Everybody "Wants," But How Many Really Have The Motivation To Get It?

Every action you take, no matter how big or how small, defines everything that you achieve in life. And, with every action there is a motive - something that puts a person in motion.

Is motivation an incentive, such as a monetary reward or a gift? For example, when you were younger your father or mother might have told you that, "For every "A" you get in school next semester, I'll give you a specified amount of money." I'll bet that it probably worked. You achieved a few "A's," took the cash and then achieved less than stellar grades the following semester when the incentive was not offered again.

Or is motivation a threat? For example, your doctor may have told you recently, "If you don't lose weight, exercise regularly and eat right, your cholesterol level will continue to be through the roof! So, for a few months, you do what the doctor says. You go back for a follow up. Your health is better. And to celebrate, you head off to the nearest fast-food restaurant for a greasy burger, greasier fries and sugary drink. Again, the effect is temporary.

Motivation is not about external incentives, rewards, inducements or threats. My definition of motivation is "an emotion or desire that operates on the "will to do" and causes it to take action." To be long lasting, motivation MUST come from inside you. Seneca said, "Most powerful is he that has himself in his own power." The "will to do" is the greatest power in the world tied to human accomplishment. And no one can predict its limits.

Where does the "will to do" come from? Unlike the products in so many advertisements, television infomercials and "spammy" e-mails, it does not come in a handy pill to instantaneously transform you from a "dud" to a "stud."

So how does one develop a high level of motivation that serves them day in and day out? In my Success System, The Power Of Concentration -" How To Take Control Of Your Life, I cover a number of success strategies to develop your "will to do." I'll briefly cover two of them here.

My Motivation Strategy #1: There Needs To Be A Desire To Change Within You

Every one of us possesses some level of "will to do." It is the inner energy which controls all conscious and subconscious acts. Your "will to do" directs your life forces, habits (both good and bad) and your condition in life. Your will has a connection with all avenues of knowledge, activities, and accomplishment. When you develop the power of concentration within you, you will have developed a higher level of self mastery and your "will to do."

The "will to do" is a force that is strictly practical. We know it is a force through its cause-and-effect nature. It is a power, like electricity, we can direct. To the extent we direct it, we determine our future. Every time you accomplish any definite act, consciously or subconsciously, you use the principle of the will. Through the "will to do" you can do anything. Therefore the way you use your will - both right and wrong - will make a huge difference in the outcome of your life focus.

You probably know of cases where people have shown tremendous strength under some traumatic experience: The frail person who lifts a heavy car to save the person trapped underneath. The fireman, who rushes into a burning building in order to save others, is another example. In both examples, they used their "will to do" to accomplish the task.

The "will to do" can accomplish great results through activities that grow out of great concentration. In developing the power of concentration, we acquire the power of voluntary attention to such an extent that we can direct it where we want to and hold it steadily to its task, until we accomplish our goals. When you learn to use your will power it becomes a mighty force. Almost everything can be accomplished through its proper use. It is greater than physical force because it can be used to control not only your physical actions, but also your mental health and mind power.

Here's My Motivation Strategy #2: Develop "Clearly-Defined Goals"

Many human-performance experts, including yours truly, believe the #1 reason why most people will never get what they want is they - roll of the drum, please! - really don't know what they want. A few years ago, a study by the Ford Foundation revealed that 90% of people have no idea or plans for getting what they want in life! Imagine how motivated you will be if you start every day with clearly-defined goals and the emotion and desire for achievement in all areas of your life.

For example, what if you took time to visualize your exciting and very specific career and financial objectives? Then, you created objectives for the personal and professional relationships in your life. And, when you were done, you took the time to write down these thoughts in a written action plan with on-going self improvement and self-development milestones. Can you see how this would give you more excitement and motivation everyday? Don't you agree that clarity about your direction in life is a powerful motivator?

Here are just a few examples of challenges that I have faced on my success quest. You may have encountered these as well. If you haven't yet, I guarantee you will. And, when you can control your thoughts and actions, you will overcome them.

Challenge Number One:

Ignore The "Naysayers." These are the people who always were there to criticize or create chaos to try to distract or detract me from my success quest. In all of our lives, we have what I call "Drama Queens" and "Melodramatic Men," who due to jealousy, hidden agendas or lack of purpose in their own lives will be there to try to knock you off course. This is when the habit of self discipline and self mastery will assist you in overcoming this challenge.

Challenge Number Two:

Be prepared for your success quest to take longer and be tougher than you ever imagined. Expect potholes, detours, and other obstacles. Expect that at times the going may get so rough that you may want to quit and start over - for example, if you are running a business, there may come a time financially when you must make that decision. These are the times that will challenge those who do not have the will to do and perseverance to stay the course. For situations such as these, I created what I call my "preposition approach" to achieving success - what I mean is with obstacles and challenges you can go "over," "around," "under" and "through" them. This type of thinking allows you to deal with any situation.

Challenge Number Three:

Always ensure that you ask for what you want. If you do not ask for what you want, then the answer will always be NO.