We tend to think that whether we can achieve what we want depends largely on our abilities, but what is more important is whether we can stay motivated most of the time especially the critical moments because motivation can directly affect the steadiness of our performance.
So what’s stopping you from being motivated to achieve more? Is the difficulty of better achievements widening from the previous one? Or is there a brick wall too high to scale? To help you find a new and more consistent energy and how to stay motivated, you can learn to adopt these 8 things that successful people do to keep themselves motivated all the time.
1. They establish the big WHY
What if you came to work one day and your boss told you to do up a presentation slide by 3pm without giving you any reason to do so, would you feel a sense of purpose in achieving it?
But what if he told you that it’s a breakthrough presentation to a client that could send the company soaring for unprecedented sales. Would that change your perspective on the job?
It should be the same with your life. Instead of establishing to-do lists, establish the big WHY you have to do them and what’s the end goal.
2. They staying focused on the big picture
Most of us tend to lose focus on the big picture because things at work can get so repetitive and boring. Soon you’ll be passing comments with zombie references to your colleagues at the local bar. “Look at me, I’m starting to turn into a dead man walking”. You’ll start to question whether your goal is worth fighting for and guess what? 100% of the time, it’s worth it, once you’ve achieved it.
So keep your eye on the prize, all the time. Jim Carrey who once had to drop out of school to support his family at age 15 didn’t let that stop him from pursuing his ultimate goal and that is to become a well-known comedian.
3. They write their ideas down all the time
How to stay motivated to do more? Successful people do that by writing down their ideas all the time. Why? Because they understand that ideas don’t stay long in their heads and you will never know whether that one idea in your notebook could be the next revolutionary big thing.
Writing out your ideas and thoughts would also give you more clarity on the direction you’ve set yourself to take.
4. They have an extremely supportive partner
The last thing you would need to have your motivation going into a freefall plunge is an unsupportive partner. If you haven’t realised, many successful people out there always have praises for their partners for getting them where they are today.
If your partner is unsupportive on things you want to pursue, communicate to find out why he/she doesn’t like what you’re doing. The end goal is to let your partner know that you’ll put 100% effort into securing a brighter future for both of you.
There’s a famous story about Steve Jobs skipping a meeting which is unprecedented to go out with a lady who would then be his wife. Steve Job’s dedication to his wife is so admirable just because she supports him in every way during his ups and downs.
5. They Alternate between things that motivate them
I’m sure that during some point in our lives, we were motivated by some youtube video that inspired us to the bone. But watching that youtube video over and over again, it would start losing its impact gradually. Instead, try alternating between things that would motivate you, like a book, or talking to a mentor. Schedule your exposure to different motivational materials so that you’ll stay motivated at all times.
6. They read a lot
One of the most common way for successful people to keep their motivation up is to read whenever they can. Reading can fire up a motivation through countless ideas that are being communicated through books, some of which are newly found ideas and some that are a stronger reinforcement of ideas that you already know.
Bill Gates, one of the richest man on earth still manages to read a book every week because knowledge is key and it breeds new motivation.
7. They have loads of fun
If fun is not part of the plan, you would probably lose sight of your goals easier. Taking everything too seriously is a sure recipe for failure because if you simply do not enjoy doing what you do, how could you accomplish a tough goal?
Yes, you will come across daunting tasks every now and then, but surely it doesn’t hurt to put a little fun in it, does it? Adding humour and fun in your tasks can set your motivation at a high level every day.
8. They wake up really early
By waking early, you’ll be able to have ample time to plan out your day before starting work. And there’s also something about waking up early that drives super successful people to do what they do every day.
Richard Branson, the CEO of Virgin group, wakes up at 5.30am every morning to go for a run and have breakfast before going to work.
Featured photo credit: Sir Richard Branson via flic.kr
