Guest Post: How to Keep Yourself Motivated and Accomplish What You’ve Started to Do

Getting started with something you’d like to do is not the problem; staying motivated until it gets done is. There’s usually no problem finding enthusiasm at the outset, but once it starts to feel like work, then all that excitement quickly flies out the window.

 

What drives you?

You probably heard of some people who have succeeded despite extraordinary odds. People who were looked down upon because of race and educational attainment, even those who were physically and emotionally challenged, became highly successful in their chosen profession. On the other hand, there were those who were gifted with education and skill who have never risen to the next level. If I were to use one word to describe what sets these individuals apart, that word would have to be “motivation”.

Motivation is a combination of determination, commitment, and hard-as-rock persistence. Nearly every obstacle can be surmounted if one never takes no for an answer. Do you know what motivates you? It’s a funny thing that many people are clueless about what drives them. It’s a basic question, but a large majority of people are stumped when they start to ponder about it.

 

Motivational factors

Professionals in the field of psychology believe that the individual is driven by one of two factors.
One is the pursuit of happiness. This is what fires you up when you need money to pay off some bills, to take a vacation with your family, to buy a brand new car, or just to have some money in the bank. Chasing something that will make you happy can be quite motivating. The end goal doesn’t even have to be huge, just something that will give you great pleasure after what you’ve accomplished.

The other factor is the struggle with pain which is at the opposite end of the motivational spectrum. The frustration of not being able to get a new car or not being able to ride aboard the cruise ship to the Bahamas can get you all wired up motivationally. It doesn’t matter which factor fuels your motivation as both of them will work.

 

Reasons why people push themselves

Here’s a familiar example. People do not go to the gym right after a tiring and stressful day at work just to huff and puff at the rowing machine for the sheer fun of it. And dieters the world over don’t eat food in tiny portions just because they enjoy it.

So why do people push themselves?

One reason is the pursuit of happiness. People like to look their best, they like to feel good, they desire to maintain their trim figure or good looks, or they want to do well in what they do. You get the idea. These wants and desires keep them motivated. Other people may be struggling just as hard but fueled by other factors.

When people struggle with pain, they feel ashamed when they can’t fit into their swimsuit, guilty when they can’t join their family in sports, or stressed when they gain weight for not working out. Either motivational pain or happiness can work. People will use one or the other for specific reasons to get them to achieve their goal.

 

Moving forward with motivation

Look inside you and find out what drives you. Do you see it? Now, you need to move forward.
Do you feel that calm anxiety inside you building up as you start a new job project, a body building regimen, or a weight loss program?
Will your doubts and worries vanish if you’re able to accomplish your goals?
Will it give you immense satisfaction if you are able to pull it off?
Or will you allow these opportunities that can lead to potential success pass you by?

Take a hold of what motivates you and use it to accomplish anything you set your mind to.
Harness the force that drives you and no obstacle will keep you from reaching your goal.

 

And you, do you see what drives you?