Chapter 1. What is motivation?
There are as many definitions for motivation as there are lights in the city. Most
people have a pretty good understanding of it.
Motivation is:
A general desire to do something.
A willingness to act.
An inner power that pushes you to action.
An inner energy needed to accomplish something.
A desire to achieve a goal.
The best description? Motivation is the inner driving force that gets you going. It’s
usually seen in a positive light – when you feel motivated, you feel good.
Unmotivated, you feel bad.
Being motivated does not mean YOU are good or bad. In South Africa, where we
have a high crime rate, you will find that the criminal mind is highly motivated. A
criminal sets a goal to rob a house and has the inner energy and motivation to reach
that goal.
Motivation is part of your human conditioning and it is possible to affect your
motivation levels. This is good news, because it means you can empower yourself to
achieve your dreams. In this book you’ll learn and practice different ways to up your
motivation levels. The more you practice, the better you will get!
One of the quickest and easiest ways to get motivated is to socialise with achievers
and people with similar interests or goals. Drive and positive attitudes are
contagious. Mix with people who are negative and miserable and it won’t be long
before you feel the same. You do have the power to choose with whom you socialise
- use that power!
Be grateful when you feel motivated. Be even more grateful when you learn how to
change from an unresourceful, unmotivated state to an energetic, motivated state.
Now you hold the key to success.