Do you lack motivation? Are you trying to figure out where you can get it from? Learn the 7 powerful ways you will get motivated and stay motivated.
I read so many self-development books and watched so many videos.
I was desperate to be motivated by something that can push me towards my success and goals in my life.
I wrote down my goals, I thought about the future I could have, I thought about all the things I could possibly have and it was inspiring. But unfortunately, I wasn’t motivated.
Where does motivation come from? Ask yourself, what drives you? Think about all the goals that you have accomplished in your life and ask yourself what drove you to reach it?
Back in 2017, when I was in the life insurance industry. I remember there was a piece of paper that said “The 7 Motivators” and it listed 7 things (with no description) that drives people to do what they do.
The list said:
1. Money
2. Fear
3. Recognition
4. Mastery
5. Power
6. Contribution
7. Achievement
At first, I didn’t think of it much and thought, “Hmm. Good to know” but didn’t do anything about it. A few months went by and I started thinking back to that list. It was posted in one of my colleagues’ cubicles. I started asking myself what exactly motivates me? It is possible to be driven by more than one, but at that time, I was mostly driven by recognition. I have the, “Hey! Look what I can do!” personality.
Honestly, I still kind of have that now, but it has definitely evolved through the years. Now, I am committed to mastery. My growth has put me in a position to be inspired and motivated by where I truly want to be and not let others distract me from my goals.
So let’s go over the list.
Money. When you look at your vision and goals, do dollar signs pop up everywhere? Are you motivated by expensive things? By you making so much money that you are drowning in them? Well, then you are definitely driven by money. You will do whatever it takes to get cash in your hands more than anything else.
Fear. Are you afraid of what will happen in your life if you don’t achieve success? Most people who are driven by fear typically live very stressful lives. They are always doing the bare minimum. You are running away from something more than running towards something. This isn’t a bad thing. This just means that you don’t really have anything that you want to strive for. That’s ok. But if you want to get more than you have and give back to others around you, fear can only bring you so far.
Recognition. Money may not drive you, but being recognized by your peers plays an important role in your life. You feel good and you feel like you are on top of the world when you have the attention of the crowd. But it shatters your ego if you don’t get recognized and it may make you feel worthless.
Mastery. It doesn’t matter where you are in life, but you want to excel in all areas. Whether or not you are good at what you do, you commit to doing your best and give 100% to the task at hand.
Power. You are power-hungry. As long as you are in control of your environment, you will reach your goals. If you are not in power, that is where a lot of anxiety creeps in. You need a sense of control to be successful.
Contribution. You love to give back. Your success is not for you, it is for the people around you. Contributing to other things is where you feel your self-worth.
Achievement. This is not something that you necessarily need to get recognized for. This is usually for yourself. You want to achieve something so you can prove to yourself that you can do it.
Personally, I am striving for mastery. All of these motivate me to some extent. Like most people, I have a fear of feeling stuck in life. I also want to give back to the community more and more the more I grow.
What are you motivated by?
