Thursday, May 28, 2009

Been thinking about - Motivation!

Throughout my life, one common theme I've heard from my mentors is "You cannot motivate other people. You must first motivate yourself." Guess what. Its true. I have been in sales and a business owner for most of my life in one way or another. If you think about it, no matter where you are in life you are "selling" something to somebody. "But Patrick, what does that have to do with motivation" you say? Bare with me for a moment. Practically everyday we are "selling," whether it be your child to join t-ball or to ride a roller coaster, or your son to continue working on his quest to become Eagle Scout, or pushing an associate to do more. You might say, "See that's motivation?" Hold on, not quite. That's encouragement. True motivation comes from within. We can set the example and create a positive environment for which people can grow, however the motivation must come from ones self. I have heard countless stories of men and women "boot strapping" their way to success. So how is it that one comes out of a poor environment and moves on to have a successful life? Why is it that one who seemingly has the "right" environment in which to be a huge success, then accomplishes nothing? I think true motivation comes from thinking and dreaming about what you want in life, making a plan (aka goal-setting) and then taking action every day toward those goals. Once you start moving toward your goal, then and only then will you find true motivation.

And that's what I've "Been Thinking About."

For a quick and easy way to set goals click on http://www.thesuccessprinciples.com/resources_index.php