How to find motivation to act. The right motivation on the path to success. Effective methods of self-motivation

Motivation is a very powerful tool in the right hands. Sometimes it is very easy for a person to motivate himself and he remains inspired for a long time. But at times it is very difficult to do this, and he slowly begins to be sucked into the “swamp” of procrastination and apathy. In this article you will find several effective ways and helpful research on how to stay motivated over the long haul.

1. What is motivation and how does it work

Scientists define motivation as the urge to do something. In other words, it is a set of psychophysiological processes that prompt a person to perform a certain action. However, there is another definition of motivation.

What is motivation?

So what is motivation? This concept is best explored in Steven Pressfield's book The War on Creativity. He writes: “At some point, doing nothing begins to cause a person more discomfort than carrying out an activity.”

In other words, sometimes it is easier to do something than to do nothing. It’s easier to gather strength and go to the gym than to continue to lie on the couch and gain weight. It’s easier to overcome the embarrassment and call your potential client than to lose a bonus due to an unfulfilled sales plan.

Any of our choices has its “price,” but it is better to experience inconvenience from any activity than to later regret that you did nothing. However, in order to get down to business, you need to cross a certain line that separates the zone of procrastination from the zone of active action. This often happens when we are approaching a deadline.

In this regard, there is a very important question: What can we do to overcome this line and stay motivated all the time?

Common misconceptions related to motivation

The surprising thing is that motivation usually arises after you do something unusual, and not before. Many people have the misconception that reading a motivational book or watching an inspiring video is enough to inspire them to do something. However, so-called “active” inspiration can serve as a more powerful incentive to action.

Motivation is usually the result of an activity, not its cause. Once you start doing something, inspiration will naturally develop and you will be able to complete what you started.

Thus, in order to motivate yourself to perform any action, you just need to start doing it. Below we will talk about how to apply this advice in real life.

2. How to motivate yourself and start doing something

Many people struggle to motivate themselves to achieve certain goals. Without motivation, we spend too much energy and time on taking actions that lead us to the desired result.

According to writer Sarah Peck, many aspiring authors struggle to complete their work because they can't answer the question of when they'll next sit down to write. The same goes for training in the gym, business, art, etc. For example, if you don't have a workout schedule, then every day you will wake up thinking, "I'll go to the gym today if I'm in the mood."

Making a schedule seems like a very simple step. However, it will help you organize and systematize your activities. Usually people try to stick to a schedule despite lack of desire and motivation. Many studies confirm this fact.

Stop waiting for inspiration to strike and simply create a clear schedule that you will follow. This is the main difference between professionals and amateurs. Lovers are waiting for inspiration, and then they take action.

What is the secret of famous artists? How do they stay motivated all the time? They don’t just create a schedule of actions, but develop rituals.

The famous dancer and choreographer Twyla Tharp spoke about her daily ritual in an interview. Every day she gets up at 5.30 am, puts on her workout clothes and leaves the apartment. The girl then hails a taxi and tells the driver to take her to the gym, where she works out for two hours. The ritual is not in the training process, but in the trip itself. Once Twyla tells the driver where to go, the ritual is over.

It seems like a very simple action. However, if you repeat the same thing every morning, it will soon become a habit. And once the action becomes habitual, it will be easier for you to perform it regularly, because we don’t think about routine everyday actions, but simply do them “automatically.”

Many famous people developed their own rituals. Much has been written about this in Mason Curry’s book “Genius Mode. Daily routine of great people."

The key to any ritual is that you don't have to make any decisions about what to do first and what to do next. Many people fail to achieve success because they cannot start doing something. If you can turn your activities into a habitual ritual, then it will not be difficult for you to finish what you start, even if difficult tasks arise along the way.

How to develop a motivating habit

By following three simple steps, you can create your own ritual and turn motivation into a habit.

Step #1. Any ritual should begin with some very simple action. For example, you might drink a glass of water before you sit down to write your novel. Or you can put on your favorite sneakers before heading to your workout. These actions are so simple that it is impossible to refuse to perform them.

Step #2. You have to force yourself to move. Lack of motivation is often associated with a lack of physical activity. Remember your physical state at a time when you are bored or sad. You don't make any active movements, do you? At such moments, most people just sit on the couch and stare at one point. In this case, the opposite statement is true: if you are physically active, your brain also begins to work more actively. For example, when you dance, it is simply impossible not to feel a surge of energy and revitalization. Physical activity does not always mean doing any exercise. For example, if your goal is to write a novel, then this activity should be directed towards writing.

Step #3. It is necessary to adhere to the same plan of action every day. Their initial task is to motivate you to do a certain activity. As a result, you won't have to wait for inspiration. Instead, you will simply begin your usual ritual, and then smoothly move on to the main action.

3. How to stay motivated for a long time

Strategies have been mentioned above to help you motivate yourself and get started on a task. But what about staying motivated over the long term? How to stay motivated?

Imagine that you are playing tennis. If you choose a four-year-old girl as your opponent, you will quickly get bored with the game, since winning will be too easy. On the contrary, if you play, for example, against Serena Williams, then constant defeats will quickly demotivate you. Such an opponent will be too tough for you. You will be interested in the game if the opponent has equal abilities. You will have a chance to win if you put in the effort. Thus, challenging but achievable tasks help us stay motivated.

People like difficult tasks. But the level of difficulty should be optimal for a particular person. Tasks that are too complex demotivate us, while tasks that are too simple quickly become boring.

At this moment, a person experiences a special state of emotional uplift. Athletes usually refer to this as “being on fire.” At this moment, a person is so focused on completing a specific task that the whole world around him fades.

To achieve this state, you must follow the rule described in the previous section. If you choose a task of optimal difficulty, you will not only be motivated in the long run, but you will also experience a feeling of happiness after completing it. As psychologist Gilbert Bream said, “One of the important sources of human happiness lies in completing tasks of the appropriate level of difficulty.”

However, to reach peak motivation, you still need to constantly measure your current progress. In other words, it is important that you receive feedback at every stage of the task. Evaluating your own progress is key to maintaining a state of motivation.

What to do if you start to lose motivation

Motivation to perform an action will inevitably begin to fade at some point in time. In such cases, you can use the tips below.

1. Your brain is a source of valuable suggestions.

Imagine that every thought that arises in your head is a proposal, not an order. For example, when an author writes an article, the thought that he is tired comes into his head. This leads to a suggestion to quit your job, choose the path of least resistance and give up.

Just remember that none of these suggestions are instructions for action. These are just options, and you have the opportunity to choose one of them.

2. Discomfort is temporary

Almost any action you take will end very soon. For example, your workout only lasts an hour or two. Your report will be ready by tomorrow morning.

Now life has become much simpler than before. Even 300 years ago, if you did not grow your own food and build a house, then you were doomed to death. And today, a tragedy for a person is the fact that he left the charger for his phone at home.

Thus, be mindful of the prospects ahead. Life is wonderful, and any discomfort is temporary.

You will never regret doing a job well.

Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Surely the best reward life can give you is a job worth doing.” We all want our work to be useful to people and for them to respect our work. However, we do not want our attempts to be in vain. Everyone wants a reward, not hard, monotonous work. Everyone wants a gold medal, but few want to train as hard as members of the Olympic team. So, remember that the reward is worth the effort it takes to get it.

That's life

In life, we constantly balance between the desire to distance ourselves from everything and self-discipline. Life is a collection of hundreds of thousands of small decisions about whether to fight or give up.

Don't underestimate those moments when you don't feel like doing anything. Spend this time in a way that makes you proud of yourself.

Hello, friends! To introduce into your life effective ways personal motivation, think about how you do it now. Since you can't always see yourself from the outside, imagine that you need to motivate another person. How will you do this so that he wants to do what is required?

This technique will allow you to isolate your idea of ​​motivation, and then adjust it or replace it with the correct one.

There are criteria, taking into account which you can form a high-quality incentive to action, no matter what kind of motivation you need - for work, for development, for sports.

Truthfulness

To motivate yourself for success, the first thing you need is truthfulness, so cultivate this quality in yourself at every opportunity.

Lack of truthfulness deprives a person of a sober understanding of things, which also affects motivation. Surely you have come across advice from psychologists: in your soul it is important to distinguish what you want from what you just want to want. If you're confused about what motivates you, you'll either go where you don't want to go or you won't be able to motivate yourself.

Universality of purpose

Fear of wasted efforts slows down progress. Therefore, to motivate yourself to achieve a goal, answer: what value does the process of achieving it have for your development?

Process priority

Too strong a desire to receive or achieve often only prevents you from doing it. In this case, the person is not able to “let go” of his desire and fully concentrate on what is happening.

Therefore, learn to focus on the process - let it always come first, and the results come second. This will strengthen your motivation and also prevent you from the dangerous habit of running away from the “here and now.”

Striving to be rather than look happy

Whenever you want to motivate yourself, you make a choice about what to strive for: to look like your goal or to actually be like that. It doesn't matter whether it's noticeable to others or not.

Remember that as a result of false motivation, you will end up with something similar to a plastic cake: it looks beautiful, but it is impossible to eat.

Effective methods of self-motivation

Let's see what specific techniques will give you an understanding of how to motivate yourself.

Individual approach

We are all unique. And each of us has our own perception of the world in general and specific circumstances in particular. Focus on your capabilities and limits. First of all, consider your own vision of the situation.

Pareto rule

20% of effort produces 80% of the result, and the remaining 80% of effort produces only 20% of the result. By correctly choosing the minimum of the most important actions, you can quickly get a significant part of the planned full result.

How can you use this rule to motivate yourself?

If your goal is self-improvement, devote 80% of your resources to working on 20% of your character problem areas. Dedicate the remaining 20% ​​of your attention and time to everything else.

If you need motivation to achieve, expect to get 80% of your results from 20% of your greatest strengths.

Inspiration

An effective method of self-motivation for every day is a creative approach.

To use it, exclude violence against yourself. Observe your reactions: what gives you enthusiasm and a natural desire to do something?

I don't mean the main purpose of your life. It could even be about washing dishes - the question is how you do it. For example:

• you must be sufficiently rested;
• you need to work at your own pace;
• you need to fully concentrate on one thing, giving up multitasking, etc.

Of course, at some moments you will have to act without inspiring conditions. But the rest of the time, you can take care of yourself and no longer worry about how to find motivation.

Conscious application of effort

Where do you get motivation when you don’t want to do anything at all? Take care of this in advance. Most often, such difficulties arise naturally: at a certain time, in a specific situation, or in relation to a particular matter.

Be aware of where you are spending your effort. There is something that happens to you as if by itself: it’s enough to get on the right track. With other things, everything is not so simple, but they also need to be done.

Dose the force correctly. You should not jump over your head - this will reduce all motivation to nothing. Find the point of application and the “size” of the current effort, let the rest remain as is for now.

Making rhythm

Monotonous, repetitive actions create an energetic structure that literally pushes you forward. It is like a stream: moving in it, you seem to be floating with the current, which carries you and powerfully motivates you.

Just keep an eye on the relevance of what you do out of habit or the dictates of an established rhythm. Don't let him force his will on you.

Detachment

Remain open to the course of events and your influence on them. Every moment is a new starting point.

Getting rid of expectations, you will stop striving to subordinate what is happening to your will. This means you will save energy and increase your motivation: if you are a priori ready for different options, the fear of disappointment does not dominate you.

Pitfalls that prevent you from motivating yourself

Let's look at the main demotivators and how you can deal with them.

Laziness

All people face the desire to do nothing at the wrong time. However, this condition should not be confused with elementary fatigue. But if you rested, got some sleep or changed your activity, but your motivation still hasn’t increased, try the following cure for laziness.

Find meaning for yourself in what is happening. For example:

• if you need to do something routine, you can train your concentration and awareness;
• if the action is somehow connected with the benefit of others, direct your attention to the process of giving - the satisfaction that you are able to contribute something to this world will be an excellent help in the fight against laziness;
• if there is an element of creativity in the matter, just give yourself completely to it. Then next time you won’t want to be lazy and watch the series - the drive is not the same.

Self-examination

The habit of self-reflection and psychoanalysis can become an obstacle to self-motivation, because you can dig for a long time, unearthing different things and trying to rebuild. So long that whole life will not be enough.

Therefore, if you find it reasonable, study the contents of your mind. But don't let this process take over your life and immobilize you.

Greed

This quality interferes when you feel sorry for your efforts, time, and mistakes made. “It’s better to do nothing than to endure such waste,” says the greedy person.

Abandoning such logic does not mean becoming reckless. This means accepting: you can't cook scrambled eggs without breaking eggs. And act, after the choice is made, decisively and boldly no matter what.

Depression

Problems with motivation may indicate depression. In some cases, you cannot do without the help of a specialist.

You can help yourself too. Follow a daily routine. Go to bed before 11:00 pm, or better yet, 10:00 pm (don’t watch TV before bedtime!), and get up at 6, or better yet, a little earlier and immediately take a cool shower (over your head, maybe through a cap). 60 – 70% of depression will go away on its own!

And also use foods that enhance cheerfulness and optimism - banana, mango, dates, figs, etc. (eat them from 6 to 8 am or at least in the morning), pomegranate (you can eat from 10 to 19 hours).

The “Whatever” principle is the key to motivation for life

Everyone decides for themselves where to get motivation. This often depends on the type of activity you want to motivate yourself to do.

In conclusion, I offer you a mini-test that will help you identify the fundamental motivation in life. For me it was a real discovery!

Define your relationship with the phrase “whatever.” They come in two types:

1. Nothing will work anyway. Why try then? Anyway, things didn’t work out as they should, is there any point in continuing? Doesn't matter...
2. There is no such thing as injustice. If this happened, then it must be so. I will still do my best and see it through to the end.

Every day we make decisions about how to motivate ourselves. Good luck to you in this important matter!

Friends, what secrets of self-motivation do you use? Share in the comments!

What is motivation

Motivation as a tool for success

A sufficiently and positively motivated person will always be able to move mountains in his path and overcome any obstacles. Do you know what the main advantage of this energy is? And the fact is that a properly motivated person is not so susceptible to the same things and does not focus on failures, because he knows what he wants to achieve and does not pay attention to obstacles and temporary defeats. Any failure cannot confuse him, because he sees his goal and is confident in his abilities. I am sure that he will get to the carrot regardless of external factors. He can lose many battles today and win a war tomorrow.
Well, let’s move on directly to the methods of proper motivation.

Ignore what doesn't matter to you

1. Being able to ignore something is an amazing thing. It will bring much more benefits than you could imagine. There should be a special subject “Ignoring” that should be taught at the university. Spreading your attention on many things at once, as most people do, only weakens you. Ignoring what doesn't matter will free up your energy and help you stay focused, focused, and productive.

Try to figure out what's boring you

2. Avoid all of this if possible. Things and actions tend to become boring. But, just like any other condition you have, it can be understood and ways to get rid of it can be determined. Once you understand this, you can do it easily. It takes time, but it's really worth it.

Laugh more often

3. If you have free time, watch comedies more often, read comics. Forget about your terrible seriousness. Laughter is a mechanism that can help prevent and relieve stress. In fact, it quickly removes it from you and this is the most effective remedy.

Keep a journal of your breakthroughs

4. Do you remember those moments when you achieved something worthwhile in your life? We tend to forget the simple habit of writing down our feelings every time we have a big breakthrough. Create and keep a journal of your successes, victories, successful events. And take inspiration from it.

Exercise

5. This is the easiest way to motivate yourself. Just get out of the office, start doing some exercise or just take a short jog around your house. This will immediately activate your body, put it in order and recharge you with energy. Every time you do some exercise, you get endorphins. And endorphins are useful, good and cool. =)

Create an environment that suits you

6. You will not be able to constantly motivate yourself to take action if you work in an environment that does not suit you. Change it, add to it or improve it. It doesn’t matter whether you work in an office or at home. Whatever the space around you, make it “yours” in any way, this will reduce the adaptation time and you will be able to devote more time to the necessary things. And in general, even if you are satisfied with everything, periodically changing the environment is useful - it brings shades of innovation and freshness into your life.

Read success stories

7. Read other people's success stories. Find motivation and experience in them. Get inspired. Admire them. Reading similar stories will make success more accessible and will fuel your efforts to achieve it. And, of course, you can learn to be successful, feel successful, and do as winners do.

Switch between tasks

8. People get tired of working on just one project for a long time. Fatigue from monotonous work greatly reduces motivation (unless your job is your dream, in which case motivation and inspiration are inexhaustible). Try doing a few small projects when you feel like you're on edge. Let's not say that switching between tasks will give you fresh perspectives, but it will help you solve problems faster.

Evaluate your progress

9. If you are constantly moving towards your goal, you will usually make some progress. But you may feel like you haven't made any progress, and that's because you're missing all those little daily milestones. Look back with satisfaction at what you have created, this will definitely increase your energy.

Talk about your projects

10. With friends or family. Let people know that you are doing something good. This often makes us understand that we are doing something really good and enjoying it. It also creates a level of responsibility that is more likely to push you forward.

Avoid Energy Vampires

11. – they all suck energy and motivation out of you. Do not fall into the power of such a game, avoid these energy leaks at all costs. Even if it means you'll be isolated more often. It's better to do the job alone than to try to fight off the vampires around you.

Create Clear Goals

12. More precisely, clearly state and write down your goals on paper, because they are already clearly defined deep in your mind. But take them out of your mind, and put them somewhere where you can always find them. Your mind works better when it knows what needs to be done, rather than spending time figuring it out.

Practice Satisfaction

13. When you complete some work or task, reward yourself. Give yourself a gift. It doesn't need to be particularly large. It is only needed to develop a habit. Strive for it while you work, expect it. After a while you will become addicted to it and will not stop until you get your coveted “carrot”.

Accept defeat

14. As part of this game. Failure, like success, is just the result of your actions and nothing more. In fact, any failure is an experience and the one who makes mistakes in time and learns from them wins. One of the biggest enemies of motivation is fear of failure. Fears that your results will disappear. Accept defeat. It's not good, but that doesn't mean you should stop doing what you're doing. Work on yourself and hope for the best.

Use reminders

15. Use them as a record of your aspirations, goals, current status. Reminders are a very powerful tool that is greatly underestimated. People find it awkward to write messages to themselves and read them out loud. News flash: you do this all the time, unconsciously. So why not do it consciously? Let's start the morning with a phrase addressed to yourself!?

Play games

16. Parody people. Imitate animals. Imagine that you are any fairy tale character. Games will give your thoughts a rest and, at the same time, gather your strength from secret sources. They also develop enthusiasm and ease of action. Good motivation is always mixed with joy. You can start with a simple game like: How to get from point A to point B in 5 random steps.

Say “No”

17. Say “no” to unnecessary entertainment, distractions, and depression. Practicing the word “No” frees you. Having too many obligations too often makes your life a continuous series of constant chores. Limit your promises, and only take on what you really want to finish. After that, go to the mirror, smile and start politely practicing your “no”.

Look for positive people

18. Sadness, whining and complaining do not go well with motivation. In fact, everything is completely the opposite. But positive, optimistic, energetic people will always shift your mood changes in the right direction. Look for them, find them and become their friend. Sometimes all you need to motivate yourself is to be surrounded by... happy people or successful.

Difficulty is part of the game

19. Learn to work under pressure. There are some things that are more difficult than others. Accept this fact and focus on what you need to do rather than on your feelings of dissatisfaction. Difficulties often force you to do something. You can’t even pull a fish out of the pond without difficulty. Whenever you feel that something will be difficult to do, you tend to be more motivated to do it. The reward will be higher.

Have a competition with yourself

20. Competing with yourself or short-term goals, usually 15-90 days. Like starting an exercise routine or creating a habit from scratch in 15 days. Or, for example, arrange a sprint to complete some permanent work - that is, try to do certain action faster than yesterday. This kind of competition strengthens your inner spirit in the same way that exercise strengthens your muscles. The more you do, the more motivated you feel to do even more.

Choose positive motivation

21. When you motivate yourself, do whatever it takes to keep yourself motivated. on the positive side, which is initially aimed at helping you. Unlike negative motivation, which basically makes you fearful. Negative motivation works in the same way, only it is much less effective than positive motivation.

Get rid of your “fears”

22. Like any person, you have “fears”, and some of them affect you quite adversely. They won't let you do what you have in mind. The worst thing is that most of the time they work outside of your consciousness and it is quite difficult to fight them. Just accept it, be aware of it and get rid of them. You will feel better. But this is more a question of willpower.

Follow your personal mission

23. You must have your own personal mission. If you don't have one, quickly find one. Reinforcing your personal mission at specific intervals is by far one of the greatest motivators. It's like looking at a map and being able to see at any moment where you are, how far you have to go, and which path to take.

Spend time outside

24. If you can do something creative like gardening or landscaping, that's even better. But nothing bad will happen even if you don’t know how to do it. By spending time outside, you purify the indoor air. And Fresh air helps you regain strength and relieve tension. When you return, everything will be brighter and shinier. And something fresh is always a pleasant motivator.

Keep your inner world clean

25. A clean inner world helps to have an easier flow of thoughts. And an easy train of thought allows you to be unencumbered by any worries. Often? this is the only thing needed to start creating something.

Don't strive for perfection

26. It will soon wear you down. Perfection does not exist and that is why you will only experience failure. Striving to be better is the real game. Perfection is a dead end; nothing will happen even if you get close to it. Recognizing that you can be better, rather than believing yourself to be perfect, leaves some room for growth. This means you have a reason to do even more and even better. And this is what we usually call motivation, right?

Do one thing at a time

27. Multitasking is a myth. You will simply waste your energy and lose sight of your target. Even computer processors don't multitask, that's just what we see. Instead, they have a single frequency and multiple parallel information management buses, creating a type of multitasking activity. Multitasking creates internal conflicts, both in the human body and in the computer. You'll end up spending more time resolving these conflicts than doing the work itself.

Keep reading for what inspires you.

28. Keep making a list of what inspires you. Quotes, blog posts, books, whatever. Sometimes a small phrase or a motivating picture is enough for you to decide at the right moment to take an unusual action that will change your future life.

Turn on some good music

29. Just let it play, float around you, don't turn it on too loud. Its volume should be enough to create a pleasant atmosphere. Music controls parts of the mind that you cannot control logically, it is so powerful that it can completely lift your mood in a second. The only thing better than silence is good music. But the music should be positive or background.

Don't fall into the productivity trap

30. It doesn't matter how much you do, only how meaningful it is. Doing something just to tick a notebook will not give you motivation. On the other hand, when you do something meaningful, your organizational skills will help you.

31. Your camera lens may be blurry, but you may not know it. Therefore, you will end up with the same picture over and over again, which stops you and prevents you from moving forward. Sometimes all you have to do is take off pink glasses. It takes courage, but it's worth it.

Clean up the house

32. I know you need motivation for this too, but believe me, this is a great way to get rid of internal garbage. Cleaning your home isn't just cleaning, it's a necessity. Your path of action may be as littered with debris as your floor. And cleaning it will give your thoughts a go again.

Finally, stop reading this and get to work!

33. Your tasks from reading will not be completed on their own. Inspiration is a good motivator, but don't overuse it. Now that you're energized, it's time to get back to work. Of course, you can bookmark this post for future motivation sessions, but for now, just get to work.

The impossible is possible!

Understanding the basics of how to motivate employees to increase their contribution to achieving enterprise goals becomes a powerful tool for leaders. Investment in personnel can bring results no less than financial investments, you just need to correctly calculate the vectors of application of forces and consistently introduce the developed principles and approaches into the management process.

Nothing is universal

Mistakes made by management can turn the work process into a waste of time, which will ultimately result in a decrease in performance, a decrease in competitiveness and, as a result, the complete collapse of any, even the most promising undertaking. Therefore, first of all, you need to understand what not to do.

For every person, motivation is the main driving force; if we do something, then we already want something. And, conversely, if we have to do work that is not supported by desire, we will do it through force with the corresponding result. But just as there are no absolutely identical people, there are no absolutely similar desires. Therefore, what will motivate one to work at full capacity will not interest the other at all.

Therefore, there are no principles that are ideal for everyone. For example, there is one oft-proposed way to increase employee engagement that may seem ideal: paying workers not at a specific rate, but as a percentage of profit. But there are a lot of people who perform. They can cope remarkably well with clearly defined tasks, but are completely lost if personal initiative is required from them. At the same time, workers with opposite psychological attitudes are completely unable to act within clear boundaries.

Meanwhile, there is always a job that is best suited to the first or second type. And one of the main personnel mistakes is that an employee is entrusted with activities that are completely unsuitable for his psychotype. At the same time, if the former are given specific tasks and explained exactly what they should do, and the latter are appointed to positions that provide a certain amount of freedom, the productivity of both will increase significantly.

The main meaning of this principle is that when choosing a method of motivation, you should rely on the person’s personality, and not automatically use the same methods for all employees. Therefore, even after becoming familiar with the incorrect use of motivation or the principles on which the right approach is based, the personality of a particular employee should be taken into account.

Mistakes in motivation that can kill a business

The point is that the manager does not want to admit the fact: the success of the company depends not only on the knowledge and experience of employees, but also on their desire to perform the assigned work.

This is especially important in the service sector, in which much depends on the level of interaction between employee and client. No instructions can provide for situations that arise during personal communication, and force a person to work in the service sector or service with high quality, if he himself does not have such a desire, it is impossible.

Personnel acting strictly according to instructions, unwilling to take responsibility and take initiative, will inevitably lead the company to the loss of a client and, accordingly, profit. There is no way to force a person to be proactive; he must really want it. And only the right motivation can help with this.

Even professional psychologists are confused in the definition of the terms “motivation” and “motive”. In general terms, we can say that correct motivation is the actions of management, thanks to which the team has a desire not only to do their job, but to obtain a certain effective result.

Most managers transfer their own perceptions onto their employees, so they consider what seems right to them sufficient for motivation.

For example, a boss may consider that a high salary is a sufficient reason for employees to follow all his instructions. At the same time, he will be confident that the person will try “from the heart” in order to retain his workplace to climb up career ladder or increase your earnings. That is, motives will be applied to the employee that seem sufficient for him. At the same time, it is quite acceptable for a situation where a person is satisfied with the amount he earns, but absolutely cannot stand the situation in the team or the attitude of his superiors towards him.

Wrong motivation that does not take into account the specific situation will act on the contrary, destroy loyalty to the company and destroy initiative. The result is loss of efficiency, loss of competitiveness and decreased profits.

A monetary incentive should be present in the staff motivation system, but it should not be put in first place. A low salary may well become a reason to hate what a person does. But this rule does not work in the opposite direction.

Another reason why monetary incentives do not become decisive for employees to strive for increased efficiency is habituation. A salary increase can cause positive emotions only at the first stage, but after a short time such income becomes habitual and no longer seems sufficient (“there is no such thing as too much money”).

It is necessary to use such incentives, but it should be understood that a person also perceives an increase in his own income as recognition of his achievements.

It is especially important to take into account that financial incentives do not guarantee employee loyalty in cases where highly paid specialists. A person who knows that he can always find a place to apply his own knowledge cannot be retained only with money - he must enjoy working in a specific place.

Employees who are primarily focused on earning more money must see the connection between remuneration and work results. And that part of the staff whose need for money is lower always attaches greater importance to the conditions for self-realization, the opportunity to communicate with other people, the work process itself, or good attitude superiors. However, using them without a fair monetary assessment of labor becomes a demotivating factor that will also reduce productivity.

It is the manager who makes decisions that influence motivation: he determines wages, working conditions, deadlines for completing tasks and their distribution, etc. Therefore, almost any manager’s decision, one way or another, is related to the motivation (or demotivation) of employees. Therefore, such decisions, both in the form of rewards and punishments, must take into account the extent to which they will affect the motivation of staff.

The situation is the opposite of the one in which management does not want to hear about motivating employees. Such a manager, knowing that “employees need to be motivated,” perceives this as an unpleasant but necessary duty. As a result, it is easier for him to motivate people “from the opposite side” - with punishments and threats. The result is exactly the opposite - such actions create a tense environment, not for one person, but for the entire team.

This is not all, but some of the main mistakes related to staff motivation that you should definitely remember.

Principles and types of motivation

The effect of motivating staff can only be obtained if certain principles of incentives are observed:

• setting clear and understandable tasks and goals (employees must know exactly what tasks are assigned to them and what goals they must achieve);
• rewards and goals must be linked (a person needs to know what he will get from effective work);
• the possibility of feedback and transparency (the employee must be sure that his success will be supported, and he can turn to management with questions);
• knowledge of motivation tools used in other enterprises, especially competitors;
• understanding employee expectations;
• optimal combination of material and moral types of motivation;
• taking into account the employee’s personality when using incentive methods (what is necessary for one is not necessary for another);
• if possible, use positive rather than negative methods (despite the fact that the possibility of punishment may have an effect on improving performance, the constant use of this method worsens the general situation and climate in the team).

Incentive tools can be divided into several types:

1. material monetary - an increase or assignment of high (upon hiring) wages, bonuses, bonuses, percentages of results, commissions, etc.;
2. material non-monetary - incentives or rewards that can be valued in money, but received by the employee “in kind” (vouchers, certificates, provided housing or transportation, etc.);
3. non-monetary - incentives that emphasize both management’s attitude towards the employee and the assessment of his performance, and also work to unite the team.

It is generally accepted that one of the most effective motivating systems of monetary motivation is KPI, which takes into account the performance of employees according to key indicators. In reality, the real picture turns out to be different.

Domestic business uses the KPI as something similar to the system that existed under socialist planning: each employee receives a specific task for a period, and the result of its implementation affects wages. However, management often increases the “norm” next month, which is already more difficult to fulfill. This leads to a deterioration in attitude towards work. In the case when the KPI is not met, the employee does not receive part of the money, so he strives to complete the task, but also develops a negative attitude towards the perception of his activities. As a result, such a system becomes a means of forcing staff to bring more profit, which has nothing to do with actual motivation.

And non-material incentives, which include:

• holding general corporate events;
• individual work schedule (possibility of remote work, separate days off if necessary, days off on birthdays, etc.);
• creating a favorable atmosphere;
• public positive assessment of the achievements of an employee or team.

As a conclusion, we can say that the introduction of a motivation system that complies with the listed principles may well lead to an improvement in the overall performance indicators of the entire company. However, this is only possible if we take into account personal qualities every employee. To do this, you need to understand what might interest each employee. This stage may seem difficult, long and inconvenient, but it can bring the most top scores and increase the competitiveness (and, therefore, profit) of any commercial structure.

Lack of motivation can ruin any business, even the most promising one. It happens that after some time after the start, the passion and excitement in action disappears. The first serious difficulties appear on the way to the goal. The initial successes have already died down and a long, difficult path is visible ahead. This is the very moment when you want to give up and give up everything. Familiar to everyone. What to do? How to re-ignite the flame in your chest and continue to conquer the peak? Powerful motivation can save the situation. From this article you will learn how you can motivate yourself.

Motivation is what motivates you to take action. Motivation is your catalyst.

There are two main types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

Extrinsic motivation- comes from outside. The stimulating factor is a certain external influence. Often this is the result of the activity itself. For example, receiving a gold medal at the end of school serves as a motivation to study well. Another example: an approaching thunderstorm forces you to speed up your pace towards the house.

Intrinsic motivation is a force that does not depend on external circumstances. This is the internal energy that gives impetus and encourages action. Intrinsic motivation is usually associated with the activity itself rather than the outcome. For example, you do what you love because you get moral satisfaction from it and feel happy at this moment, regardless of the level of success in this industry.

If everything is more or less clear with external motivation (set a specific goal, upon achieving which you will be rewarded), then developing internal stimulating power is somewhat more difficult.

Intrinsic motivation is when you enjoy the process of continuing to move forward. You conquer your fears and solve problems. It's the feeling of becoming stronger as you move towards your goal.

Self-motivation always based on desire. If you have that same “I want”, then any goal can be achieved without external stimulus. I have selected 5 simple and powerful ways to self-motivate that really work. I checked it for myself :)

Ways to self-motivate:

1. Learn to get a thrill from moving along the path that leads you to your goal. These pleasant sensations and feelings will push you every time you meet an obstacle. The best motivator is your positive emotions. You will no longer look for excuses to start or continue a business if you enjoy it. Started going to the gym? Need an incentive to continue and not quit? Pay attention to the work of the muscles, not to the pain that happens after training, but to the muscles themselves. You will be amazed at how pleasant it is to feel every millimeter of your body!
2. Use external type of motivation! For example, you want to learn foreign language, but it’s either not enough time or just laziness. List all the pros and cons of the result. Let's say you learn French. What will you get from this and what will you lose? It’s difficult to find negative aspects... But there are more than enough positive ones: memory development, you will be able to freely meet French women, 🙂 you will be able to fulfill your dream - to fly to Paris with the confidence that you can easily explain to the French gendarmes in clear terms French that you bet a friend and therefore ran through the Champs Elysees at night naked. 🙂 These are all jokes of humor, but the essence is clear: one of ways to self-motivate- know clearly what you will get in the end and why you need it.
3. Visualization. To maintain the fire in your chest, you need to constantly imagine the result and its positive consequences. Unlike the above-mentioned method, in which the main role is given to logic and specifics, here everything is based on positive feelings and emotions experienced from anticipation of the result and satisfaction with it. For example: if you want to lose weight, imagine that you already have the shape you are striving for. Start choosing a new wardrobe, imagine how new things will look on you. Another example of how to visualize is presented in. In addition, visualization develops thinking and imagination.

By the way, a powerful motivational fist is often created by a combination of methods 1+3. I believe that there is simply no better motivation than enjoying the process, and visualization helps to strengthen and shape these pleasant feelings on a subconscious level. And if we return to the example with the gym, then the well-known Iron Arnie (if I’m not confusing anything) said that during training he imagined how his muscles filled the entire space around him. And these thoughts stimulated him to study with even greater dedication and passion.

1. Another way self-motivation, which is probably familiar to everyone and is essentially the simplest and most popular, is to track your way to the top. That is, constantly celebrating small victories on the thorny road to the goal. This really helps to clearly demonstrate to yourself that all your efforts are not in vain. And even if at first glance there are no significant advancements, then in reality you will know how many steps you have climbed. It is especially important to follow such small steps at the very beginning, when you need to fuel your motivation with specifics. The most common example of this is to keep a journal and note what you have achieved to date.
2. Well, perhaps the simplest thing is strong motivational quotes, videos and examples. These are your assistants for every day in conquering the peak.

Try different combinations of these methods of motivation. And most importantly, believe in your success and keep moving.

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