When you think of a Motivated person, is there someone that comes to mind? An Olympic athlete, a well-known artist, or an entrepreneur that you know of? What about that child down the street that is outside every day trying to ride a bike? Or that single mother that consistently puts her kids first? All are examples of motivation and focus. And these individuals likely used similar strategies to get and stay motivated. Strategies that we can use too.

Getting and staying motivated is attainable for everyone…if the desire is there, and if that drive comes from within. Yes, outside motivation can work occasionally, but in the long run, we need to be internally motivated to get something done in order for it to stick. But how does someone become a motivated person? Learn from other motivated people.

Motivation is the desire or willingness of someone to do/accomplish something.

Motivated people start with their “why” and focus on the big picture

People that are motivated to act know why they are doing something. An entrepreneur, for example, may be motivated to launch a successful company because it will give them more flexibility and time to spend with their family. That child focused on riding his bike may be doing it so he can visit his Grandparent’s house a few blocks away. Both people have a reason for doing something – they know their reason; they believe in the reason, and the reason matters to them.

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney

Motivated and successful people set a schedule and create a ritual.

Schedules and rituals are intentional events. And these events help the motivated person to achieve success. An Olympic athlete, for example, likely has a set daily practice schedule during which to train for their event. But even before they get to that practice time, they tend to have a ritual that leads them to the event. They wake up at a certain time, eat a specific breakfast, or have a specified set of stretches, for example. All these steps are a ritual that gets the athlete into the mindset for training.

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
– Mark Twain

Motivated people set attainable challenges and build on their successes.

Challenges that are difficult, yet attainable are the sweet spot for motivated people. Typically, people do not wake up one day and achieve their greatest goals. Rather, they start with a small challenge, work towards achieving it, and then move to a more difficult challenge. They don’t continue with challenges that are easy, and they don’t jump to the hardest possible challenge. It’s a progression for them. One that enables them to achieve success and build on that success as they continue to progress.

“Do one thing every day that scares you.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt

Successful & motivated people establish healthy habits.

Motivated people know that taking care of themselves is an important component of achieving their goals. Adequate sleep, meditation, a healthy diet, and exercise are typically part of a motivated person’s daily life. It helps them stay focused and keeps them in the right frame of mind as they keep progressing towards their goals.

“Don’t compromise yourself. You’re all you’ve got.”
– Janis Joplin

Motivated people are optimistic and learn how to say no.

Because motivated people have a goal and build on their successes and keep their “why” in mind, they tend to be optimistic. They see challenges as opportunities and know that difficult situations help them learn and achieve success. They also learn to say no to activities that do not help them achieve their goals, could derail them from their goals, put them in an unhealthy situation, and to negative people. Motivated people know that positivity and saying no helps them stay laser-focused.

“If you believe it’ll work out, you’ll see opportunities. If you don’t believe it’ll work out, you’ll see obstacles.”
– Wayne Dyer

Motivated people focus on problem solving.

Motivated people know that problems will come up along the way. But rather than letting those problems derail them, they focus on ways to solve the problem. They act when a problem arises, determine a solution, and work towards solving the issue.

“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” – Babe Ruth

Motivated people are constantly learning and congratulating others.

Motivated people tend to look for on-going opportunities to learn. Reading, podcasts, webinars, observing others in their field – all are opportunities to absorb new information that can potentially be applied to their situation. And, when someone achieves success, they congratulate them! Motivated people know that the other person that achieved success, had to put it the work to get there, and they respect that work.

“Smart people learn from everything and everyone, average people from their experiences, stupid people already have all the answers.” – Socrates

Motivated people know they own their situation.

You will rarely hear a motivated person blame another for their situation. Instead, motivated people accept, and own, the environment that they are in. If a mistake occurred or something took place that put them in a negative place, they take ownership of it and focus on adjusting, acting and re-align with their goals.

“We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.” – Arianna Huffington

Motivated people surround themselves with motivated people.

Because motivated people enjoy learning from others and believe in others being successful, they tend to surround themselves with other motivated people. It is a great way for them to learn, stay on an optimistic path and, and bounce ideas off of others that are in a similar headspace.

“If we have the attitude that it’s going to be a great day it usually is.” – Catherine Pulsifier

Becoming successful and motivated is attainable for everyone. But that motivation, that desire to act or change, needs to come from within. Once you have harnessed your inner motivation, you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish!

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