Different people can have quite different motivators, for example, by more money, more recognition, time off from work, promotions, opportunities for learning, or opportunities for socialising and relationships. Therefore, when attempting to help motivate people, it’s important to identify what motivates each of them. Ultimately, though, long-term motivation comes from people motivating themselves.
Often the biggest problem people have with achieving their goals – new resolution‘s included – is getting started. It seems that Sir Isaac Newton got it right with his First Law of Motion: Bodies at rest tend to stay at rest. Many people just can’t seem to get underway and as a result they simply don’t take action.
So, what does it take to get started? One easy way is to have someone light a fire under you—“if you don’t do X, by such and such a time, you’re fired”—or you light one under yourself. (“I am not going to sleep tonight until I have taken a first step toward finding a new job.”)
The problem with lighting a fire under yourself (or having it lit for you) is that eventually your backside gets burned. Read More