Without a doubt, motivation is the number one emotional factor needed to achieve your goals.
Without motivation you are more than likely going to run out of steam while climbing the mountain of success.
Many of my coaching students often complain to me that they are unhappy with their current situation in life, yet they have little desire or motivation to change them either.
Sarah needs motivation
Sarah called me one day asking how she could get out of her parents’ house and live on her own. Sarah explained to me that she felt confined to her bedroom most of the time, except when she worked.
She wanted to experience the freedom and flexibility to enjoy her entire living space and not just her bedroom.
Next I asked Sarah, “What’s stopping you from moving out?”
Sarah replied, “I don’t earn enough money to live on my own.”
So I asked Sarah again, “What’s stopping you from moving out?”
She responded again with, “I don’t earn enough money.”
I said to Sarah, “Listen to me one more time. What’s really stopping you from moving out of your parents’ house and living on your own?”
She said, “Well, I am scared to move out also.”
I then said, “Sarah, if your fear was gone, what would stop you from moving out and living on your own?”
Sarah answered sheepishly, “I guess nothing at all.”
You see, money was never the issue here, for Sarah it was about facing one of her biggest fears which was being on her own.
The truth is when you want something bad enough nothing will ever get in your way. There are a million and one ways to increase your income and that is why I did not accept Sarah’s first answer.
I had to get her to dig a little deeper within herself to find out what was really holding her back. In Sarah’s case as with many, it was the big fear of the unknown.
Even more important, because of the fear, Sarah was unable to use the emotional fuel of motivation to get to where she wanted to be.
So what I did next with Sarah was to get her to tell me all the reasons she wanted to move out. She went on to tell me reasons like:
To be able to roam freely around the house without worry.
To be able to come and go as she pleased without having to tell her parents.
To be able to host dinner parties or even have a boy over.
After getting Sarah to tell me all the things that were motivating factors for her wanting to move out, she suddenly felt certain about the idea for the first time in her life.
I am happy to say that Sarah eventually moved out of her parents about four months after our phone call.
Sarah enthusiastically told me that while at first it was a bit uncomfortable living on her own, she feels so sure that the decision was the right for her.
Motivation is all about desire
Perhaps you are aware of the tale about Socrates in which a young man visited him near a lake and asked Socrates to instruct him about the way to obtain wisdom? Socrates took the man and plunged his head under the water.
While the young man struggled for his life, Socrates continued to forcibly hold him under the water. At last, Socrates let him up to breathe, and when the man, gasping for breath, wanted to know why Socrates nearly drowned him, Socrates replied, “When your desire for wisdom is as great as your desire to breathe, you then will find wisdom.”
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Justin Mazza is a blogger who has committed himself to being a life-long student and teacher of personal and spiritual growth. You can read more inspiring articles at his blog Mazzastick.com.
-what’s holding you back? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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