How to Get Motivated When the “Rah-Rah” Hype Doesn’t Work

Have you ever been around people who are so good at something, they think they can just cheerlead you into the same success? It could be running, or cooking, selling a product, or building a business. They make it look so easy, and they tell you so.

But you’re left thinking, “yeah, but I’m different.” Cue all the discouraging thoughts:

• I don’t feel up to it
• That will take too much time or energy
• I’m not gifted like they are
• I’m exhausted
• The more they cheer me on, the more certain I won’t do it

Comparing our goals to the person who seems to have it all together can be discouraging at best, and goal-stopping at worst.

So how can we learn to create and manage our own motivation, for the things that are important to us, without the comparison to another?

This is About the One Unique You

There is no one on this earth just like you. Like a fingerprint, you have a unique, one-of-a-kind purpose to contribute to
humanity. 

No one knows you like you know you. What do you want? What are the dreams buried deep inside? If anything was possible, what would you do?

Others may be cheerleading very worthy goals, but what lights you on fire every time you think about it? What keeps coming back to you, even after you decide it’s not possible or too hard?

Develop “Failure Stamina”

Abraham  Lincoln’s reputation for failure is profound. He even entered the war as a Captain and returned home as a private (the lowest rank possible).

He said, “My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.” (“Abraham Lincoln Quotes”)

When we start working on a new goal, we usually think we have to have it all figured out. We think we need to have fairly decent success right away.

But this just isn’t the way the world has ever worked.

Sir James Dyson failed 5,126 times before he developed a working prototype and becoming a multimillionaire.

Thomas Edison was told he was too stupid to learn anything, before he changed the world with his record number
1,093 patents.

Walt Disney was told by his newspaper editor that “he lacked imagination and had no good ideas,” before he created
characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck and won 22 Academy Awards.

Michael Jordan famously said, “I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot, and I missed. And that is why I succeed.” (“15 Highly Successful People Who Failed Before Succeeding”)

The only failure you will ever experience is when you decide to stop working on your goals.

Use failure to show you what doesn’t work, so you can move faster toward what does work.

Start . . . and Start Small

Mark Twain once said, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”

There’s an amazing correlation between starting to work on something and feeling more motivated to work some more on that something.

Often, we sabotage ourselves by having too many goals at one time.

If you struggle with staying focused, try starting with one easy goal.

Instead of walking 2 miles every day, set the intention to walk for 10 minutes.

Instead of calling fifteen of your clients today, set a goal to call two every day.

You can feel great about your progress, and who knows? Momentum might kick in.

Staying motivated is a skill we practice and refine, just like playing the piano. The more you intentionally practice self-motivation, and the resulting actions, the more your brain will delegate this to the normal mode of operation.

. . .  more motivation tips to come . . . but go out there and start something now.

If you want some help with getting and staying motivated for your important business and life goals, reach out to me at sherri@sherribartin.com.

stay motivated, just start, practice, what do you want most?