Sustaining motivation, my friends, is not an easy thing to do. It takes discipline applied consistently over the long term. However, I'll tell you; you will reach consistent levels of motivation with focus and some honest self-reflection.
Motivation has meant different things at different times. As humans emerged from the primordial soup, there was only survival. Motivation happened, or you died, and hence, natural selection created social groups that were naturally highly motivated. For millennia, survival was the predominant form of motivation. Once you become secure in your survival, the dynamics change.
As societies began to enjoy security after the industrial revolution, what was done to motivate individuals as societies demanded more, and better life enhancements through perpetually newer goods and services? Innovation and free markets created competitive dynamics whereby motivation was achieved through external rewards or punishment, otherwise known as the Carrot and the Stick approach. Once you have more than you need, and you can save for the future, this added level of security changes the dynamics once again.
In recent years motivation has been studied extensively. In his bestselling book "Drive," Daniel Pink illustrates that the Carrot and the Stick approach might even negatively affect motivation. It is through the application of internal rewards that workers today take their motivation to the next level. The best way to identify those internal rewards that will drive you into your true vocation is to answer the simple question of WHY? Identifying "WHY" is a challenging exercise that takes serious reflection. It takes constant self-evaluation over the long term.
I recently completed a project that was a vast stretch. The timeline was aggressive, and the skills and resources were not in place. I finished it because I knew the "WHY." The objective was to create an original piece of art as a gift to my daughter and future son in law for their wedding. I obsessed over it for four months, and in the end, it became the family heirloom I envisioned. Getting this done was inevitable and straightforward because I knew my "Why."
Creating and sustaining motivation takes discipline in knowing the "WHY" and by eliminating Social Secrecy. If you are trying to self-motivate in isolation, you are doomed to failure. Remove the secrecy and let people know. Do you want to eliminate a bad habit? Set a goal and let people know. Ask for support. Be accountable to the ones you love, and you will find the source of your motivation; in service to others.
