Find Motivation

Are you the kind of person who thinks your dreams are attainable? Or, are you the kind of person who thinks your dreams can never be achieved? Do you know how to find motivation? Or, does it feel as though motivation is always alluding you?

People who believe their dreams are possible know that they have the power, capacity, and ability to make their dreams come true. They know how to find motivation and steer the lives towards their dreams.

Others see the excuses for why things can't happen:

"I am too busy"

"The economy is bad, so I need to play it safe"

These people have a "story" about why you can't have what you desire: "I shouldn't start my own business, because I have always been bad at math."

Excuses, creating stories, and playing it safe don't work; they don't get you any closer to your goals nor do they enable you to find motivation.

In fact, all they really do is cause low motivation or, perhaps, no motivation. They clutter your thinking and they can bring you down, making it difficult to find motivation. It doesn't make sense to keep them in your life.

Here are some ways to find motivation and get what you want:

1. Stop negative thoughts. Negative excuses stifle your power and cause low motivation. Put another way, you have low motivation because you have negative thoughts. To get more motivation, stop thinking negatively. When you remove negative thinking, which blocks motivation, you allow space for motivation to grow.

2. Turn it into a game. Every time you have a negative thought or excuse, write it down. The first time I did this, I was amazed at how many negative thoughts and excuses I used. I quickly saw a pattern in my excuses: when I was tired, my dreams were "too difficult" or "too far into the future".

When I felt that life was treating me unfairly, I told myself, "Life isn't fair and there is a risk that I may not get what I want." And, when my car unexpectedly needed expensive repair, I told myself, "It is very difficult to save enough money in order to do what I really want to do."

It was no wonder that my dreams seemed impossible - I was constantly telling myself why I could not reach them! Discover your own patterns so that you can attack them and exterminate excuses and negative thinking from your life.

3. Create "worry" time. If you are prone to anxiety, worry, excuses and negative thinking, then there is probably a good reason why. On some level, negativity works for you. Replaying what could go wrong might make you feel safe or prepared for the worst case scenario. Such techniques can make you feel smarter, more logical, or more thoughtful.

Therefore, set aside 20 minutes each day to worry and stress-out. When negativity pops up in the morning, tell yourself, "I will worry about that later" or, "I will write that thought down and think about it later today." Designating a time for stress makes it easier to stress less throughout the day.

4. Take real action towards your goals. Taking real action will help you to blow right past any feelings of low motivation. Action fuels motivation. When you find a way, then you find your will. Thinking about taking action is not the same as really taking action. People waste a lot of time thinking about how to achieve results. It is faster and better to do something real and concrete towards your goals.

5. Remove the "but". Don't allow imagined obstacles to stop you from taking action. Ask yourself, "What do I need to do in the next 10 days to move towards my dream?" And, then be aware of any "but" in your answer.

Potential Answer: "My dream is to have a 20% down payment for my first home. Over the next 10 days, I could save more money,

a. but I really have a lot of expenses right now.

b. but I would need a raise first

c. but my credit score isn't stellar

d. but I am too busy to do things like make lunch/dinner instead of eating out

e. but it will take too long to save enough money

The "but" makes your dreams seem impossible and unrealistic. It shuts down your hope, creativity, and causes low motivation. When you remove the "but", you are opening yourself up to the possibility that your dreams can be achieved. Try it. Tomorrow, take the "but" out of your statement and then see what new ideas arise throughout the day. Think of it as a fun experiment and remain open to new possibilities.

6. Stay focused. Using the examples above, stay focused on what you truly want to create in your life.

Potential Answer: "My dream is to have a 20% down payment for my first home. Over the next 10 days, I could save more money,

a. but I really have a lot of expenses right now. Remind yourself: The question was not about my household expenses. The question was about how I can save for a down payment on my first home.

b. but I would need a raise first Remind yourself: The question was not about my job and how well I am being compensated. The question was about how I can save for a down payment on my first home.

c. but my credit score isn't stellar Remind yourself: The question was not about my credit score.

d. but I am too busy to do things like make lunch/dinner instead of eating out Remind yourself: The question was not about my schedule and how busy I am.

e. but It will take too long to save enough money Remind yourself: The question did not ask about how long it will take to achieve your dreams.

Once you get started, you might get what you want quickly. The point is, right now you do not know how long it will take. Therefore, you shouldn't let time keep you from trying. Go find motivation!

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