“I know for sure, the impossible is possible!”: how to motivate yourself

If not with the concept, then with the action of motivation, probably everyone has been familiar with it since childhood. A trivial example from life when a parent says to a child: “If you get an A in school, I will buy you that toy that you asked me for.” This is the most motivating thing to do something.  But the same motivation can have another side, for example, “If you don’t put the toys away, you’ll get a belt” - what’s not motivation? Just not as pleasant as the first option.  Today we’ll take a closer look at what “motivation” is, what types it comes in, and how to launch it.

The essence of motivation

Translated from Latin, the word “motivation” means “inducement to action.” This is a process of a psychophysiological nature that controls a person’s behavior, forcing him to confidently and unwaveringly move towards his goals, satisfying his needs.

Based on this, it becomes obvious that before you begin to study and implement motivational skills, you must initially determine for yourself the goal to strive for. These goals can be very different both in “form” and in the timing of their achievement. Many experts agree that it is much more practical to set a global goal, which usually takes many years to achieve, and then “break” it into small subgoals, like steps, moving along which you can reach the end. Then the process of building motivation will be much easier, and the person himself will receive a lot of positive emotions from micro-victories.

So, step #1 - think carefully about what you would like to achieve in life? Answer yourself the question: “I will be happy if in 10/20/30... years I will be....”. Imagine that time has already passed, you look back and realize that you don’t regret anything. What should your life be like to have a feeling of satisfaction inside?

Choosing the right goal at this stage is very important. This is already 50% of the whole process. Because the inner “light” that will light up in the form of a desire to achieve is the very motivation that needs to be cherished and nurtured, constantly fed so that it does not cool down. Otherwise, if ten years pass and you realize that you are going in the wrong direction, then the feeling of wasted time may lead to depression.

When choosing, it is also important to understand whether YOU really want it. Maybe the goal was imposed by relatives, society, friends or someone else or something? Try to live your life, live your destiny, and not realize someone’s unfulfilled dreams and plans. Now that the “motivational base” is in complete order, let’s proceed to consider the rest.

Types of motivation

In short, motivation is divided into the following categories:

• External - characterized by external factors and circumstances. For example, a colleague bought an expensive car, and you also wanted a similar luxury item.
• Internal - does not in any way intersect with external factors, but comes from within the personality itself. It can be clearly seen when a person sets a goal that he has long dreamed of and moves towards it.
• Positive - based solely on favorable incentives. For example: if I will run in the morning, then I will become healthy and slim.
• Negative - based on negative thought processes. For example: if I eat this bun, I will become fat and ugly.
• Sustainable - this motivation is determined by the trivial needs of the individual and does not require additional reinforcement. This is cooking when you want to eat, going to the store when you need to buy something.
• Unstable - requires increased attention, since without additional reinforcement it will simply fade away.

By the way, speaking about types of motivation, let's return to the introductory part of the article. If you want your children to achieve a lot in life, then watch how you communicate with them and what you say. For clarity, let's look at an example.

The parent's goal is for the child to learn his lessons. The first has two main options, put it this way:

- If you don’t learn your lessons, you’ll sit at home on weekends and won’t see any computer!

or like this:

- If you learn your lessons, then this weekend we will go to the attractions and buy you a new construction set!

There is no doubt that the “physical” result in the form of lessons learned will be achieved in both cases, but the means to achieve it are radically different. In the first option, the child will be driven by fear (especially if, instead of banning the computer, the parents threaten with a belt), which can lead to the child making mistakes, since his head will be filled with others. In the second option, its stimulation will be positive and will lead to appropriate results. This will significantly affect the adult life of the current baby, and how exactly depends only on you.

But you can even apply similar rules to yourself. For high efficiency, you need to motivate yourself only from the positive side, and not: If I don’t achieve what I want, then I’m a failure.

Motivation stimulation

Motivation and stimulation - what is the difference between these two, at first glance very similar, concepts? Let's start with the fact that motivation is the awareness of the individual himself that he needs to move and strive for the intended goal. Motivation is always based on the need for something: material wealth, public recognition of one’s successes, etc. Once the goal is achieved, the momentum begins to subside.

Stimulation is practically an analogue of motivation, one might even say that in some ways it is a component, but it is based rather in the external environment. Those. something from the outside prompts a person to action in order to speed up the achievement of results. For example, promotions encourage consumers to buy more products that the seller wants to sell as quickly as possible; At work, an incentive system has been established for rewarding distinguished employees, etc.

However, in both cases it is an impact on the individual in order to achieve specific results.  Let's look at five main points that perfectly show the difference between these concepts.

1. Motivation is the internal interest of a person, stimulation is a factor of external influence that encourages a person to do something that, perhaps, is completely unnecessary for him.
2. Motivation is mostly positive; stimulation can be either positive or negative.
3. Stimulation works until the creators turn it off; motivation will not fade until the goal is achieved.
4. Stimulation is a method of influencing a person, motivation is the satisfaction of personal desires and needs.
5. Stimulation, as a rule, extends to a group of people/team/crowd, while motivation is characteristic of a specific person, she is an “individual”.

Motivation management

Motivation management involves creating, maintaining and maintaining it at an optimal level. In this matter, it is important to take into account the individual characteristics of the individual. Ideally, it should create a favorable environment, and not burn you from the inside. After all, many emotions, including positive ones, can simply deplete and take away strength, which is simply not enough to move.

So what creates motivation?

First of all, these are, of course, motives. What a person lives for and what he strives for. This is the very goal that we talked about at the very beginning. This can also include desires that arise in consciousness and all types of needs.

As an integral part of motivation, there are incentives that are of a different nature. For example, money, recognition, punishment, inner satisfaction, etc.

Motivators are often not realized. For example, a husband decided to help his wife in the kitchen: the desire to help is his motive; the feeling of hunger is its stimulus; a happy, smiling and grateful wife is his motivator.

In order for motivation not to slow down and to be at a comfortable level, you need to set the optimal load, find motivators whenever possible and control the vision of the situation. No matter how well you set yourself up at the very beginning, incorrect distribution of the load and inadequate assessment of your own capabilities can ruin everything.

For example, you have decided to go in for sports, your goal is a slim, toned, sculpted body. The next day you set yourself up for a 6 km run, but before that you only watched sports on TV.

You don’t need to be a visionary to understand that it’s impossible to run that much without prior preparation. But you may get the impression that moving towards the goal is very difficult, and its achievement is doubtful. This will stimulate the desire to abandon it and continue to live in the same way.

And if you start moving with light morning exercises, gradually increasing the load, then everything will come gradually, without painful psychological withdrawals.

And now the fun begins. People are divided into “process-makers” and “result-makers.” Depending on which group an individual belongs to, work needs to be done to maintain motivation. Process workers have the most difficult time, since they can rarely set a clear goal for themselves, and if they do, they can quickly forget about it. They enjoy the process itself.  Such people are perfectly described by the situation: “Why are you digging?” “They told me to dig, so I’m digging.” The very creation of a goal does not motivate them, and achieving it can frighten and slow them down. They need passion for the process, ease of life. Achieving a goal through small steps can somehow inspire such people.

Resulters are people who fiercely strive for a goal, regardless of obstacles. Among them there are those who difficultly maneuver between obstacles and those who live by the principle “the end justifies the means.” Results achievers need to learn to think about the consequences that may occur after making specific decisions. You should learn to relax and enjoy the process of achieving your goal. Since, usually, difficult and long-term goals lead to the fact that the results burn out.

The issue of results and processes is a separate topic that can be discussed for a very long time. But this shows that the process of maintaining motivation must be different for each person. After all, what inspires one will be indifferent to another.

Ways to motivate

The world-famous American company Nike released a wonderful video and chose for itself the excellent slogan “Just do it,” which translated means “Just do it.” After watching this advertising clip, most people will probably recognize themselves in it.

And it’s really a mystery: people who are deprived of such basic and familiar things as arms and legs achieve success, take gold medals at the Olympics and enjoy life, while others who have a clear “base” and visible opportunities constantly complain about their unfortunate fate.  The explanation for this can be expressed in a short sentence, quoting the 16th US President Abraham Lincoln: those who want, look for opportunities; those who don’t want, look for reasons.

Of all the types of motivation, let's look at the most popular - self-motivation. So, here are some tips that may help you tune in.

1. Stop tolerating what doesn't suit you. Realize that life goes on as usual, everything around you moves forward and nothing and no one will wait for you. Suffering, for whatever reason, is a waste of time. No one will change anything for you. Until you take action and decisions, everything will remain as it is. Life will end sooner or later, and you will regret that you were once afraid and did not dare to do something that you really wanted.
2. Don't be afraid to make mistakes! Mistakes are a new experience, it builds character and an opportunity to improve your own skills and abilities. The wisdom says correctly - the one who does nothing makes no mistakes.
3. Use visualization. When the goal is clear and you are clearly sure that you want to go towards it, visualization will be a great help. Just be careful, use it wisely, otherwise this “drug” can play a bad role. Constantly mentally experiencing the experiences and feelings that will take place when plans are completed, you can become fed up. The subconscious will stop striving for the goal, as it will satisfy its needs through fantasies.
4. Take note of your victories and reward yourself for them. Every day, do something that will bring you at least a millimeter closer to your goal. A small step may even mean that you did not do something that moved you away from your plans, that you did not succumb to some kind of weakness. Develop a reward system for yourself and implement it.
5. Never, under any circumstances, compare yourself to anyone! You are an individual and what you can do no one else can do and vice versa. Why strive for “castles in the air” and then realize that this path will lead nowhere? Compare yourself with yourself, strive to be better than you were yesterday/a month ago/a year ago. This is the best measurement scale.
6. Don’t be afraid to start something new and go where no one has gone before. Think about it, once upon a time there were no mobile phones or computers, and a millennium ago those who would talk about airplanes would have been considered idiots, yet now all this exists. What if the creators of this technology and machines were once afraid and did not believe in themselves? We would still be sitting in caves and frying mushrooms over a fire.
7. Play sports. It's useful in every way. Firstly, you will strengthen your health, and, as you know, a healthy mind in a healthy body. Secondly, sport increases psychological endurance, which is very useful in achieving goals.

Read relevant literature that will help raise self-esteem and look at the world with different eyes. One such book is “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”

Non-material motivation

This type of non-material motivation is very often used in companies, when in addition to the monetary equivalent, employees receive something else that makes their work more enjoyable. This includes:

• presentation of corporate awards to the “best employees”; publication of messages and letters of gratitude in the internal newspaper; expressing gratitude to the entire team for their productive activities for the benefit of the company;
• providing employees with additional days of vacation and time off at the expense of the company;
• providing the right to choose when working on projects (what a person wants to work on is given to him);
• promotion of the best of the best up the career ladder, etc.

Many are of the opinion that the use of non-material motivation, without material motivation, practically does not bring any results. Of course, this is very beneficial for employers, who thus have the opportunity to save on bonuses. This technique may work for a while, but not for long. But as an auxiliary way to maintain a favorable psychological climate in a team, it’s the most wonderful thing.

Non-material motivation can be applied to yourself. It lies in the realization that achieving goals will benefit not only you, but also someone else. For example, if it is a business, then it will probably be aimed at serving people. Think about who you can make happy. Perhaps, once you start making a profit, you can help orphanages or seriously ill people? And their happy eyes and sincere words of gratitude will be your reward.

Motivation for training

In recent years, sports and a healthy lifestyle have become fashionable, but not everyone has had time to adapt. When you have been living the same lifestyle for several decades, in which exercise and proper nutrition have no place, it is difficult to radically change your approach in one day. And this is not necessary. First of all, you really need to motivate yourself well. Think about why you need sports and do you really need it? Only by confidently answering positively and clearly explaining to yourself can you truly be inspired.

You can motivate yourself to exercise in different ways. For some, the simple realization that they need a healthy image physically is enough, while others need constant reading of mantras. Only you know which method is right for you. You can try the visualization effect. Lie down, close your eyes and imagine yourself at the moment when you got an excellent result from sports, your figure is toned and slim, you feel lightness throughout your body and flutter like a butterfly. You admire yourself in the mirror, men turn after you, you catch the glances of envious women who just want to start, but can’t get it together. Feel it all with every cell of your body - do you like it? Then go ahead - towards your dream!

Don't try to change everything in one day. Start working on yourself gradually. The kaizen technique will come in very handy here. The latter implies going to big from small. If you haven’t been involved in sports until now, so as not to overdo it, start with the smallest thing: daily squats (!). What could be simpler? A week or two will pass and you will feel how your body voluntarily demands more and you will not need to rape and force it. In the beginning, there should be a goal - to accustom your body to a new lifestyle, and not to get results. And there, everything will come by itself.

Surround yourself with posters depicting people leading a healthy lifestyle, register on a thematic forum and website. Communicate where your like-minded people are, then the common egregor will not let you stray from your intended path!

Motivation for success

Often, even if in the first days and weeks a person firmly believes in success, then after some time everyone goes through a stage of doubt. And don't believe it if someone says otherwise! Doubts are a natural and, unfortunately, inevitable phenomenon. In general, the word “success” is very popular, but what does it mean? There is no general criterion, but if you describe it in the words of the sages, then success is the realization of true inner potential. It is individual for each person. It follows from this that initially you must determine what exactly you mean by this word, only then will there be a measure by which you will determine that you have achieved success or are moving towards it.

It will not come to you out of nowhere, it is the fruit of your hard work and efforts, the development of your potential and aspirations. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, as we wrote earlier - this is normal and simply necessary to gain skills and experience. Remember the proverb: think good, bad things will come? So, this is exactly the case. And on topic, there is another inspiring quote: if a person does it, he has two options - it will work out or it won’t work out, and if he doesn’t, then there is only one. Draw conclusions, act or “wait for weather by the sea.”

Effectiveness of motivation

High-quality motivation can do a lot. At the same time, we should not forget that it can be both constructive and destructive. You can motivate yourself to a positive outcome, as well as a negative one, without even realizing it. The first time will not be familiar, since many things in life will begin to change and the main thing here is not to be afraid and not to retreat. Listen to your inner voice, do not try to force yourself to change. If you feel that you are not ready for something right now, give yourself a break, this will allow you to smoothly move to a new stage of development. Change your social circle if you feel like your current one is sinking. Don’t be afraid to change and adjust something, plan your life, breaking it into stages. Don't be overly critical of yourself. As the same Abraham Lincoln said: “People who have no faults, as a rule, have few virtues.” Wise words.

Read the success stories of great people, find out what difficulties they had to go through. Watch inspiring films based on true events, like The Pursuit of Happyness (2006). A heart-tugging, very strong and life-affirming film about a man who, despite his harsh fate, did not give up on his goal and reached the end.  The film, again, is based on a real story. The prototype of the main character personally took part in the filming, monitoring the accuracy of the facts being filmed.