It is said that it’s harder to keep being successful or on top that to achieve success in the first place. That is a sentence I strongly believe in, as success may come in many shapes and forms, sometimes even by luck and unexpected, while actually holding on to that number one spot represents a hard work done daily.
The same it happens with motivation. According to an article posted on medium.com, in the case of the New Year’s resolutions, for example — while 93% of people set them, only 8% of them actually find the inner-drive to follow through. Motivation is a better predictor of our career success than intelligence, ability or salary . Research shows that there are some proven ways you can become self-motivated, even when you expect less.
According to the American Psychological Association, people who set goals that are both specific and challenging, are 90% more likely to achieve what they’ve set their mind to. When we set goals that are broad and general our motivation is lessened since we don’t have realistic and measurable milestones to check off along the way.
At the same time,still, “being realistic with what you can achieve in a given amount of time is crucial to your success and for the morale and motivation levels of your team. While it is important to aim high, it is equally as important to encourage yourself and your team by hitting goals along the way. Each time we hit one of these goals a burst of dopamine is released — this allows us to train our brain to crave achievement and push towards the next item on our list,” wrote Elle Kaplan, CEO/Founder of @LexionCapital & CIO of LexION Alpha. Self Made Entrepreneur, Financial Expert & Dreamer, for medium.com.
Connecting to your values and really knowing the WHY that drives you and makes YOU who you are is an extremely important step in the process. And, sometimes, if necessary, even change your HOW. “You can instantly find your tasks more enjoyable by shifting from getting them done, to doing them right. I think of it as mastering your craft. Make it artful. Sometimes slower is better. Other times, the key is to make it a game and actually speed it up. You can set time limits and race against the clock. Changing your how can get you out of ruts and find new ways to escape the mundane,” wrote time.com.
Embrace your desire and create the space to make it happen and flourish. You won’t make any changes if you don’t create a small space for the change. As the specialists from zenhabits.net show us, don’t wait for the change to happen — make it happen. Block off some time on your calendar each day, even if it’s just 10 or 15 minutes. If you don’t have the time, think about how long you spend each day on Facebook, TV, games, or doing smaller tasks that aren’t as important. Push those back for just a bit, and do what’s most important to you first.
Once you are in the right place, physically and mentally, make sure you have around you the right people to guide you and support you in your journey. No one needs people that don’t believe in us and our path. The good energy created by you and the right people will help you in your quest. You have a long road ahead of you, but the right mindset is essential.
Last, but not least, as time.com points out “monitor the progress you’re making and celebrate it. Harvard’s Teresa Amabile‘s research found that nothing is more motivating than progress.”
