The How And The Why
Along with trying to understand more, I’ve also been thinking about what motivates me.
Motivation = the why of life.
We all know what motivation is. It’s what drives us to do more, it’s what makes us get out of bed in the morning, it’s the why to our how. But people so often lose sight of why they’re doing something, and not often enough are people’s motivations fuelled by passion. If we’re passionate about our motivation, we’ll be ten times more likely to seeing it through to the end, and push ourselves further to achieve our goals.
What do I mean when I say motivation is the why to our how? Well, it’s pretty simple. If we keep our motivation inline with our passions it becomes the why to everything we do. It powers the how. You’ll always find a way to get to where you want to be, if you’re constantly remembering why you’re doing it. Nothing can get in your way if every reason you do something, is to help you progress, meet your passion and is fuelled by your motivation.
Motivation ≠ Money.
People jump the gun and say that they’re motivated by money, but what does money mean to you? What do you want to achieve by having a well paid job? Well, the answer to that, is what motivates you. Is it that money can give you the chance to see the world, start a family, have amazing dinner? It could be anything, but it’s that, that end goal is your motivation.
So, now that you’ve thought about what motivates you, the why in your life, you need to start applying it to, well, everything. Why am I getting up at 10.00AM on a Saturday rather than 7.00AM? Does your lie in mean more to you than your why?
If so, then you’re on the right tracks. Your motivation isn’t motivating you enough to get out of bed, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But, if you’re setting goals and have things to accomplish, then you need to start getting that why into everything you’re doing.
Is taking this new job going to help me accomplish my why? Yes! Perfect, do it. No, then maybe you need to reconsider taking that job. Make your why the centre of everything you do. The how comes naturally after, if you’re always questioning the real motives behind your actions, you’ll be ticking the boxes. Your actions will meet your how. The how can be as simple as writing a blog or meeting a new person at a networking event. Don’t get caught up about how you’re going to make your dreams happen, just try and make your actions aligned to your why.
Have a life.
Don’t get me wrong, still take time to do the things you enjoy. Take time to see your friends and family, do what you need to do, have a life. But remember to keep motivated, remember your why. Make sure your why is fuelling your how.
I'd love to hear your thoughts? How do you use motivation?