How to Stay Motivated - Part 1

How to Stay Motivated - Part 1
by Dr. Zonnya First Lady of Motivation

As a "Motivation Trainer" for over 20 years, I have researched the subject of "Motivation." It is talked about a lot, but not very much is taught or written about it. It seems to be a word that eludes us. I often here people say: "Can you motivate me?" or "I need motivating." or "I've lost my motivation."

Part of the challenge in understanding the concept of "Motivation" is to understand what it means. We seem to have a distorted definition of what it is. Since we know that words have positive or negative energy connected to them, it is important that we know what words we are saying and what those words mean.

Let's start our journey into understanding "Motivation" with a workable definition.

Motivation is:

1. Making a Choice
2. To Take Action
3. For a Result
4. Whether You Feel Like It or Not.


"Motivation" is about what you choose, not how you feel. The first myth about "Motivation" is that it somehow has something to do with how you feel. So if you feel like exercising, you are motivated, and if you don't feel like exercising, you aren't. If you feel like working your network marketing business, then you are motivated; if not, you just aren't motivated. If you feel, like going to church, you are motivated; if you don't feel like it.... And as you can imagine, there are hundreds of scenarios that we could mention.

Once we accept a "new definition" of "Motivation," we can move forward to using it as a tool in our lives to help us achieve results.

Starting with 1. Making a Choice.

Everything is a choice. Choice equals results. Good choices = Good results. Bad choices = Bad results. From the time you are born, until the time you die, you will literally make hundreds and hundreds of choices. Every choice has a result. The caveat is that you may make a choice today, but not get the result today. Results are still coming even if delayed. To stay motivated, we start with what choices will we make for specific results in our lives in every area: Physical, mental, spiritual, social, financial, family.

2. To Take Action

Once we make a choice for a result, the mind automatically goes into the mode of: "What action do I need to make in order to achieve the result?" This is how we develop our action plan for choosing and accomplishing results in our lives. If you don't know what action to take to achieve your result, you mind will go into the mode: "Where do I go to learn what to do to accomplish this result?"

Your mind is a powerful friend or foe. With all the many years of studying the mind, we still know so little about it. It was created to help you. Unfortunately with some of our old negative programming, often our mind does not help us. It is so important that we are continually alert to negative programming that is keeping us from fulfilling more of our potential.

The reason we take action is for the result.

3. For a Result

What results are you choosing for your life today? The results you have in your life today are from the choices you have made in your yesterday. The results you will have today and in the future will be from the choices you make. Understand, you cannot make the right choices if you have not clearly defined the result.

What results do you choose for your health, you body, your eating habits, etc?

What results do you choose for your thinking, your attitude, your words that you speak, etc?

What results do you choose for your spiritual life? I did not say "religion"; I said for your "spiritual" life?

What results do you choose for being involved with your community, your friends, etc?

What results do you choose for you business, your profession, you finances, etc?

What results do you chose for your family, for your relationships, etc.?

It is important that you develop a "result-driven" mindset.

4. Whether You Feel Like It or Not.

When you make a choice to take action for a results, then how you feel does not enter into the equation. How many times do you do what you do, when you do not feel like it? If you have children, how many times do you get up in the middle of the night to take care of your child when you did not feel like it? Have you ever gone to a business training seminar, but you didn't feel like it? Have you ever persevered in the midst of feeling bad, to do a business presentation or make extra calls?

In all of these situations, "Motivation" was in operation. You were "Motivated."

We are "Motivated" when we make a choice to take action for a result whether we feel like it or not. Motivation is not about "feeling," it is simply about "choosing." We can have a Motivated day every day we choose to. Should we chose to have a "laid-back" day, that is great...that is a choice too.

We begin the journey of staying motivated when we first know what "Motivation" is.