Discovering Motivation: How These Seven Rules Can Transform Your Goals and Drive

Seven Rules of Motivation

#1 Set a major goal but follow a path. The path has mini-goals that go in many directions. When you learn to succeed at mini-goals, you will be motivated to challenge grand goals.

#2 Finish what you start. A half-finished project is of no use to anyone. Quitting is a habit. Develop the habit of finishing self-motivated projects.

#3 Socialize with others of similar interest. Mutual support is motivating. We will develop the attitudes of our five best friends. If they are losers, we will be a loser. If they are winners, we will be a winner. To be a cowboy, we must associate with cowboys.

#4 Learn how to learn. Dependency on others for knowledge is a slow, time-consuming process. Man has the ability to learn without instructors. In fact, when we learn the art of self-education, we will find, if not create, an opportunity to find success beyond our wildest dreams.

#5 Harmonize natural talent with an interest that motivates. Natural talent creates motivation, motivation creates persistence, and persistence gets the job done.

#6 Increase knowledge of subjects that inspire. The more we know about a subject, the more we want to learn about it. A self-propelled upward spiral develops.

#7 Take risks. Failure and bouncing back are elements of motivation. Failure is a learning tool. No one has ever succeeded at anything worthwhile without a string of failures.

Regards

Julie

Great self help article... I think that as an HR person we also need to understand how to motivate others...

At the start of any attempt to motivate an employee, there are four basic considerations

1. Can the employee be motivated at all?

2. How important is the objective of the motivation?

3. Where is the major resistance likely to be?

4. Am I, as the motivator, motivated enough myself?

In the first instance, motivation is a dialectic task. As dialectic is the art of leading a discussion away from the initially opposed opinions, the objective has to be the art of persuasion going onto conviction. Motivation should not be confused with manipulation. In the case of manipulation, prohibited techniques, doubtful tricks or suggestions are consciously used to influence a person. A successful dialectic procedure needs logic, psychology and a grounding in rhetoric.

A fine example of (unfair) dialectic is found in the story of the monk who smoked. A monk, who loved to smoke, if possible day and night and even during prayer times, wondered how he could get permission from his abbot to smoke at all times. He realized that this request would hardly meet with success if he asked: "May I smoke during intercession?". He turned this round according to dialectic principles and was successful when he asked his abbot "May I pray while I smoke?"

A person does not act without reason. This does not mean that his reasons have to be conscious, and usually they are unconscious. However first knowing what the reasons are allows people to be moved to act or moved not act: that is to motivate.

The following reasons can be decisive in the way a person acts.

• Needs

• Emotional reasons

Anxiety

Shame

Guilt

Feelings of inferiority

• Rational reasons

Interest

Calculations/plans

Experience

• Value-based reasons

Ideals

Attitudes

Worthy motives

• Expectations

Hopes

Desires

• Habits

• Prejudices

One of the basic rules of motivation technique is as follows: "Creating anxiety, awaking feelings of guilt or shame is just as unlikely to lead to motivation as is attacking prejudices, deeply-established habits and so-called 'articles of faith'".