Mastering Motivation: Choose Your Direction Wisely

Motivation is the driving force behind our actions and decisions. But have you ever stopped to consider the direction your motivation is taking you?

Motivation strategies can be divided into two categories:

• Moving Towards something (Towards Goals); and
• Moving Away from something (Away From Goals).

Understanding these strategies is key to achieving lasting success.

When your motivation is directed Towards goals, you are fueled by your desires and aspirations. Setting clear, positive objectives can be a game-changer in your life.

On the other hand, Away From goals are fueled by the desire to escape something undesirable. While this strategy can provide short-term relief, it often leads to a cycle of temporary fixes.

For many people, they “tough it out” until they just can’t take it and then leave or do something different. For example, have you ever left a job or a relationship because it finally got too difficult to sustain? Unfortunately, with Move Away strategies a person is looking behind them, leaving something behind rather than looking forward towards what is next. This is why, too often, they find themselves back in a similar situation with a different appearance.

Similarly, when it comes to the body, for example, people focus on losing weight rather than on getting healthy, or not hurting instead of feeling good. As soon as the discomfort is gone, they let up on their motivation. Once the calf pain has subsided the stretching ends rather than continuing to stretch regularly to continue feeling good. Or, once they get under a specific weight (a number that remains a focus to the unconscious) they eventually creep back to where they were instead of creating new goals that keep the unconscious driving forward.

Identifying which strategy you tend to use is essential.

Are you a "Towards" person, striving for your dreams, or an "Away From" person, running from what you don't want? Discovering your natural inclination can help you make conscious choices.

By identifying what you want rather than focusing on what you don’t want, and shifting your focus towards positive goals and finding intrinsic motivations, you can achieve long-lasting success, even when challenges arise.

Motivation is a powerful force, but understanding and harnessing it is the key to success. By mastering your motivation strategies and setting your sights on meaningful, positive goals, you can achieve the life you desire. It's time to take control of your direction and steer your life toward success!