Over the post-holiday blues, but still don’t feel motivated? Perhaps motivation is over-rated!
Human beings are episodic producers, our motivation comes and goes. When we’re in the “flow” work is fun, exciting, and days/weeks disappear in a flash. Other times we must grit our teeth, roll up our sleeves, and sweat it out. We “just do it”, especially when we don’t feel like it! Entrepreneurship, leadership, and business are fun. Except for when they’re not.
As Zig Ziglar famously said:
- “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily”, and
- “Success occurs when opportunity meets preparation.”
Zig Ziglar was born #10 of 12 children. His father and younger sister died when he was just 5 years old. He was brought up by his mother who had a meagre income and many mouths to feed. As a teenager he joined the Navy, later he dropped out of college to become a salesman of pots and pans. He then went on to become a world renown motivational speaker.
“Positive thinking won’t let you do anything,” Ziglar said. “But it will help you do everything better than negative thinking will.” His constant message is that success requires full engagement and hard work.
So, how do we stay positive and productive, and help our team to do so also?
A clearly defined business plan, written goals, and measurement tracking can be helpful. Reviewing (and sharing) your goals and plan regularly creates accountability, a business plan and accountability partner can provide the discipline to achieve more than we thought we were capable of.
“The biggest generator of long-term results is learning to do things when you don’t feel like doing them. Discipline is more reliable than motivation. “
Brain Food – Farnam Street Blog