I recently purchased a brand new Land Rover Discovery. Land Rover has been a brand that I have wanted for a while and I was super excited and motivated to pick it up on a Friday. Over the week-end, 3 days after I had the car, I took my parents and kids to eat at a restaurant. It was an unusually hot day and I turned on the air-conditioner. I noticed that it was nothing but warm air. I waited….and waited…. And waited some more. Still no cool air. Now remember, it’s a brand new car that I had just picked up. What was my reaction? I was calm and it in no way deterred me from the exhilaration I had in having the car. I was so excited and motivated that it didn’t even bother me that something was already broken. I just shrugged it off to a defect in manufacturing and made a mental note to call the dealer on Monday.
It got me to reflect on why this inconvenience didn’t bother me at all. If it had been my previous vehicle, I probably would have been bothered by it. I realized that the way I saw the situation determined if I stayed motivated or not. It is the same thing with everything else in life.
[bctt tweet=”“The way that you interpret your situation creates your reality.””]
Did you ever read the same book, or attend the same seminar as someone else but have two distinct reactions? This happens very often. One person gets inspired while the other person claims it as being a waste of time. It all comes down to perceptions and expectations. Perception drives people’s behaviors every day.
“Our minds influence the key activity of the brain, which then influences everything; perception, cognition, thoughts and feelings, personal relationships; they’re all a projection of you.” – Deepak Chopra
[bctt tweet=”“Studies have shown that 90% of error in thinking is due to error in perception. If you can change your perception, you can change your emotion and this can lead to new ideas.” – Edward de Bono”]
If you change your perception, you can change how you feel about a situation, thus increasing your motivation. I used the example of my recent car purchase to make a simple comparison of how we perceive certain situations and how that perception can keep us motivated or make us unmotivated.
Here Are Some Simple Techniques to Change Your Motivation by Changing Your Perception:
Focus on the Positive Aspects of the Situation
When you are in a situation that threatens to demotivate you, focus on the positive aspects of the situation. Is there a dreaded task that you want to achieve? Focus on the rewards of achieving the task. You can’t think of anything positive about the situation, find something to be appreciative for.
Stay Focused on the Main Task and Not the Problem
During those times of difficulty where no matter what you try doesn’t seem to work, you should focus on the main objective. Remember the why of why you want or need to accomplish your task. Don’t focus on the problem, focus on the end results.
Does your project or task seem too large? Break it down into smaller bits that can be incorporated into your daily routine.
Change Your Attitude, Change Your Perspective
How do you change your attitude? By finding people who have been able to change their attitude in the past and are now sharing tips on how to do it. Reading books including autobiographies can be a great tool to help you view things differently.
Here are some great books to start:
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen R. Covey
Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business – Chares Duhigg
Be Creative
If all else fails with the above steps, Be Creative in finding new ways to look at the problem. Don’t throw in the towel. Use it instead to wipe your sweat and keep going.
Do you think the ability to change your perception is essential to keeping your motivation?