Start Me Up
3 min read
Updated: Dec 24, 2020
Some think motivation will strike -- like a lighten bolt, flip of light switch, turn of the ignition. That's not how it works. As a Coach, I’ve heard 'I have lost my motivation'. From business leaders, I’ve heard that teams are experiencing serious engagement issues and loss of energy which is a killer to motivation and costly to business.
We ALL struggle with motivation, especially in this time where the normal is now constant change and uncertainty. Imagine how much time, money and headaches business leaders would save if their teams were full of happy, self-motivated workers. Motivation comes from the Latin word to move . A derivative of the word is motive .
The ingredients to motivation are ambition and action. You can't enjoy cake without the flour, sugar, mixing and the baking.
Ambition + Action = Motivation The first step to achieve motivation -- get clarity around the ambition .
People often don’t like the word ambition. It suggests we are full of ourselves or pushing people aside for our own gain. Instead, consider this. We all want areas in our lives to be better. To lose a few pounds. Be a more present parent. Drive more sales. Launch that new product. We wish for this and that. We desire for a new place of being. That wish or desire is ambition by another name. Our ambitions, no matter how big or small, are ingredients to motivation.
Next -- get clarity on the actions needed to serve the ambition. Action plans sound daunting, but a trip without a destination makes for a long ass drive. Sometimes we don’t know where to begin. Don’t think about a plan like scaling Mt. Everest, but like climbing a staircase. When you do these X things, you move to the next. Staircases often have landings that can take a different direction. You don't need to know the exact direction or all of the steps required, but when you move with your ambition, you move towards motivation. When you put ambition together with action, you ignite motivation .
Take this newsletter as an example. I had a strong desire that gnawed at me for longer than I’d like to admit. I had ambition to share my learnings and insights to help others. I so wanted to share the things that moved me and I was passionate about. I had the ambition, but ambition without action is simply empty thoughts.
The action -- that I waited far too long to act on -- was to take steps to invest in automation, build my database and get rid of my inner critic. When I finally sent my first Sunday Sunshine out into the world, my motivation went through the roof. I now look forward to writing each week, and hope you are enjoying the read as much as I love to write it. (please share it with others!)
Ambition + Action = Motivation What we put our attention toward is what we prioritize. Are you prioritizing your motivation? Fulfilling an ambition can feel scary. Taking action takes work. To achieve motivation means doing the hard work to prioritize your ambition each and every day and the intentionally making it a part of your daily routine. If you are not dedicated to the daily habit don’t come crying about your motivation.
The truth is, there are no particular habits that make people successful. There are only habits. I believe everyone has the power within themselves to create long-lasting habits that motivate them to grow into who they were made to be. Here’s the amazing payoff. It’s the multiplier effect .
When your motivation is fired up you create momentum. That momentum leads to more motivation. Motivation + Daily Habit = Momentum When you achieve momentum, you find your flow. You know that most wonderful feeling you get when things are aligned and it just feels right. We are in a time of unrest and uncertainty. But, now is not the time to let the unrest take you away from your ambition.
Remember the most influential person in your life is you, and when you recognize your influence over you, it is a game changer. A few of my favorite things this week: Motivation for Teams: VIDEO Taming Fear Through Action: HERE Next Workshop: 'Getting Certain About Uncertainty' Register HERE An Amazing Book: Untamed by Glennon Doyle
Email for a complimentary 20-mins to uncover your Slight Edge.
Please share this blog with someone who would enjoy it.
Follow me on Instagram: @christinalangdonbosslady