How can motivation be characterized? The simplest explanation is that motivation is the desire to move towards one's goal. But is it really that simple?
Motivation can quickly end or factors can arise that change everything. Therefore, it is worth analyzing 5 typical motivational mistakes.
Statements
If you read the relevant literature and advice from experts, you will hear various statements. You can recall the banal phrase: "Every morning you need to start with the desire to change yourself and this world for the better." How long will such statements work?
You can also tell yourself every morning:
- I can do it.
- I will achieve everything.
- My possibilities are limitless.
- My goals are achievable and much more.
You can charge yourself with such phrases only in one case - there is faith in your own strength. But simply saying the words and waiting for the result makes no sense. If a person is confident in himself and he is really going towards his goal, he does not need any motivational speeches.
Visualization
Many people treat visualization with ridicule. However, even now you can find many examples of people continuing to draw plans for life and their dreams.
There are "experts" who advise taking a piece of Whatman paper and drawing all your desires on it. There are claims that if dreams are visualized, they will become achievable.
There are also many spiritual practices or personal growth trainings that help you visualize your own dreams. What is the point of all this?
If a person really wants and sets achievable goals, he will be able to achieve them. But you can draw a dream house or a car every day, but there will be no sense.
Willpower
It is difficult to argue that willpower is important in life. But is it the key? Willpower is always a temporary phenomenon. Sooner or later, new factors arise, circumstances change. You should not force yourself to act and constantly sacrifice to achieve your goal.
When a person shows willpower, many are proud of him. But what happens when patience runs out? What if what you want does not become reality? Willpower can ultimately be destructive.
The best solution is to find something pleasant in your endeavors. Any movement toward a goal can bring pleasure and increase motivation. It is important to use a full range of measures, then the desired can become a reality for each person without exception.
Reward
The reward, or rather the final result, can motivate and give a boost of strength and energy. But is it worth taking something like this seriously?
It's one thing if the reward is somewhere nearby and it's easy to achieve what you want. But how will the reward work if it can be received in a few months or years?
Such motivation can be effective only if the goal is somewhere nearby. In other cases, you should look for internal motivation in yourself. There is a simple option: write out the path to the goal in several stages and come up with a reward when one of the intermediate steps is completed.
Punishment
Self-flagellation is another way to find motivation. A simple example: a person refuses certain benefits until he completes a task. Self-flagellation is effective, but there are reasonable limits. It is one thing when such motivation allows you to perform simple actions.
If we talk about long-term motivation, then this option is not suitable at all. Sooner or later, fatigue and outright disappointment will arise. When choosing this method, it is worth thinking in advance how to live with certain prohibitions for a long time.
