One of the hardest things for me to do is to keep up my motivation. Don’t get me wrong, I usually try to finish what I started but it is keeping the fire going when there isn’t much to get excited about. In the beginning most of us are excited to start a new project, a new exercise regimen, a new diet, even a new relationship. It is easy to be motivated in the beginning because of the new experience and feelings of hope that what we started will turn out great. Like, I’ll have a new body in a year if I keep going to the gym or yoga class. But it is when we are in our third or fourth week that we begin to lose interest, energy, and the motivation to show up the next week.
I’ve taken many seminars and classes over my life time and this is what I have noticed. The first day the room or auditorium is filled and you can barely find a seat if you are late. The second day there are more open seats. And on the third day maybe half the attendees have shown up. By the end of the seminar or class there are only few who stuck it out to the end.
This is a typical situation that I see. Rarely have I gone to one these classes or events where everyone is committed to the end. Unless it is a requirement for certification or graduation or it was very costly to attend. What happened to their enthusiasm after the first day? Some might blame the people who put on the seminar or the teacher for not motivating them enough to show up. Some might say that they already know most of the information so it wasn’t necessary to go to all the classes. Some might say that they got busy or they were tired. They may have valid reasons and didn’t show up or finish because of those reasons. Still I and some others managed to make it all the way through.
Something that motivates me is waiting for that one gold nugget that may be dropped at any moment. The “aha” moment that I may miss if I don’t show up. Maybe the person isn’t the greatest speaker or the seminar wasn’t put on well but it is up to me to decide whether I show up or not. I always think that just showing up is the hardest part. For many people it takes a tremendous amount of energy and life force just to show up. Someone could be giving away a million dollars to anyone who shows up at a particular venue and time and there will be people who were invited that won’t show up. It is just too hard and takes too much energy to get themselves dressed and drive themselves to the destination at a certain time, even though they know they will receive a good reward.
How do you find what motivates you? For most of us it is clearing the obstacles in our souls that are most troubling to us. I find that as I release the things that are stopping me from pursuing my goals, I begin to find motivation to move towards my goal. Fear is one big thing that most people have that stops them from achieving something. You can’t wave a carrot at a rabbit and expect it to come out their hole when they smell a wolf nearby. Often trying to motivate ourselves through thoughts of rewards still is not enough to release us from the fear of the wolf waiting nearby to devour our hopes and dreams.
As you find and release some of your fears that are blocking you from trying to achieve your dream or goal, it gets easier to be motivated to reach them. You will find that there are fear or esteem issues buried deep within your soul that is holding you back or stopping you from reaching your New Year’s resolutions. So take courage and look inside and start removing some of those fears associated with your goals. Maybe its not feeling that you are not enough, or some one told you it isn’t right to think you are beautiful or smart or worthy of that promotion. Go after those fears that have been holding you back. I believe you will be unstoppable if you do.