How to Motivate Yourself
As you know, you cause some things and you are the effect of other things. You could say that when you are causing things, you are CAUSE. When someone else causes an effect on you, you could say that you are EFFECT.
Thousands of people buy motivation tapes because they want the tapes to make them be EFFECT. They want the speaker on the tape to fire them up and get them going. They believe the tape gives them energy.
Other people believe drugs will motivate them. They want to swallow a pill and then be energized. They want to be EFFECT of the drug.
Employees who sit around waiting for the boss to motivate them are also EFFECT. Bosses hate the burden of having to motivate everyone. These lazy employees prefer to be EFFECT of the boss and wait for him or her to make them work.
The truth is, everyone can be the source of their own motivation! They can be at CAUSE.
"Motivation is in the future. It's 'What do I want?' 'What do we want?' That's cause. And if it's interesting, it sort of pulls us forward to it." -- L. Ron Hubbard
For example, you may have heard the story about three men who were building a stone church. When asked what they were doing, the first man said he was breaking stones, the second said he was making a living and the third said he was building a cathedral.
Which of the men do you think had the most motivation?
What is the in the future for your activities? What do you want in your future?
If you're not sure, you won't be motivated. If you're afraid you'll get something other than what you want, you won't be motivated. If you have little hope you'll make it, you won't be motivated.
If you doubt your ability to get what you want, you won't be motivated. If you have nothing you want in the future, you will not be motivated. If your future is not very interesting to you, you will not be motivated.
On the other hand, if you spell out exactly what you want, you are CAUSE. If it's interesting, you are motivated!
Of course, you need to have hope that you will make it as well as confidence that you can make it happen. But the first step is to decide what you want.
For example, Jill wakes up and thinks, "I'm going to run my own very successful company some day!" She jumps out of bed and races off to work. Chris wakes up and thinks, "I'm going to be late if I don't get out of bed." He can barely pull his covers off.
1. Stop expecting anything or anyone to motivate you. No longer think, "I'll really get excited after someone gives me a . . ." "I won't work hard until . . ." "My life will change for the better when someone else . . ."
Instead, take responsibility for being CAUSE and for motivating yourself. "I'm the one who will get me excited. I'll work hard to reach my goals. I'm changing my life for the better."
2. Write down everything you want in the future. What do you want today? This week? This year? This lifetime? Keep writing down what you want until you start to feel motivated.
3. Look for things you want that are also interesting to you.
For example, "Pay off my debts" may not be as interesting or as motivational as "Become a debt-free millionaire!"
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