Everyday we take in information, much of it planned by others to manipulate us. We don’t get a choice about this unless we move into the woods and start living off the grid. When we spend time on the internet we are bombarded by ads, articles, videos, memes, and notifications all competing for our attention. We can spend the entire day mindlessly wandering if we want to. We can also lose the entire day wandering mindlessly if we aren’t careful.
Our brain has to take in and process everything we see or hear. Even when we think we are ignoring something, our brain has to process it before it can choose to ignore it. Ad companies spend billions to get us to process their message. They wouldn’t do this if it didn’t work. So why not use this truth to our advantage and CHOOSE better options to take in. I’m not suggesting a daily diet of boring classics and philosophy if that isn’t your thing, but just like eating more greens makes you healthier even if you occasionally eat cake, consuming nourishing information makes us mentally healthier.
I want to talk about what feeds our desire to complete our goals. We’ve all watched or read something that made us go, “I can do that!” We all know the feeling of conviction that we are capable. Sometimes it’s enough to kick off a whole new lifestyle, but more often than not, the feeling is fleeting and passes in a few minutes to a few hours. Sometimes, we let the fleeting nature of motivation convince us that it just isn’t worth it. But it is worth it!
We can choose to have that feeling in our life as often as we want. We just have to know how to find it and use it. This is the hard part, the part that takes experimentation and work, because what motivates you will likely be completely different from other people. The good news is you’ve probably already started this process. Maybe you have a playlist for working out. Maybe you know a song that lifts your mood every time you hear it. Maybe there’s a podcast or author that gets you fired up about something. Start there.
Make the thing you already know works into part of a regular habit. If you are trying to lose weight and certain music always gets you moving, play it any chance you get. One of my embarrassing, guilty pleasure motivators is the A&E show, Hoarders. If I know I really need to clean, or it’s time to purge again but I can’t seem to get moving, I put that on and I’ll work for as long as the show lasts. There are plenty of people who can’t stand the show and take issue with it. I hear you, but it gets me moving so I use it. That’s the point. Use what works.
There are so many podcasts and video influencers out there today that you can use. I used to listen to Zig Ziglar CDs in the car. If you don’t know who he was, it’s worth listening to some of his stuff on Youtube as he was an amazing motivational speaker, big in the 1980s and 90s. I was introduced to him by a professor in college. I had to buy the CDs after. Listening to him on a drive was a great way to improve my mood and focus.
If you don’t already have something that gets you pumped, try googling “Motivational Speaker” or “Motivational Music” or tv, or podcast, or whatever form you prefer to consume information in. Then test the different people and groups out. You’ll find something you like. Go into the TED Talks website and search for what you want to learn. Someone has probably put something out about it.
Be flexible. What motivates you for one task may not motivate you for other things. I can’t watch Hoarders and hope to convince myself to sit down and write one of these articles. I’ll be honest, I’m still looking for a consistent motivator for writing, but I wrote this article after watching a Youtube video about a woman with 7 forms of income and realizing that I need to get back to my writing. Test things out. The biggest thing is paying attention to how your motivator “thing” makes you feel. What is the impulse it creates? Then use that emotion and energy to do something.
Even similar tasks can need different motivators. For a mild workout or slow jog, I can use an audiobook, but for pushing myself, I need music. Even further, since the length of my stride depends on the beat, I have to select my songs carefully for rhythm and feel. Then for muscle training, I need something harder, grittier, like rock, alternative, or some rap to really push.
For life-long motivation, read (or at least audiobook). Read histories of people who have been through things you can’t even imagine. Knowing what we are capable of as humans grounds us. It reminds us that we can do what we need to. Read about WWII POWs. Read about natural disaster survivors, soldiers, great leaders and the memoirs from historical figures. Walk in another’s shoes for a few hours and bask in the glory of what you too are capable of with the right motivation.
It takes time, but you can find what works for you. This isn’t a magic bullet. It won’t solve all of your problems, but if you can get 5% more done in a week because of the right motivation, what will that add up to in a year? If you worked out just a little more each week? If you wrote, cleaned, cooked, built, grew your business, improved your relationships, studied, just a little bit more each day, each week, how different would your life look in a year, or in 5 years?
I hope you will invest the time to find what works for you. I wish for you more of that “I did it” feeling. Share below what works for you and in what situations. Maybe you’ll help someone else on their journey. Share where you are struggling and maybe someone will have an idea for you.
I wish you all the best.
“People say motivation doesn’t last, well neither does bathing, that is why we recommend both daily.” – Zig Ziglar
