What is Behind Your Motivation?

I have to admit that I’ve been lagging behind on the posting lately. I must say that it is partly due to writer’s block, but also due a few site changes that I’ve been planning as well. Excuses aside, I need to work on writing ahead instead of writing on the fly.  It has worked for a while, but now it has caught up to me. Of course, this has opened the door to my post for the day. Motivation. So what is behind motivation and what can we do to make sure we stay focused on our goals?

Don’t you get that euphoric feeling when you first establish your goals and week after week, you feel you can conquer the world? It’s a great feeling to have, but as most things in this world, you will experience failures and setbacks. The great ones will fight through it, while others may set their sights lower succumbing to the failure. But, aha! We need to realize that it really isn’t a failure at all, but just the cyclic ups and downs that may only mask itself as the shortcoming.  Gee, I sound like psychologist.

The overall point here is that we need to realize our current position in life and the reality of the situation. How we handle ourselves during life’s obstacles is really critical if we are able to move forward to reach our goals.  If we understand the psychology of motivation and push through it, we can really accomplish anything.  Are you with me so far?

It is very common that we feel a rush of motivation when you start something new. It really wasn’t difficult at all to start writing finance items regarding my experiences and offering advice that can help others.  I have a new found respect for those that do it on a daily basis and it is no wonder so many personal finance blogs fail in a short while. I felt that the possibilities were endless when I started.  Although I knew I would encounter difficult periods, but I never really thought that it would happen as soon as it did. Same goes for anything you start new, like projects around the house or even a simple budget.

Like gravity, the reality of what comes up must come down was in full effect. Were things harder than you imagined? Is the appeal starting to wear off? Have the results changed your view on your goals? What happens next is the most critical step to determine if your goals will eventually be met or you will give up and fail. Don’t give into your emotions of taking the easy way out and give up. You need to analyze what exactly could be the reasons why you are encountering the setback and attack it head on. (No, don’t apply directly to your forehead).  Be confident in your decisions and don’t ever doubt yourself.  Once the word can’t enters your mind, you start to make excuses that you are not able to do something – the self-fulfilling prophecy at it’s finest.

When you start to feel that motivation is lacking, that is when you have to pick  up your britches and move forward and work that much harder. Problem solve. Make a list if you need to and and challenge yourself to overcome the obstacles in your way of getting to your goals. Even consult with others if you have to, you don’t have to do it alone. This can be for anything in life.

Get those motivational juices flowing again and when you break through that wall of setbacks, you can indeed accomplish anything you put your mind to. There really shouldn’t be any excuses.  Don’t ever give up!

Are you pumped up now?

Stupidly Yours,

Matt