It just suddenly hit me. After all these years of searching, after all the countless books that I have read, the answer to my life finally appears. The answer did not come from someone else but thru a serendipitous Eureka moment, backed by the distilled knowledge that I have gain since I have started reading my first self-help book at a very long age.
The answer to motivation is simple and elegant. Motivation comes from well-defined goals with realistic planning. Ergo, to have motivation, you must desire, define, and plan your goals.
That is the basis of the key that will unlock your potential. Make no mistake, I said that the answer is simple; the implementation, on the other hand, is hard. Fortunately, I have walked this path and I will show you how to be motivated.
What is Motivation?
Countless books have countless way to define this M-word. If we look at Meriam Webster dictionary, ‘motivation’ comes from the word ‘motivate’ which comes from the word ‘motive’. ‘Motive’ means
Wow, the answer is already there in the dictionary! All we need to do is to have a need or desire for something. Ergo, we’ll be motivated to take the necessary action in order to succeed in fulfilling our needs and desire.
Not So Fast, Bucko
Motivation comes from well-defined goals with realistic planning. It does not come from wishful thinking. Take the example of the classic desire “I want to be rich”. I am pretty sure every one is this world (except the filthy rich) will say this to his or herself. So, where is the motivation for that? Why is there no action taken? Why are we still poor?
As long as the goal is not well-defined and without realistic planning to boot, there is no motivation. Imagine this, could you work hard 16 hours a day, everyday, for the rest of your life for a future that is blurry? Could you sweat blood and tears for something that you don’t even sure if you like? Could you commit yourself to a path of hardship and stresses if you are not even convince that you have an iota of a chance of succeeding?
If you say “Yes” to the question above, sorry no cigars. Those were trick questions. I never asked whether you ‘would’. I asked whether you ‘could’. Most people can shout their lungs out that they will work hard; that they will sweat and tears. I have no reason to doubt that they sincerely want to do so. Yet, where is the result?
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Classic Story #1: No Cigars
Person A goes for a motivational course. Person A gets motivated. Person A decides to dramatically improve his life here and now. Person A mumbles to himself, “I am successful!”
Person A works hard and smart in his day job. Person A spring cleans his house and arrange his CDs collection in alphabetical order. Person A feels happy and successful.
Three months down the road, Person A begins to slow down. Person A is not as motivated as he was and he knows it but denies it. Person A gradually slow down until his motivation level is back to before he attended the motivational course. Person A pretends that those three months of productivity means nothing.
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In this blog, you will hear the phrase “mean to an end” a lot. It is important. Most people have a hard time of telling the difference between a ‘mean’ and a ‘goal’.
Take the classic example “I want to be rich”. Being rich is a ‘mean’, not a ‘goal’. Being rich means having truckloads of money. Having truckloads of money by itself doesn’t do you much good. You have to spend it. “I want a big house, a fancy car, and travel around the world” is more well-defined compared to “I want to be rich”.
Another classic example would be “I want to be successful”. Well, being “successful” means having achieve a predetermined goal regardless of how trivial the goal may be. For example, if I manage to eat 10 hotdogs in 10 minutes time, then I have successfully eaten 10 hotdogs in 10 minutes. Else, I have failed to eat 10 hotdogs in 10 minutes. Another example, if I manage to retire at the age of 40, then I have successfully retired at the age of 40. Else, I have failed to retire at the age of 40.
Get a grip, people. ‘Goal’ is the end point while ‘Mean’ is the one of the many ways to achieve a goal. Do you know what the end of all ends is? Death.
What do you want to do before you die? What do you hope to achieve? How many kids do you want to raise? How do you want to be remembered? What would you be regretting as you lie your final moments on your deathbed?
That's right people, I am talking about lifetime goals here. Make up your mind what do you want to achieve with your limited time walking on this world and be done with it. Life is too short to be little.
Realistic Planning
Defining your goals is the easier part. All those wonderful optimism, all those possibilities, and all those “I want to open an orphanage for kittens” feel good feelings.
Realistic planning sucks. You realize that you don’t have the money, skills, nor time to complete all those life goals. You have to compromise. You have to reduce the greatness of your goals. It hits you that you are going to settle with mediocrity.
Heck, if you are going to be mediocore when you plan, why bother planning anyway? Wouldn't the "no planning, hope things would get better by itself" strategy seems better? Why go thru all the hassle?
So, we are back at square. No realistic planning means no motivation. No motivation means no achieving your goals.
This blog is all about realistic planning that is designed to achieved the most that you can achieve in life. It’s an action blog. I expect results and will not except anything less.
Motivation comes from well-defined goals with realistic planning. Ergo, to have motivation, you must know how to desire, define, and plan your goals. This blog will show you how to make it so.
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