Motivators

As part of my coaching I completed a questionnaire that produced a series of 'Personality Profile' reports.

One of the key insights I gained from these reports was the concept of 'Motivators'.  It highlighted things I was motivated by.  This concept is supported by strategies within my coaching program of defining the 'purpose' of why you want to achieve what you want to achieve.  Having an earth moving 'purpose' or 'motivator' is very important in achieving goals and sustaining consistency in your actions and mental approach.

It is this that you can refer to when times get tough, to keep you going, and get you out of your head and into taking action.

Recently, I have been searching for a job in my new home town of Guildford.  I'd been getting a bit despondent about the lack of progress I perceived I had been making.  Firstly, my expectations may have been a bit high, I had expected to get a job in a week or two but none had been forthcoming.  Nevertheless, financial obligations and just the desire to be more active during the day and have more things to do, made me determined to get a job.

But this wasn't enough.  I started to feel why was it important that I have a job.  As mentioned in my last post 'It Matters', I decided to amplify the significance of what I was attempting to do.  My motivation became the thought of having a child, a baby girl, and having her at home waiting for me to get a job.  For me this was not just a fantasy, but it seemed to be in a sense closer to the truth of the matter.  If I didn't prove myself now, if I didn't get my act together now and achieve the things I wanted to do, how was I going to provide for my family in the future. This became the significance that I needed to truly motivate me and make me aware of what was actually at stake.

I went into a store shortly afterwards that had a vacancy sign on its door.  I said I wanted to make contact and get more details of the position. After a brief discussion, I stated 'I will work for free until you give me the job.  I am keen'.  I left feeling strong and confident, emailed them my resume, and later that day received a response asking me to come back for an interview.  In all of my actions in this process, my motivator was my little girl.  I felt strong and focussed and I knew what I had to do.

This is the significance of having strong motivators.  It is not a fantasy, but rather really looking at how your actions today will shape your tomorrow.  I went out that morning hungry for a job and have now positioned myself well to succeed in this.

It Matters

Strength

Every morning I wake up and do what is called my 'Hour of Power'. It starts with a laugh in bed then sit ups, pushups, and chinups. Then I go for a walk. During the first half of the walk I focus on gratitude - all the things I am grateful for every day. This is accompanied by a breathing exercise that boosts energy and concentration whilst doing a specific tapping exercise with my fingers. The second part of the walk focusses on what I want to achieve during the day and who I am. I recite these things and move towards incantations where I speak as if I have achieved the things I wanted. I return every morning strong and ready for the day.

Last week, it started becoming hard to keep up this routine - emotional reactions to my not yet having a job were making me feel despondent. I examined this, why I wasn't doing my daily routine. I started to look at what my motivators were for doing this routine and realised that I had started to think that it was no longer as important in comparison to other things.

I realised I had to change this view. This routine, this habit, matters. My revised view was that each morning that I do this, it is an epic undertaking - it is not a small set of exercises that have no effect on anything, it completely shapes my body, mind and spirit every day so that I can contribute my maximum potential to this world.

At the same time, I realised that getting into the right 'state' is a very important exercise. It matters. When you are positive and strong your productivity, energy and creativity go right up.

So the major lesson from this is that it matters - whatever you committ to doing on a regular basis in the pursuit of personal development, continue it. It matters. 1 push up a day matters, and it matters that you do it every day.

My challenge to you is that you take on this belief, that each step you take towards your goals matters. Enlarge its significance if it ever falls into doubt. It matters.