Assess Your Urges
Since it reduces the moment challenges arise, motivation doesn’t last.
Humans are emotional creatures, and our limbic brain dictates our activities while we have forebrains.
Your activities have been driven by desires that live deep on your reptilian mind, comprising of the cerebellum and the brain stem. Its purpose centers on your body’s homeostasis and survival.
Its function is to preserve your survival and control motion, breathing, reproduction, and other survival requirements.
It is resistant to change and controls unconscious actions. Even if beginning a new habit, your efforts can be hijacked by the reptilian mind.
The thinking brain accounts for approximately 20 percent of your decision-making that explains behavioral change is often met with resistance.
Their instincts that means the reptilian mind is in control dwell on autopilot and dictate most people.
The issue occurs when you give into gratification rather than engaging the logical mind to analyze those urges.
Because it is a fleeting episode repeatedly enslaved by your desires, even despite your best intentions, motivation doesn’t last.
I liken it to getting someone to place their hands on your spine to keep you going. You’re likely to lose your motivation, Should they eliminate their hands.
It was the late American motivational speaker Jim Rohn who once said: “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you moving.” He understood that motivation is not enough to sustain your efforts.
I think Sound Habits + A Compelling WHY are two components that will help you achieve success and your targets.
The HOW, the WHAT, and the WHY
I’ve coached countless people over the past decade, and also the one component which comes up in coaching sessions is the subject of feelings.
People say that they do not feel motivated to act or commit to custom because they are responding to their brain and give in to their needs.
I like the writer and doctor Kyra Bobinet’s perspective in her book Well Designed Life: 10 Lessons In Brain Science & Design Thinking For A Mindful, wholesome, & Purposeful Life: “If people say things such as”I want to get motivated,” precisely what I think they are saying is”I want to feel stronger about doing this, and I am hoping that will get me to get it done .” They are saying motivation, but really, they are talking about emotion.”
So if motivation does not last, what does?
I’m glad you asked. What’s required is strong, WHY?
In accordance with motivational writer Simon Sinek, organizations and many people focus because of their main motivators on the HOW and WHAT.
In his Golden Circle principle, the HOW and WHAT inhabit the outer rings of the ring, while the center is filled by the WHY.
The WHAT is the use of the neocortex that is accountable for rational, analytical speech, and thought.
The brain governs the HOW, responsible for your feelings, loyalty, and trust. It does not have any capacity for speech and governs decision-making and human behavior.
The WHY is dominated by the mind and manages decision-making and instinct.
What this means is if you’ve got a WHY you are very likely to associate emotions to your actions, which leads to a better probability of succeeding.
Authors Jeff Brown and Mark Fenske explain in The Winner’s Brain: 8 Strategies Great Minds Use to Achieve Success The way to better manage your emotions rather than letting them dictate your own life: “The difference between a Winner’s Brain and an average mind is that cognitively make a point of directing their feelings in effective ways. They do not simply spew out emotions in an uncontrolled or thoughtless way; they’re highly sensitive to their emotional responses (even the negative ones) so that feelings can make positive contributions to long-term and current goals.”
I’m now working with a lady who’s a woman’s soccer referee to highlight an example. Jane (not her real name) was injured over 12 months ago when she wrapped her ankle on a dry part of a football pitch in a game.
Whilst her injury did not require surgery, she suffered a grade II tear in her ankle that required twelve weeks of rehabilitation into the ligaments.
In our first meeting, I asked Jane what she loved about being a soccer referee (WHY?). This was difficult for her to reply and that I needed to probe.
However, by the end of the session, she said her motivation to be a soccer referee stemmed from her childhood memories of going to football games with her dad. As she recounted the experience, she could recall the smell of the grass and experienced a flood of emotions.
I could see tears filling in her eyes, and I knew we’d found a strong reason to help regain her full health again.
The good news is that Jane is currently back refereeing due to one simple reason and has made a full recovery. She associated a WHY that motivated her to show up each week to do the work because she knew it was important to leave for inspiration.
Take The Emotional Journey Into Yourself
I’ve worked with the frequent theme, and several similar individuals throughout is helping them to find their WHY nicely before they act.
I’m not saying inspiration doesn’t exist, or there is not a location for this. According to my experience, a strong WHY trumps every time to motivation since motivation is like a fuse and burns.
I will also help my customers determine sound habits to encourage their goals and draw on their awareness of the shift cycle.
Motivation alone doesn’t guarantee results, nor can you rely upon it since it goes and comes.
Everyone is motivated at the beginning of the goal, a new habit or job, yet six months after the person is unmotivated. This is when unexpected challenges arise or when life gets in the way.
In her knee, that required scaling back her training program, inflammation was developed by her in Jane’s case, four months out from her exercise evaluation to be eligible as a referee.
Many people would give up Jane realized because her WHY meant more than the term setback of an injured knee to her, the goal was significant.
Happily, the harm was handled by her through an exercise program rather than giving up.
I love grit, resiliency, and a development mindset is paramount to achieving your goals.
Whilst I agree, if you do not own a persuasive WHY, it is unlikely that you will be successful based on these principles alone.
Ask yourself the following questions before undertaking a goal or project to get clear on your motivation:
Why is this goal/project important to me?
If I attain this goal/project, what does it mean?
Can I be fulfilled should I achieve this goal/project?
In connection to the first question, when you have answered it, continue asking WHY until you get to a point where you encounter tears or are moved by your answer.
Since you’re attempting to tap into the brain, this procedure must be a psychological journey into yourself.
Just you will discover the real reason you’re currently pursuing action or a goal.
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