Mastering Success

Mastering the art of success doesn’t happen ove
ight. And that’s in our favor. We’re given the opportunity to get comfortable with ourselves and comfortable in our own skin. We get to know and identify our skills, and continue to hone them. Hopefully and strategically, we learn new skills relevant to our needs. And, if we’re a business owner or entrepreneur, we also master those skills that are relevant to our clients and customers.

No matter whether it’s your business, a job, a relationship or your health, motivation is one of the first essential pillars to the foundation of your success. It’s what determines whether you get up in the morning, are prepared for the day, accomplish a task or tasks you’ve set for yourself, and move purposefully toward your goals.

If you aren’t motivated, you don’t get up on time; it often snowballs. You’re late for work, behind on a deadline, and may have to postpone a meeting or date, even one with your spouse or partner. Not only are we not meeting our own needs or expectations, we may also be disappointing other people. Lacking motivation affects us emotionally. The bottom line is it doesn’t make us feel good about ourselves. We’re often guilt-ridden, angry and self-critical. When this happens, those feelings enter into your interactions with others and can hold you back from taking the next step.

Motivation is the oomph, the fire in your belly that can excite you to achieve what you aspire to and lead to your success and personal achievement. So why is it so difficult for many to access and harder to maintain? What is needed is having a strong enough reason to act. That’s where the inspiration and passion live. For many people, motivation is also contingent upon incentive or consequence.

To gain motivation, consider what’s exciting to you about the job, the project, the relationship, the day, and hold onto that knowledge. You may have to keep reminding yourself why you’re continuing to forge ahead when the road seems so long.

Recall the overall goal or vision and why you got started in the first place. Here’s where your emotion serves you. Find the excitement/passion meter within you and turn it up higher. That takes practice. Your emotions fuel your motivation up or down – to achieve or procrastinate.

Intrinsic motivation comes from within and is the most powerful. It’s that feel-good feeling when you accomplish something, even a small deed, and feel really good about it. Extrinsic motivation arises from outside in the form of rewards, praise or recognition, money or status.

To get yourself going, create your own extrinsic reward for goal completion, while simultaneously pumping up the inner good feelings. Make the reward accessible and meaningful – not too big or expensive. Dinner out, a few hours to yourself –you choose. Keep your mind and heart connected to the why of your actions; summon your strong upbeat emotions that are vital to your plan.