Motivation is an elusive beast. Sometimes we are all fired up and can't wait to get stuff done. We have real fire in our bellies. Nothing will stop us from achieving our goals.
Then five minutes later it's disappeared and we are struggling to get up off the sofa to go to the loo! (maybe that is just me :) )
So why is that?
Well the official definition of motivation is:
"a reason or reasons for acting or behaving in a particular way" (Oxford English Dictionary)
And this gives us a clue - "a reason or reasons".
Our unconscious brain is constantly filtering information from our environment to make it not only manageable but also relevant. If you have ever seen the film Lucy with Scarlett Johansson you will have a good idea what happens when the brain is able to take in every single shred of information. For a while it is amazing and you can do anything but eventually it becomes too much and you simply break down.
Our unconscious mind feeds our conscious with the information is deems necessary for our survival. After all that is our mind's primary objective.
It goes through a rapid filtering process based on 8 criteria:
Our VAK (visual, auditory, kinesethic) preference
Language
Memories
Time/space coding
Values and Beliefs
Decisions
Meta Programmes
Attitudes
This refines the message for our conscious brain to understand.
So how does this impact motivation?
You know you absolutely have to write that presentation. Your unconscious brain however might associate writing the presentation with pain, resentment, not being urgent enough and so it filters other information to your conscious mind which divert you to do other things in order to stop you being hurt.
Therefore one of the key steps in improving your motivation is to create a SMART goal for the task which you need to complete. This will allow you to resolve any of those negative associations and your unconscious mind with therefore see that writing the presentation is a positive and so will work with you to ensure all your filters are tuned to getting that done.
We will look at the specifics of SMART goal setting in another post as I want to share with you a simple, 30 second exercise which will help you to bypass those filters and associate your goal with a positive outcome.
So let's start ....
Think of something you're really motivated to do, you really want to do this and it doesn't matter what it is. Do you have a picture of it in your mind? Do you have a feeling? How does that picture look. Is it black and white or in colour? Are you in it or watching it? Is it near or far away?
Clear that picture.
Now think of something you are putting off. Something that you have no motivation to start. Form a picture in your mind. What does it look like? Is it near or far? Are in looking in or are you in the picture? Is it in colour or black and white? Are there any sounds?
Clear that picture.
Now we are going to reconfigure your non motivated picture to a motivated one.
Did you notice any differences?
Bring back the picture of being not motivated. How start charging it. If it was near, move it further away. If it was black and white make it colour. If you're watching it, step into the picture.
You should now be feeling much more motivated to do whatever you were putting off. I'd love to know how you get on and what you achieved though so drop me a comment below.
And as always like, comment and share to help me help more people :)