Written by: Deborah Lynch, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
In regards to motivation, many gurus say things like: “Write down your goals and pin them somewhere you can see them every single day. That’s how to stay motivated!” I don’t disagree with such statements. In fact, I would like to add my own effortless approach to staying motivated, as outlined in this article. I say effortless, but stress that effortlessness is the end result. There is much to be done before you reach that point. I hope the following will help you to discover how this simple approach can make motivation an organic part of your life…
Begin with YOUR Identity Statement
We all know that major corporations have a Mission Statement or Vision Statement that managers and employees follow in order to comply with a company’s policy in all areas of its business, from working practices to behaviour in the workplace.
Likewise, you can produce your own Identity Statement — a personal document outlining your policies, aims, and ambitions. In other words, a document representing who you are.
So, before you start to look into the abundance of motivational advice that’s out in the marketplace, try producing your personal Identity Statement. Set out on paper who you are, or whom you want to be… and then allow that document to help you define that person!
Take Donna as an example:
Donna suffered from depression and anxiety for a long time. She consulted a psychologist for several years, receiving incredibly valuable and necessary treatment. However, she came to realise that psychology had not uncovered the root causes of her malady.
An awareness that seeing a psychologist was not enough prompted Donna to reassess her self-identity. That coincided with her growing love of literature, music, and religion: three topics may not appear particularly useful in an avaricious, money-grabbing society like ours. Yet, after spending much time consciously devouring novels, enjoying music, and practising zen philosophy, Donna produced a personal Identity Statement in which she confidently wrote: “I am an artistic, creative, and intelligent woman. When challenging situations arise, I’m calm as I maintain an unfaze-able stillness.”
Via her new interests, Donna became a changed woman — with a set of personal guidelines to refer to should the need arise. She now had a new, optimistic outlook on life, achieved chiefly by looking at her world from a fresh perspective.
Meet your alter ego
I suggest you create an alter ego to aid the writing of your personal Identity Statement, an alternative friend, to help process your thoughts as you reassess your values, beliefs, aims and ambitions.
Once completed — and it may well take several drafts before you are satisfied — keep a copy of your Identity Statement close to hand. Use it as a constant reminder of this is who I really am.
Having done that, everything else gradually falls into place quite naturally. It becomes a way of BE-ing
Now, a few tips to consider as you and your alter ego compose your statement:
Adopt a ‘BE-DO-HAVE’ mentality
Essentially a ‘BE-DO-HAVE’ mentality is a way of recognising three things you’ll need to know during the writing of your statement. Discover them by answering the following question:
“Who do I need to BE to do what I need to DO and get what I want to HAVE?”
Your answers will provide a framework within which you can think, behave and act. According to Australian psychologist Dr. Bailey Bosch, this is a proven method of boiling your requirements down to the nitty-gritty.
You can maintain this way of BE-ing, by checking that it constantly aligns with your key values and what’s important to you. This will help to keep you on course and propel you towards appropriate actions as you move towards the life you want.
The power of rules
Having completed your Identity Statement you can set several rules to help carry things forward. For example:
I will cut sugar from my diet
I will run 10K whenever I can
I will practice violin for an hour each day
Then try your best to stick to your new rules.
In summary: New identity —> new rules —> commitment —> results —> motivation
Note that commitment comes before motivation.
Be consistent in your commitment
“What you do every day, no matter how small, weighs more than what you do every once in a while. “
The keyword here is ‘consistently,’ which is the only way to maintain a commitment to your personal rules.
But can you ensure this commitment? Or does daily life get in the way?
Let’s say your new rules are:
I will eat fruit and vegetables every day
I will go to bed before 10 p.m. every night
This doesn’t mean you should beat yourself up if you forgot to eat an apple yesterday, or went to bed at 10:10 p.m. last night. All you need to do is get back on track as quickly as possible. That’s how commitment works in reality.
Turn motivation into action
Although your Identity Statement will aid your search for motivation, it will still require action if you are to achieve your aims and ambitions.
People who ask, “How do I stay motivated?” are probably asking the wrong question. A pertinent reply might be “Why do you want to stay motivated when motivation is a stepping stone to achievement?”
If you truly want your dreams to come true, don’t focus solely on searching for motivation. You’d be better to focus on being the new person that you want to be and allow life to unfold in front of you!
Beware the New Year’s Resolution trap
Pretty much all of us make New Year’s Resolutions on the first day of January every year. But come the end of that month, the majority of us find we can’t stick to those resolutions, nor achieve any goals we might have set ourselves while signing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and making a midnight toast. Consequently, we write the same Resolutions and set the same goals on the following New Year’s Day in a perpetually pointless annual ritual.
Do not let this happen to the new you. Instead, keep to the ‘rules’ dictated by your own Identity Statement and become consciously and consistently forward-thinking, all year round. You’ll find it’s quite effortless.
Deborah Lynch, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Deborah Lynch is THE global expert on embodying your personal presence (both online and offline) to achieve your dreams, influence hundreds of thousands of people, and achieve self-actualization.
Her mission is to help you build a thriving personal Presence that helps you succeed in business, in relationships, and in every area of your life easily – almost effortlessly!
She has built a successful speaking business, a successful coaching company, a successful Youtube channel, and a successful eCommerce store, and specializes in helping entrepreneurs succeed in today’s presence-driven online landscape.
Deborah’s Story
Deborah’s story is one of overcoming poverty to achieving triumph – and it is still evolving to this day! If she can do it, anyone can – including you!
At one point in her life, Deborah even found herself homeless, with nothing but a can of carrots to eat. At that point, she found a mentor who trained her on a specific set of skills and began her journey to success.
Deborah learned how to become a success both as an entrepreneur and in the corporate world, and eventually discovered the great power of Presence, which she used to become a professional speaker and present for over 150,000 people in 70 countries for 48 different luxury brands, including Dolce & Gabbana, Hugo Boss, and Gucci.
Upon reaching the height of her career, she realized she wanted something more. She wanted to use her Presence as a way to help others in every area of their lives – from personal to professional, and beyond.
That’s when Instant Wings was born, and along with it her Youtube channel Instant Wings1, where she now has over 51,000 views and over 5,000 hours of playtime (and counting!)
Today
Now, Deborah has turned her attention to helping you discover your presence. Because people with a powerful, magnetic Presence – and a message that turns their adversities into a superpower – can experience nearly overnight success in almost endeavour.
Your powerful personal presence can be used to transform your business, your relationships, your results, your health, and your happiness. Because all of these things depend on how you show up. And that’s exactly what Deborah is here to teach you.
Ready to master your Presence?
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