Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you respond to it”
Charles R. Swindall
If a person will succeed it requires motivation. The quality of attitude that keeps things moving forward. The personal fortitude to get out of bed in the morning put ones feet on the ground and attack the world with purpose and passion. It is the internal conviction that what one is doing is worthwhile and valuable and means something to those producing and those receiving the product, as a result there is a deep commitment to, as is said in the movie Finding Nemo, “Just Keep swimming, just keep swimming.”
For those who wish to succeed must develop a heightened understanding of motivation and how it works and doesn’t work in the daily attempt to be significant.
Could it be that there is confusion in the minds of most leaders and entrepreneurs about what motivation is, where it comes from, and how we achieve it?
There is a difference between inspiration and motivation. Inspiration is external. A person can be inspired by a song that stirs the soul, or a friend with a great idea, or a movie that tells a story of someone who beats all the odds or even a book that stirs the heart and makes one want to get up and go change the world. These are all good examples of inspiration, and there is no doubt that inspiration can get a person going, but it cant keep one going. Inspiration is a feeling, an emotional response to an incredible experience.
Motivation is a choice an action that keeps a leader moving forward and making progress regardless of being faced with an obstacle. Motivation is internal. It comes as a deep abiding conviction that a person will just keep moving no matter what.
Inspiration is largely externally induced while motivation is internally developed. External motivations while helpful aren’t as sustainable because they aren’t a result of personal efficacy. Inspiration is about the efficacy of others and how that impacts the way we feel. Internal motivation comes from an understanding of one’s personal power and ability to accomplish something even in the face of opposition.
Vision is a great source for motivation. Because vision is the answer to the question “why.” When one knows the purpose of a thing they are motivated to move in the direction of achievement. It’s exciting to be inspired but is is a deep conviction to be motivated.
So inspiration is great but it’s different than motivation. It is better to be motivated because one can not achieve meaningful success or significance without daily motivation.
