How to motivate yourself?

posted on 4 October 2012 | posted in wellness info

How to GET MOTIVATED?

Is there something that you wish to change in your life? It requires some confidence to do that.

Here is the formula that tells you how much the change means to you!

A change can be something that is either necessary or just a luxury. In such a situation, making a decision on whether at all the change is required is pretty difficult. This formula comes as a boon to you at this forked road. It will help you understand the forces at play in making a decision.

The Change Formula

This is a simple equation that you can apply whenever you are faced with the responsibility of taking a decision as to whether something should be done or not.

This is how it goes…

D x V x P > C

DISSATISFACTION WITH STATUS QUO

First of all, you must be really discontent with the way things are at present.

VISION

You should have a clear vision of the situation that you look forward to attaining through the change. You should also be clear as to why you want it.

PRACTICAL STEPS

You should be aware of the steps involved to implement the change. An action plan detailing the things you need to do has to be drawn up.

D x V x P is the formula of your desire for change.

COST OF CHANGING

What will you have to let go in order to make way for the change? How much will the change cost you? Will it affect your beliefs and ideologies?

The underlying rule is that you will proceed with the change only if your desire to change is greater than the costs of the change.

Consider the following story:

A lady once happened to visit a store where she used to buy sweets as a child. She was a lovely person and quite attractive too though she was a bit on the plump side.

As her name cannot be revealed because of confidentiality issues, let‟s call her Nancy.

Nancy noticed that the storeowner was the same fellow from whom she used to buy sweets some 20 years ago.

She approached the person and said, "You don‟t remember me do, you Mr. Brown? It‟s Nancy. I used to come her 20 years ago."

"Nancy? I remember you." he replied "What on earth has happened to you? Haven‟t you let yourself go?"

You could imagine what it must have felt like for Nancy as she left the shop.

A cruel comment like that would fuel a desire to reduce weight in anyone. And so it did in Nancy. She had a clear vision of what she would look like if she lost some weight. She was also aware of the steps that she would have to take, like diet and exercise plans, if she would opt to change.

Nancy decided not to change.

SHE HAD NO MOTIVATION TO CHANGE.

She saw as per the formula above, that the cost of changing would be greater than the desire to change.

She relished food, enjoyed socializing and going out. The last thing she wanted to do after a hard day‟s work was work out in a gym and eat a lettuce leaf for dinner. She would at any time opt for relaxing at home with a bottle of chardonnay.

People seem to be pressurized to remain thin these days.

Had Nancy gone ahead with her diet and exercise plans, she could have become thin. Nevertheless, would she be happy?

Probably not!

As Anthony Robbins says – Achievement without Fulfilment is Failure

For Nancy, the costs of changing far outweighed the returns she would get.

Numerous people fret over their figure and take up diets as an attempt to reduce their weight. However, the same people break their diets or give up on their exercise regime as they find it too difficult to take. This happens as they haven‟t carefully considered the sacrifices they will have to make in order to succeed in attaining their goal.

Instead, they start, make some progress and then decide to give up.

People don‟t mind making short term sacrifices. They tend to give up once they find that the sacrifice has to be extended in order to succeed.

They should identify potential problems before going ahead with change. This can be done using tools such as the Change formula or by listing the pros and cons of change.

That way, they would be walking in to change fully prepared to face the concealed problems and challenges. In nine out of ten cases, giving up half-way through an effort to

change results in yet another blow to one‟s self-esteem.

Comments like "I have no will-power" probably means that you enjoy doing something else more than what you are actually doing- and there is nothing wrong with that.

Thus whenever you arrive at a point where you have to make a decision on whether change is required or not, think of the formula. Work it out by yourself and make a strict decision with the confidence and conviction that you are doing the right thing.

Now is the time to look back at the instances you had jotted down earlier, where you felt a lack of motivation. Here apply the Change formula and see what dynamics are at play.

SHOULD I CHANGE?

Remember

D x V x P > C

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