Category: Motivation

5 Key Paths of Motivation

My friend and business partner, John Maxwell, once told me, “If you want motivated employees, hire motivated people.” His point? I can’t motivate people, I can only inspire them. Motivation originates and is nourished from within.

So I decided to spend some time thinking about how we become motivated. Is it something we can create through intentional action, or is it an emotional response?

Some believe that you can become motivated by being inspired. But I don’t believe that inspiration alone will create much motivation. To be significantly motivated, we need to link inspiration with one of the following motivation paths.

1. Desperation – We are filled with motivation when we are faced with desperation. We have no other choice. We are frantic for something to change. Our fears increase to a level that requires action.

2. Clear Desire – Clarity of purpose will provide us with motivation. If we are able to see the future we want to create in exact detail,  we will be motivated to achieve. When our purpose or vision is fuzzy, or only a dream, our motivation is also subdued.

3. Momentum – We are motivated by winning. Small wins lead to bigger wins. If we begin to achieve success, we are motivated to attain more.

4. Breakthrough – A significant discovery or advancement can fuel our motivation. If we suddenly see new opportunities, we become energized to continue. We want to discover the next breakthrough.

5. Methodical Persistence – Some of us are driven towards a goal, step by step, steadily. We never consider giving up. We never consider failure as an option. We are driven by the process of improvement. This feels different than desire or breakthrough because it is less emotionally charged. We are attached to the practice and less towards the outcome.

There are times when I have felt a lack of motivation, but now I have the ability to develop it intentionally. I can select a source of inspiration. I can decide which motivational path will be most effective. (I hope I can always act before I get to the desperation stage!) Then I can allow my motivation to grow through the actions associated with that path.

Motivation truly does come from within. So where do you need more motivation to increase your success?

The Top 3 Reasons People Invest in Themselves

I have often wondered why some people are continuously investing in themselves, and others invest nothing. There are three main reasons I have discovered that lead to a person being comfortable investing in themselves. They are:

1) Humility – They have an attitude of humility. They never believe they know it all. They are willing to listen and be open to new information.

2) Expectations – They have an expectation of a positive result. They have experienced the link between learning and success, and they are wanting to achieve a goal that requires learning something new.

3) Enjoyment – Some people are good learners. They have practiced a lifetime of learning. They are very successful learners. Some of their positive self esteem is based on their ability to learn.

There are other reasons also, but they don’t seem to have the longevity factor that these three have. Some people invest in themselves based on trying to achieve other people’s expectations. Seldom is that situation highly effective.

Are you a learner? What drives you to invest the time, energy, and money required to learn more?

A Lesson from Abe Lincoln

lincoln3I was part of a group of John Maxwell Team members that had the opportunity to watch and study leadership lessons from the movie, Lincoln, starring Daniel Day Lewis. John played the movie, but stopped after nearly every scene to teach leadership lessons that were brilliantly displayed.

In this article I am going to demonstrate three of many lessons we can learn from Lincoln.

Lincoln surrounded himself with great leaders. His cabinet was filled with strong powerful characters. A weak, insecure leader will surround themselves with weak people. Lincoln was an even greater leader because he was secure in surrounding himself with with these strong people. A great leader is willing to have the best people around them even if sometimes those people are hard to lead. Lincoln was challenged by his cabinet every step along the way. It made him better.

Lincoln used the influence of others to lead. He needed help from Preston Blair, the opposition, to succeed. Strong leaders are humble and ask for help. They don’t ask for agreement. A great leader will always need to use the influence of others. You will never get to a point that you don’t need it. A strong leader learns how to build consensus without compromising their goal or values.

Lincoln heard over and over that passing the 13th amendment was impossible. A great leader is optimistic despite adversity. Leaders must be dealers in hope. Hope that is backed by strategy and a will to win. When you become a leader you cannot be controlled by other people’s emotions. You do not give up compassion, but you must be committed to your vision.

There are countless lessons in the life of Lincoln, and they are captured beautifully in this movie. It is a movie that should be watched more than once. After you enjoy the picture, you can watch it a second time to focus your attention on the leadership principles. All of the main characters were great leaders, but Lincoln was the greatest among them. I hope you get chance to enjoy this movie several times.

If you want to learn more about leadership, join our free lunch and learn session. You can register at this site: http://newroadsleadership.com/lunchandlearn.

 

When Was the Last Time You Added Value to Yourself?

day_inspirationWe add value to others when we make ourselves more valuable to others. This is one point from John Maxwell’s Law of Addition from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.

We can’t give what we don’t possess. So the idea of adding value to others requires that we continue to add value to ourselves.

On August 12, 2013, Angelica and I were in the John Maxwell Team event in Orlando, Florida. This particular day was named, “A Day of Leadership and Inspiration”. We had the great fortune to listen to three of the most sought after speakers in the world, John Maxwell, Nick Vujicic, and Les Brown.

In this post, I will capture their key messages that provided value to us. Every minute was filled with stories and lessons that expanded our knowledge and skills.

John Maxwell

John shared his thoughts on Practices for living a better life.us_john

  1. Do for others what they cannot do for themselves.
  2. Practice the 30 second rule. In the first 30 seconds, say something kind to whoever you see.
  3. Help people win. Make it your goal in life to make people around you better.

Nick Vujicic

Nick shared his thoughts on Living life without limits.nick_v

  1. I don’t know what I can achieve until I try.
  2. When you fail, try again.
  3. Failure = education.
  4. Obstacles = opportunity.
  5. Dream big.
  6. Never give up.
  7. Be thankful for today!

Les Brown

Les shared his thoughts on adding value toles_b others. There is a place you can take people within themselves that they could not go without you.

  1. Invest in yourself (you get in life what you are).
  2. Don’t stop investing.
  3. Stay the course.
  4. Live full; die empty.

Added Value

These three lessons were only part of one us_nickday of a four day conference. Each of these lessons have added value to me, and will help me add value to you. Knowing the Laws of Leadership are not enough. We must also live the Laws of Leadership.

Add Value to Yourself

Have you set aside time for adding value to yourself? Only you limit yourself, and only you can invest in yourself. You can invest less than sixty minutes and join us for an upcoming Lunch and Learn to add value to yourself, so you can add value to others. There are sessions available in Carmel, IN, and also by teleconference (English and Espanol). Register here: http://newroadsleadership.com/lunchandlearn.php