Motivation
Have you ever stopped and thought about what motivates you? I’m not talking about what motivates you to go train and go to the gym. I’m talking about the deep underlying “root” cause of all of your motivation. Why do you eat this vs. that? Why do you buy this item vs. that one? Why do you use this brand of makeup or perfume/cologne vs. another one?
I could be wrong about this, but I think it’s for one sole reason. Because it makes you feel good! And you want to feel good, right? What happens though when your actions only make you feel good for a short period of time? There is a huge difference between internal and external change. Once our basic needs are met, no external stuff will change how we feel on the inside. And yet our society is infatuated with the consumption of stuff.
Does buying that 35th pair of designer jeans actually change who you are as a person? Do the jeans or the purchase of the jeans make you feel any different about who you are deep down inside? Are you truly happier? When you purchase the new watch/jeans/shoes/CDs how long does that good feeling last? For you, does it last an hour, a day a week? I wonder. When you choose the Fettuccini Alfredo vs. the Miso Salmon with asparagus, how do you feel? Many people receive a deep sense of immediate satiation upon eating the fettuccini. But that feeling usually only lasts a few minutes up to an hour where it then turns into something else. Typically then, the bloating, gas, lethargy, and guilt all kick in. The ironic part is most people continue with these same actions even though a part of them knows that it will not change how they feel over the long term. However, these actions do provide them with something very important – the sense of feeling better immediately.
There is no lag time when buying a new pair of shoes, or having that next drink. The gratification is immediate. Where as internal change or lasting change requires three different things:
1) A person must be willing to change their mindset and then commit and follow through with the new action.
2) They must be willing to delay their sense of gratification.
3) They must realize that this change will require work and more than likely, different actions.
This is the complete opposite from our immediate gratification, consumption-based society. Now, before I get any hate mail, let me clarify a few things. I, too, like new things. I, too, enjoy a glass of wine every now and then and yes, I have eaten Fettuccini Alfredo. However, I realize that behind each of my actions is the desire to feel good and I keep this in consideration when making decisions. As I see it, this is the first step.
The first step is to awaken to your deeper (root) cause of your motivating factors. The second step is for you then to decide whether or not your action will produce the desired outcome and most importantly will it last.