The Secret To Getting Motivated

Running a business or heading an organization can be exhausting. There are many demands on your time and only so many hours in a day to get things accomplished. When that happens, your energy tends to be directed at the most pressing issues, while important items like strategy and planning can be pushed down the to-do list.

When something is too far down the list, it can feel as though you are unmotivated to accomplish it, even though you know it’s important. The good news is that the move from knowing you have to do something to actually doing it isn’t as tough to achieve as you think. Here’s how you can make that move.

Are You Tired of Being Where You Are?

The first step that often inspires action is realizing that you no longer want to be where you are. In speaking with organizations that reference this feeling, it is often that they have been stalled for some time, and now want to take action. Here are some ways to recognize if you’re in this situation:

You’re not really going anywhere. There are no results coming in, you’re not capitalizing on opportunities, and you’re in a coasting or status quo mode.
You’re in a trend of decline. You are losing market share or finding yourself on the sidelines while others appear to be cashing in.
You don’t know where to start. Everything seems to be a bigger task than you’re prepared to take on, and you’re getting bogged down by the feeling of being anxiously overwhelmed.

This is a challenging space because you want to get out of it, but you don’t know how. It can lead to jumping at things that promise to provide wins with minimal effort on your part, but end up disappointing in results, and you find yourself right back in this tired space.

If you want out of this space, you need a plan.

Are You Ready to Commit for a While?

The difference between all those short-term actions that do nothing for you, and sustainable results that you can build on, is commitment. You must move your thinking from the stress-driven reaction to the calmly focused plan. How do you get into that headspace?

Focus on the future. One of the things causing you stress is wanting immediate, instant results, even when you know they don’t exist. Get out of your anxious state of mind and set a goal for the future – six months or a year out – and give yourself some time to build a game plan.

If this seems difficult to accept, remember, time passes quickly. I can tell you from experience that clients often remark, “I should have done this sooner.” If you commit now, by the time the future becomes the present, you’ll be able to celebrate how far you’ve come and appreciate the motivation you have developed to keep going.

Commitment is the fuel that drives results.

How Much Does the Outcome Really Mean to You?

There’s a little tough love coming here: you have to want the outcome more than you want where you are now. You can’t just want it a little bit. You have to want it to be your new standard operating procedure. The good news is that there are ways to make that kind of decision easier:

Start with a week. Creating a new way of doing things means creating a new habit. Your goal is in the future, and your mind wants to work in the present. Start by working your plan for a week. What did you accomplish? What got you off track? How will you do better next week? Make 7-day commitments and persevere no matter what. Soon, your new habit will be easier to manage.
Celebrate the wins. Recognition is a great motivator, so be sure to recognize when you have gained some ground with your new plan. You may not achieve everything on your list in the timeline you created, but you will have achievements. Acknowledge them as a way to keep you focused on the future.

I was texting with a friend about her commitment to going to the gym every day. She said she enjoyed feeling strong again. I replied how I missed that feeling, but can’t seem to find the motivation to get started. Her response: “You’ll get back to it when you miss it more. That’s what happened for me. Now that I’m back, I make it a priority, and that took a while.”

You will have achieved a reliable motivation level when the outcome you want becomes a priority in the actions you take. You might have to go through the motions for a while to build the new way of operating, but every step you take in that direction moves you closer to the outcome you want. Like many things in life, it’s often the small things that make the big difference.

You’ve Already Done This

Building motivation to make changes in your organization has the added benefit of building motivation within yourself.

Whether you’re the business owner or the executive director, a seasoned manager or an emerging leader, being a motivated person can get you far in life. Just think about ways you have already been motivated – finishing a course, getting the job you want, building a deck, making an investment in retirement savings – and leverage your past experience to do this new thing.

Resources

For the DIYer. You can take the first step in moving off the status quo in your business or organization by picking up a copy of Forward Thinking for Your Business. It’s filled with easy-to-implement ways to make changes that move you off the status quo.
Bring Jennifer to your association conference. Recommend Jennifer as a speaker at your association’s next event and use her time to your benefit.
Work 1:1 with Jennifer. You don’t have to take this on alone. Talk to Jennifer about what you want to accomplish and work with her to achieve the results you want.

Reach out for more information by email to jennifer@fwdthink.ca or phone at 613-312-7824.