Motivation is perishable. Do you have days where you wake up, and you have a fire in in your stomach that burns throughout the day and you feel unstoppable? Why can’t everyday be like that? In life we all develop a decision portfolio, and the older you get the bigger your portfolio. What would you see if you looked into your decision portfolio? Do you consistently make choices that are aligned with your goals? Do you wake up every morning determined to be better than yesterday? If not, why do you think that is?
The only person I ever have to be better than, is the person I was yesterday.
I think those are words to live by. By competing with no one else but yourself, you can constantly resupply your motivation tank without getting discouraged. Your ultimate goal should be utilizing your full human potential, in your professional and personal life.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming – NLP
The name comes from “neuro,” referring to the brain, and “linguistic,” referring to language, while programming is the installation of a plan or procedure. Hence, NLP is the study of how language, both verbal and nonverbal, affects our nervous system. Our ability to do anything in life is based upon our ability to direct our own nervous system. Those who are able to produce some outstanding result do so by producing specific communications to and through the nervous system.
Alf Inge Stiansen is a Norwegian performance coach and consultant who specializes in NLP and performance management. His coaching is not only targeted towards business and career achievements, but also towards overall life fulfillment. He once said something that stuck with me: “In business we spend time to develop vision, values and goals. When did you do that with your family and for yourself?” This is a valid point. Do you spend time thinking about what your vision in life is, beyond your career and professional existence, and what values and goals you want to implement?
When it comes to motivation and self-help Tony Robbins is a living legend. Robbins’ work is influenced by NLP, but he uses his trademarked science Neuro-Associative Conditioning. Robbins has published two best selling books – “Awaken the Giant Within” and “Unlimited Power”. Watch this three minute movie on his strategies to maximize your potential, and see if you get inspired to “be a hunter of human excellence”:
Øyvind Hammer is a also Norwegian performance and motivational coach, who I had the honor of working with during my time as a sales manager at ELIXIA in Norway. It altered my life. I will take his lessons with me to the grave. Although his publications, website and blog are mainly in Norwegian, his ideas are universal. I want to translate some of his ideas, to give you an idea of why this man had such an impact on my life:
Øyvind has an ability to open your eyes to how you perceive yourself, others and how you react to things that are out of your control. He stresses that it is easy to go through life in autopilot, and living a life that you are not content with. We allow too many factors to alter our motivation and our goals; traffic, bills, stress & lack of time, bad energy projected by others.
Being present in the right now, not letting your mind wander with thoughts of yesterday, tomorrow and beyond, is a skill that few possess. Øyvind masters this, when you speak to him he gives you his undivided attention. He is genuinely interested in people, their individuality and what they have to say. You cannot alter the past. What happened, has already happened and the only thing you can change is your perception of the present. We often use the past as an excuse, if “that” had not happen, my present would be better. The easiest way to be present in the now, is to accept the past. Not only is it easy, but it is the most intelligent and efficient thing to do as you cannot change the past. Your present is where all your thoughts, energy and actions should be – because your present creates your future. Øyvind says that we should all live today as a consequence of how and where we want to be in the future.
In 2008, Øyvind decided he wanted to get a black belt in karate. The average time it takes to achieve a black belt is five years. Øyvind did it in one year. He then joined the Norwegian National team to Japan for the Karate World Championship as a motivational coach. Motivation is contagious, whether it is positively or negatively charged. We have all met people that seem to be so content with where they are, and simply love doing what they are doing. If you apply thought and effort to become that person, you not only help yourself but you will change the perceptions and attitudes of people around you.
Think about the various elements in your life. Work, your friendships, your relationship to your family, your physical health and level of fitness, how often you laugh and your relationship with yourself. These are all elements that you can influence. Øyvind asks how you would want those elements to be, if you could choose from the top shelf?
Motivation starts with a reason, a want. The more reasons you have, and the stronger your want is, the more fuel you have for your motivation tank to complete your journey that will bring you to the finish line. In order to find enough reasons, Øyvind says; ask questions, and write the answers down.
Then go on to write down your starting point. Where you are today will help you establish the distance from where you are and where you want to go. How much change is needed? The reason you are there is because you have created realities (excuses) that have allowed you to avoid pain, instead of achieving pleasure. In Øyvind’s words: “As human beings we are engineered to avoid pain and achieve pleasure. Avoiding pain is a stronger driving force than achieving pleasure.”
Remember, the only thing standing between your life being ordinary and extraordinary is extra. Find what that extra means for you, and make a strategy on how to incorporate it into your everyday decisions.
Mentioned in this article:
Alf Inge Stiansen
Twitter: @CourageousAS
Website: http://courageous.no/
Tony Robbins
Twitter: @TonyRobbins
Website: http://www.tonyrobbins.com
Øyvind Hammer
Twitter: @motivasjon
Website: http://www.hammerkoden.no/
Great Motivational Life and Career blogs:
