For any of us who have ever attended a pep rally in school or heard a pumped up rah-rah speech, we know what it’s like to get the adrenaline rushing. For that moment in time, we feel like we could go out and conquer the world on sheer will power alone. To those who call that true motivation I say, “hold your horses”.
There is a difference between true motivation and hype. Let’s define the two.
What Motivates You?
True motivation comes from deep down inside. It’s that “Why” we so often hear talked about in our businesses. It’s that driving force that keeps us going when it seems like all the cards are stacked against us. It’s the reason we keep doing what we’re doing even when it appears nothing is working because our intuition “knows” it’s gonna work.
True motivation is internal, hype is external (and doesn’t last very long).
Think back to the pep rally. Everyone’s cheering, everyone’s excited, but once the source of the excitement is gone (the cheerleaders, the game), things go back to the way they were. Nothing has changed. Hype cannot take on a life of it’s own because it’s well…hype.
My advice to you is to ask yourself some hard questions.
Why am I doing what I’m doing (build your own business, starting a new fitness routine, whatever)? Is it because you truly want to? Did someone else tell you it was a good idea and you didn’t want to hurt their feelings or look foolish? Is this something you really want to do long term (even when no one else is looking)? Are you doing it for your reasons or someone elses?
There are times we’ll do something for another person before we’ll do it for ourselves, and that’s fine. Starting your own business so you’ll have the money for your kids college fund is an awesome goal. Working out three times a week to get healthy so you can play with the grandkids one day is fantastic, but the only one who can keep you motivated to stick with it day in and day out, is you.
Hype lasts for only a moment, true motivation carries you through and lasts a lifetime.
