When ‘IT’ really matters!

How often have you had a friend, colleague or even a coach trying to find a way to motivate you and they use some crass challenge – you know the one, if someone kidnapped your family or threatened a loved one of yours would you step up into action then. I have actually heard this challenge, “if you don’t make 5 cold calls or doorknock 5 companies the people that have kidnapped your daughter will do XXX…”

This is clearly an inappropriate analogy trying to stimulate action through fear not motivation. Of course, we all know what the answer would be, there isn’t a discussion, there isn’t any other outcome – you would do what was necessary! So how then is this tactic even credible or ethically used?

My interpretation of it is simply trying to establish where on the motivation scale you currently sit with regards to the activity you are focussed on. With the nonsense scenario above that would clearly receive a ten out of ten action, it’s as extreme as it can get.

 

10	Whatever it takes!!!
9	Wild animals couldn’t get in your way
8	It’s you or them
7	Good Fight – a battle
6	Hungry – want it
5	Competition is good
4	Systems and processes in place
3	Not a priority yet
2	You’ll get to it
1	Whatever – Manjana

Contrast false motivation with real motivation, when something happens a little closer to home. Recently a close contact of mine told me she had been given the all clear after a health scare – during the weeks of fear, fret, fight and fury I was not aware of her crisis. Sadly, an all too familiar occurrence as many of us battle against various challenges and illnesses both privately and more publicly. The sense of Carpe Diem really does kick in here and may well change your overall focus and direction – the motivation is very real!

What has got to happen in your world in order for you to take action, to be the best version of you that you can be, to take that next step? It’s not about waiting on permission from another person or an extreme life changing act to occur before you take action, it has to come from within, from you.

Perfectionism is something my coach has challenged me on over the past few years, that innate ability to procrastinate or FAFF about with something because it’s not quite right yet before launching or stepping forward. The branding police reading this will be of course saying it must be perfect before it goes out as ‘IT’ could negatively affect your brand – however if no one ever knows about ‘IT’ because ‘IT’s been hidden since the idea was first born how then will you ever reach those dizzy heights of success that you crave?

Using the scale above choose where you are currently sitting in relation to your motivation and application to get that ‘thing’ done, that ‘job’ ticked off the list or building that piece of ‘best practice’ into a much-needed habit.  Creating a false motivation will not last, something else will come up and take over, worse still waiting until it’s too late and then regretting will taste worse than not having tried at all. The time for action is now, now is when it really matters.

Now if you need help unlocking and finding your motivation employ a coach to help you – it can change so many areas of your life.