The biggest and most complex obstacle you will ever have to overcome is your mind. Overcome that, and you can overcome anything.
When I was in my late twenties, there was a season when my motivation hit rock bottom. I would look around and see others motivating themselves to do what needed to be done. But not me. For me, motivation was an esoteric, intimidating game where I’d try to make myself do something while my mind simultaneously avoided doing it. If I won, I’d have to do something I didn’t really want to do. And if I lost, I’d be one step closer to ruining the rest of my entire life. At least that’s how I felt. And I never really knew whether I was going to win or lose until the very last minute.
Obviously, I was not being very mindful at the time.
The good news is, with daily practice, I’ve come a looong way from those rock bottom days of haphazard motivation.
Nowadays, Angel and I coach clients on a daily basis who are struggling to motivate themselves through various life situations. And fittingly, we guide them through many of the same core strategies I learned and practiced over the years to get my mindset and motivation from the lowest of lows to a stable high point.
One of those core strategies involves mindful daily reflection.
The truth is, motivation can be fleeting, which is why we need to positively recharge our mindset on a regular basis. I was reminded of this a few minutes ago when I received an email from a new coaching client that opened with:
“I’m stuck… with worry and overwhelm and frustration… and just a general lack of enthusiasm! Any advice? What should I reflect on in times like this? I’ve lost my motivation!”
So today, with our client’s permission, I’ve decided to answer this question publicly, because I know we all need these reminders sometimes. Here are some key things I reflect on regularly — I call them 7-second reminders — to support my practice of nurturing a more mindful and motivated mindset:
- It’s not the weight that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it. You can use pain, frustration and inconvenience to motivate you rather than annoy you. You are in control of the way you look at life.
- Choose to be negative and you’ll find plenty of reasons to frown. Choose to be positive and you’ll find at least a few good reasons to smile. Truly, the most powerful weapon against stress and discouragement on an average day is our ability to choose one thought over another. Train your mind to see the good around you.
- Sitting around worrying is a misuse of your incredible creative energy. Instead of imagining the worst, imagine the best and how you can bring it about.
- One of the most rewarding and important moments when you’re feeling stuck is the moment you finally find the courage to let go of what you can’t change. Because when you stop worrying about what you can’t control, you have more time to change the things you can control. And that changes everything.
- Some people just aren’t ready to understand, and it’s not your job to rush them, change them, or teach them today. Prioritize your sanity. Remember, learning to let go of certain expectations, and detach from certain people for awhile, are two of the core paths to inner peace and progress. (Note: Angel and I discuss this further in the Relationships chapter of “1,000 Little Things Happy, Successful People Do Differently”.)
- When all is said and done, don’t let there be more said than done. It always feels better to be exhausted from meaningful work than to be tired of doing nothing.
- The task ahead of you is never greater than the ability within you. Imagine how much more effective and happy you’d feel if, instead of dreading and fighting against certain tasks, you simply got them done.
- Long-term success in life is a trifecta of ability, motivation, and attitude. Ability is what you’re capable of doing every day. Motivation determines what you actually do every day. And attitude determines how well you ultimately do it. Keep yourself in check!
- Effort is never wasted, even when it leads to disappointing results. For it always makes you stronger, more educated, and more experienced. So when the going gets tough, be patient and keep going. Just because you are struggling does NOT mean you are failing. Every great success requires some kind of struggle to get there.
- It will all work out. The long road has a purpose — the things you desire may not happen today, but they will happen. Practice patience. And remember that patience is not about waiting; it’s the ability to keep a good attitude while working hard for what you believe in.
And now it’s time for a quick reality check…
If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking you’re too young or too old to be successful or to pursue something meaningful, here’s a short list of people who have accomplished incredible things at various ages — young and old:
- Helen Keller, at the age of 19 months, became deaf and blind. But that didn’t stop her. She was the first deaf and blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.
- Mozart was already competent on the keyboard and violin, and he started composing music at the age of 5.
- Shirley Temple was 6 when she became a movie star in “Bright Eyes”.
- Anne Frank was 12 when she wrote “The Diary of Anne Frank”.
- Magnus Carlsen became a chess Grandmaster at the age of 13.
- Nadia Comaneci was a gymnast from Romania that scored seven perfect 10.0 ratings and won three gold medals at the Olympics by age 14.
- Tenzin Gyatso was formally recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama in November 1950, at the age of 15.
- Pele, the soccer superstar, was 17-years-old when he won the world cup in 1958 with Brazil.
- John Lennon was 20-years-old and Paul McCartney was 18-years-old when the Beatles held their first concert in 1961.
- Beethoven was a piano virtuoso by age 23
- Isaac Newton wrote The Principia (containing Newton’s laws of motion), at age 24
- Roger Bannister was 25 when he broke the 4-minute mile record – the first person to ever accomplish this.
- Albert Einstein was 26 when he wrote the “Theory of Relativity”.
- Lance Armstrong was 27 when he won the Tour de France.
- J.K. Rowling was 30-years-old when she finished the first manuscript of “Harry Potter”.
- Amelia Earhart was 31-years-old when she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
- Oprah was 32 when she started her talk show, which became the highest-rated program of its kind in history.
- Martin Luther King Jr. was 34 when he wrote the speech “I Have a Dream”.
- Neil Armstrong was 38 when he became the first human being to set foot on the moon.
- Mark Twain was 40 when he wrote “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, and 49 years old when he wrote “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”.
- John F. Kennedy was 43-years-old when he became President of the United States.
- Henry Ford Was 45 when the Ford T came out.
- Suzanne Collins was 46 when she wrote “The Hunger Games”.
- Leonardo Da Vinci was 51-years-old when he painted the Mona Lisa.
- Dr. Seuss was 54 when he wrote “The Cat in the Hat”.
- Colonel Sanders was 61 when he started the KFC Franchise.
- J.R.R Tolkien was 62 when “The Lord of the Rings” book series was published.
- Ronald Reagan was 69 when he became President of the United States.
- Nelson Mandela was 76 when he became President of South Africa.
It’s never too soon or too late to be all you can be. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. I hope that fact alone motivates you right now.
Your turn…
Please leave a comment below and let us know:
What do you try to remember when you’re struggling and need some extra motivation?
Anything else to share?
We would love to hear from YOU. 🙂
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Photo by: Will van Wingerden
