No 2 of the Series: Success Factors:

Strong lives are motivated by dynamic purposes. Kenneth Hildebrand

We have talked about purpose already on this blog and of course there is so much more to explore about purpose, but today we are going to look at motivation.

Motivation is defined as “The psychological feature that arouses one to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior”.

When we start out on a new project, whether it be a new business, a new venture within our business or any other new activity, we are usually full of enthusiasm.

But everything in life that is worthwhile has a cost. There will be some hard work and some ups and downs. If we are not alert, when things get tough we can start to lose our motivation.

There are some things that we can do to make sure our motivation level stays high.


1. We need to stay fresh.
If your business is on the internet, you are very likely spending many hours sitting at the computer. It is very easy to get so engrossed in our work that we can forget to even eat (someone mentioned that on Twitter the other day). I know I have done that.

The problem is if we do that too often, it is not long before we are feeling tired and discouraged. It is very possible to feel “down” with a lack of motivation simply because we are tired. The condition of the body does affect the emotions

Here are some tips to keep your body from complaining throughout the day:

• Divide your worktime into segments (perhaps 2-3 hours at most, less is fine, depending on your attention span).
• Get up and walk around, grab a glass of water or juice (notice I did not say coffee)
• Read a book chapter or play with the kids or the dog.
• Take a short walk outside.
• Refocus the eyes on long distance (this is important for the eyes).

This all helps to keep the body fresh.

Checklist:
Do I realize how much a tired body can affect my motivation?
Am I looking after my body, and doing all I can to keep it healthy and fit with good diet and exercise?


2. We need to keep the mind fresh.
After spending hours fighting with a technical problem, or struggling to finish an article that refuses to flow, our minds can get very tired. When this happens to you:

• Take some time off to listen to some relaxing music.
• Take a hot shower (or if you have a spa use that).
• Go out to the gymn if you belong to one.
• Go out for a walk or bicycle ride (or skateboard will work too).
• In other words, do something physical for an hour or so.

Checklist:
Am I looking after my mind?
Do I make sure I give my mind a chance to stay fresh and alert, or do I push myself too much?


3. We need to keep the vision fresh

• During at least one of your daily “breaks” spend a few moments thinking about your goals and visualizing what you will do when you achieve them.
• Listen to a motivational mp3, podcast or CD.(It is good to do this at least once a day).
• Read a chapter of a motivational book (such as Jack Canfield’s “Sucess Priniciples, How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want To Be”)

Checklist:
Is the vision still fresh in my mind as it was the day I set out on this project?
What did I do today to make sure the vision stays fresh in my mind?

Keep the vision in front of you, your motivation strong and go for it!

You Too Can Be A Champion!

The is no doubt that these 58 successful entrepreneurs all had a very strong motivation to succeed. Read their stories.

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