Maurine Patten
What You Need Before You Are Motivated
It is wonderful to feel motivated. It makes the task at
hand, whatever it is, easier to accomplish. Your energy
level increases, and you feel enthusiastic about what you
are doing. There is a sense of excitement about what you
are doing which makes it easier for you to focus on the
task.
In contrast, you probably have had times of feeling
unmotivated. Maybe it had to do with going to work,
completing a class, meeting someone for lunch or doing the
dishes. Sometimes it is a fleeting feeling; other times,
it might last for days or weeks.
While different people are motivated by a variety of
things, there are three decisions you can make that will
help you be fully motivated. Decide to:
1. Be self-disciplined. When you are self-disciplined, you
build self-respect. This self-respect, in turn, builds
trust in your own ability. When you trust yourself, you
are more confident and less anxious about what you are
doing. When you are calmer, it is easier to focus on a
task. If things get difficult as you move forward, you
will have the patience to persevere.
2. Eliminate any limiting beliefs about yourself or the
goal. Motivation comes from thoughts. You can only pursue
what you think you deserve. Negative, self-doubting or
undeserving thoughts are limiting and drain your energy.
They must be removed because they can become a
self-fulfilling prophecy.
3. Focus on the long-term result or outcome you want. For
instance, when you are thinking about what you want, asking
yourself, "How do I get what I want?" is not helpful. This
is a question about the process or the action steps
required to get what you want. This question inevitably
slows you down. Instead, if you ask, "What outcome or
result do I want?" you will clarify what you need to do.
Focusing on the result you want helps you to break your
goal down into manageable steps.
If you find it difficult to make one or more of the above
decisions, the following options are small, beginning steps
you can take to move you in the right direction:
• Choose behaviors that match your words.
• Learn to say "no" to yourself when necessary.
• Visualize attaining the results or outcome you want in
color (not the steps it took to get there); notice how you
feel, look and sound.
• Decide to overcome the discomfort of short-term
frustration or pain by focusing on the long-term results
you want.
• Believe in your ability to learn and change.
As you think about specific areas of your life in which you
want to feel more motivated, which decisions are easy for
you to make and which are more of a challenge? Remember, a
challenge is an opportunity for you to become the person
you want to be. My hope is that you will be motivated to
do the things that are most important to you.
About the Author:
Maurine Patten, Ed.D., CMC, Maximize Your Possibilities
http://www.PattenCo aching.com
Mailto:mdpcoach@patencoach ing.com
More free information, EI and pre-retirement assessment,
and ezine subscription at http://www.PattenCo aching.com
