There’s a quote I absolutely adore from keynote speaker and author Zig Ziglar — in fact I share it a lot with audiences during the speaking presentations that I give. It’s that good 🙂
I think it hits the nail on the head when it comes to the common question I get of, “how do I stay motivated” or when someone says, “that motivation and personal development stuff doesn’t work”.
But before I get ahead of myself — here’s the quote…
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar
I just love that one — in fact, about the only thing I can find wrong with it, is that I didn’t think of it myself 🙂
On a more serious note though, doesn’t the truth in that simple saying come through so crystal clear?
Motivation is a feeling found in the moment — often we’re either motivated to take on a given task or endeavor, or we’re not. And like it or not, even the most highly motivated individuals experience this at times.
It’s not a destination in the sense that we wake up one day and no longer need to re-charge our internal batteries. In other words, we shouldn’t expect not to experience certain times where we need to re-fuel our level of motivation — just as we understand that we need to take a bath in order to keep the stink off ourselves 🙂
So with that said, don’t beat yourself up if you have times where you’re not at your peak level. It happens to everyone. The difference of course is your willingness to do the little things that will change your level of inspiration at the moment.
Fortunately, for you and I — regaining that feeling of inspired action is often as easy as reading a book or listening to a tape that carries with it a positive message. It could also be as simple as doing (even the smallest actions) the very thing you happen to be resisting doing.
Think of the saying, success begets success. What that means is that each new feeling of accomplishment gives us just the boost we need to move forward — very much like the snowball effect.
We start out resisting the thing and by “forcing” ourselves to take action on it, before we know it we end up getting involved in it and at the same time feeling the sense of accomplishment that goes along with making progress in our given endeavor. In summary, do the thing you’re resisting and the very action you’re taking will renew your inner motivation.
It sounds simple, because it is. Yet, don’t make the mistake of thinking its simplicity makes it any less effective. The reality is that you have inside you all you need to un-tap your potential at any given moment.
It’s your life, LIVE BIG! Josh Hinds 🙂
* Josh Hinds is the author of Why Perfect Timing is a Myth: Tips for Staying Inspired and Motivated Day in and Day out! and It’s Your Life, LIVE BIG!