How to Motivate Yourself and Others

How To Motivate Yourself and Others

To motivate yourself and others, is simple. All you need to do is keep asking questions that will shift the focus of the conversation onto how we might plan for a better future.

Once you start the other person talking about things relating to their plans for a better future, then you keep the content of their conversation focused on the right wavelength for motivation.

Your mission as a motivator is to keep people thinking and talking incessantly about how we can make the future, better that the past.

Your purpose in life is to make things better.

Your purpose is your goal in life.

In order to get your mind, and conversation into a motivated state, then you should ask about what you and the other person wants to have, to be or do.

Everyone needs a goal or a purpose in life. (The words, Goal and Purpose here mean the same thing).

Purpose = Goal = What you want to have, or be, or do.

Once you start talking about what you want to have, be or do, then your mind has automatically shifted into thinking about a better future and your emotions will start to change more towards the positive.

The emotions you would feel if you were thinking more about your goals for the future:

• Desire.
• Ambition.
• Motivation.
• Enthusiasm.
• Hope.
• Energy.

You can see that these are all positive motivational emotions.

A purpose (goal) is the starting point of all achievement. If you consider that success means "the achievement of a goal", then it is impossible to succeed without having a goal.

To be happy, everyone needs to have a goal. If you have a goal, then you have something to aim for. If you have a goal you have a mental image of a better future. If you have a goal, then you have hope, desire, ambition, motivation and enthusiasm.

So, with a goal, you feel happier.

If you have NO goal, then you have nothing to aim for, you have no image of a better future, you have no hope, no ambition, no motivation, and no enthusiasm. So, you cannot be happy if you don't have a goal.

I would even go so far as to say this... You are defined by your goals.

You are defined by what you want.

• Some people want to rob banks - that makes them bank robbers.
• Some people want to start their own business - that makes them entrepreneurs.
• Some people want to win an Olympic goal medal - that makes them a sportsperson.

You are defined by what you want and until you know what it is you want, you cannot really understand yourself. Until you know what it is the other person wants, then you cannot really have a good relationship with that person.

You need to understand two things, What you want, and What the other person wants.

We call this Goal focus: Clarity of purpose.

How can you gain goal focus: clarity of purpose?

You can gain clarity of purpose by asking and answering eight questions.

1. What do you want?
2. How would you specify and define that goal, numerically?
3. How would you specify and define that goal, using words?
4. How would you specify and define that goal with an image?
5. What skills would you need to gain, in order to reach the goal?
6. What information would you need to gain, in order to reach that goal?
7. What material or additional resources would you need to gather, in order to achieve the goal?
8. What is the specific time deadline for the goal?

All these questions are subset parts of the term, Clarity of Purpose, or Goal focus.

Use these questions as a way of getting yourself or others, to talk about goals in practical ways.

The more they think about these questions, the more they will talk about the answers, and more they will feel motivated and enthusiastic, with less time to feel any negative emotions.

By repeatedly asking these questions, you are taking the conversation into the Motivational Zone and keeping it there, and the longer they are in the motivational zone, the better.

Quiz: Do You Have The Winner's Edge?

Psychologically, there are different types of personality: Winners tend to achieve the goals they set for themselves and they do well in life. Non-winners try hard but don't get as far as they would like. Losers don't even try to achieve any goals; they just hope that their luck will change on its own. Take our Do You Have The Winner's Edge Quiz to discover to what degree you have the winner's edge.

Remember: Your personality is not a fixed asset, it is a variable asset. With the right training, your brain is capable of new thinking, which will generate new habits and which will change the quality of the results that you experience.

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Definition: Clarity of Purpose

In business, clarity of purpose means having one well-defined aim that is stated in numbers and words, pictured in the mind, fixed to a deadline, and used to guide every action. Remove the single aim, the measures, the vivid picture, or the deadline, and clarity disappears.

Article Summary

Motivation grows when you and others keep asking future-focused questions that turn vague wishes into clear, written goals; this simple habit shifts talk from past problems to a brighter plan, and fills minds with hope, energy and purpose.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions that frequently get asked about this topic during our training sessions.

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Did You Know: Key Statistics

About the Author: Chris Farmer

Chris Farmer is the founder of the Corporate Coach Group and has many years' experience in training leaders and managers, in both the public and private sectors, to achieve their organisational goals, especially during tough economic times. He is also well aware of the disciplines and problems associated with running a business.

Over the years, Chris has designed and delivered thousands of training programmes and has coached and motivated many management teams, groups and individuals. His training programmes are both structured and clear, designed to help delegates organise their thinking and, wherever necessary, to improve their techniques and skills.

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Further Reading in Motivation

• How to Succeed and How Not to Fail
  Learn how to succeed with a proven five-step success formula: set a goal, plan, act, review feedback and adapt, while avoiding common reasons why people fail.
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• Make 2017 a Terrific Year for You and Your Family
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• How to be Happy and Successful
  Discover how life balance and smart goal setting prevent neglect, boost health, enrich relationships and drive personal success. Learn steps to stay happy.
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• The Difference Between a Wish and a Goal
  Learn the wish vs goal difference and turn vague hopes into achievable, realistic goals. Use simple skill and resource checks to set clear targets and act now.
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• How Can I Fulfil My Potential?
  Learn how to fulfil your potential with the RAISING method: decide, specialise, study and practise skills every day to achieve goals, grow and raise your game.
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