Motivation is overrated

Motivation is a problem. Not due to a lack of, but when people search for it in order to act. In the world of both health and business I have seen people not exercising because they felt they had no motivation and individuals not doing the work required because they didn't feel like it, resulting in hours of status updating and viral video hilarity. According to the word of Etymology (origin and meaning of words) 'motivate' means 'to stimulate towards action'. When you don't feel motivated it simply means that the thought of what you are intending to do is not compelling enough for you to move. From my experience this is because of two reasons: The thought of what you plan to do appears too vast in your mind. This creates a feeling that can be considered the opposite of motivation; overwhelm. What you are planning to do is not associated enough to a compelling outcome. This occurs frequently if the outcome you are working towards is far into the future (5 year plan, what?) I work with people who want to turn their ideas into reality. The majority of times this will involve having to do something everyday to move them closer to their outcome. The worst expectation my clients can have is that they will feel motivated in order to do the work required. Lets looks at other activities that you do most days; Get out of bed Browse the internet Brush your teeth Eat Food Watch TV Let me ask you a question Do any of the above activities require you to feel motivated before you do them? I doubt it. So what is a more efficient way of ensuring you do the activities required to achieve your outcomes and become a highly productive superstar? You want to create systems that reduce thinking time and are easy to start. Below is a 6 step process to help you begin creating a system for anything you intend on achieving; 1. Set a compelling outcome that is not too far into the future (within 6 months is a good start) and has you feeling excited about taking action . An example for a writer would be: “Have my current book completed in first draft by September” 2. What is the pivotal driver in creating the outcome? This is the most important factor required in order to move you closer towards the outcome. Example: “Write 10 pages a day.” 3. Create systems around these drivers – what does the process(es) look like? “An hour after I wake up, make a drink, sit down, turn the off button on my internet, open up word, take a deep breath, start writing." This part turns your outcome into concrete processes. 4. Be clear where your peak points are throughout the day. These are the times of the day when you find you work best. For some this is in the morning, while for others it may be in the evening. Example: “I work best an hour after I wake up.” 5. Schedule the time where you will perform the system and implement a 'time box' around it so there is a definitive end point for each period of time. “At 10AM I start and will set a timer for 40 minutes. I will then have a break for 30 minutes and then begin another 40 minutes. I will do no more than 3 work periods in a day." 6. Do it consistently until it becomes a natural process for you. When you take out the need to feel motivated to do what is required to achieve your goal a weird phenomenon occurs; you actually do the work that you would do if you consciously felt motivated anyway. Why? Because motivation is a process that occurs outside of your awareness anyway, it is not meant to be thought about. So if you have a goal and it gets you excited, start moving, start doing and let motivation take care of itself.