands of our daily life, and seeing clearly in your minds eye, in every detail, your ultimate objective. However, merely thinking about your goals every now and then, giving them only a brief thought, will bring you nothing but grief. It is courting disaster if you practice visualisation without following it up with decisive action, because, valuable as it is, it can never replace the vital work of preparation, study, and training. So never underestimate the enormous power of creative visualisation, for it is the fuel that sustains and drives the power of motivation, and if employed correctly, and in the right spirit, can trigger off a chain of events that can be nothing short of remarkable. FINALLY.

Most self-motivated people are winners, and as such wish to share their excitement with others. Sadly, bearing in mind that you cannot make somebody do something they don’t want to do, there are some out there who are quite content to just stumble blindly along as they always have. You can offer all the incentives in the world, but with these folk no amount of coaxing or pushing will stir them from their own comfort zone. The best option here is to leave them behind and move forward in the company of other creative, positive thinking, and self-motivated people. They know that there is more energy wasted on fretting or worrying about a task than there is on actually getting started. But on the other hand it does not mean that they will leap into some venture without careful consideration, and a well detailed plan. Self-motivation is all about knowing exactly what you want, how you are going to get it, and thrusting aside all the over-caution, self-pity, fear of failure, and other ill-founded opinions of the doubters.

There is no substitute for motivation for without it all your dreams, aspirations and goals will just wither away and perish. And most valuable of all it focuses all of your physical and mental energies on to your goals, which when applied with a passion will take you towards an incredible future and a share of the riches that are there waiting to be claimed.

ROY BURTON








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Roy Burton was born in north London, England, and is currently based in Bedfordshire. He has travelled widely, and has been a student and advocate of self development for many years. He has written many articles for various magazines and web sites. He can be contacted with comments or suggestions on roy.burton@ntlworld.com

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