Self-Motivation

How To Get Yourself Self-Motivated To Do Anything You Want

To be self-motivated, you need fire in your belly. You need a burning desire to achieve your goals, and a strong determination to succeed in life. It is generally believed that successful people naturally have the fire within their belly, thanks to their genes. Others believe that the fire is “lit” in normal people when something drastic or sudden happens in their lives, and that event ends up being responsible to inspire them. While both these points hold true, the good news is, you can light this fire yourself in your own belly! There is a secret which I have been using myself to light my own fire. This secret is a three word sentence, only. What? Three words only? Yes, it is true, following only these three words you can light a fire in your belly, starting today! I won’t keep you in suspense for long, so here they are:

DOING WITHOUT THINKING.

Now, I don’t mean that you actually do anything without thinking, in the literal sense. What I mean is, when it’s established that there’s something you need to do that is important and is in the best of your interest (and of everyone else), you just do it immediately without thinking. Don’t give time to your brain to re-consider your action. And don’t listen to anyone who tells you that you can’t do it, because you can. When they say you can’t do it, they’re showing you their limits, not yours.

If you follow these three words, nothing and no one can stop you from succeeding in whatever you have set to achieve in life. These three words have been responsible for my personal self-motivation. Today, information is freely available on the internet. You must have done a fair amount of reading and research for succeeding in your goal, whatever it is. You already know “most of the things” that you need to do. Whether you want to lose weight, build your physique, make money, improve your relationships, or whatever. You even know that there’s no “magic pill” that will get you the results you desire without taking the efforts that are required. But you still continue to hope and search for that magic pill. You want the “end result” but you don’t want to take the “journey”. This, my dear friend, is your problem. And the only solution is, doing without thinking.

For example, you know that you need to exercise almost daily if you want to remain fit and strong, and live longer. So, are you doing it? What about eating healthy food and avoiding junk food? Are you generally in control or do you mostly give-in to your cravings and temptations?

If you want to succeed in your goal, you have to “do it without thinking”, meaning, you have to take the action that is required for your goal without giving it another thought. Primarily, you have to avoid two enemy questions that have a high tendency to come into your thoughts and prevent you from doing what you need to do, to succeed. These are:

1. When will I do this?
2. How will I feel?

When you have these thoughts, acknowledge them and bid them good bye. Show them the “EXIT” to the way out. “When will I do this?” Sorry boss, you have to do it right now, without giving it another thought. There is no “later”. “How will I feel?” Again, sorry boss, it doesn’t matter how you feel. If there’s something that’s important, that you have to do whether you like it or not, then you just have to do it immediately. No second thoughts.

By the way, do you know that highly successful people are “Very Bad” in doing one particular thing, which is why they are actually successful? This “one thing” is something in which everybody else is an expert. This one thing is….

GIVING CREATIVE EXCUSES TO YOURSELF AND OTHERS.

• I am not yet ready or mentally prepared, maybe later.
• I don’t have the time, or the energy, or the money.
• I don’t have the talent or skills.
• I don’t have the confidence.
• What will others think?
• Luck never favors me.
• I always try and fail.
• It’s too late now.

Etc., etc., etc.

Remember, for whatever action that you should be taking but are not, no one cares if your reasons are “genuine” or just “creative excuses”. Why should they even care, after all, it’s “you” who will be affected and not them. So please don’t give excuses, especially to yourself. Sometimes you need to do things that are counter intuitive; do it anyway. At times, there is no choice. Delaying the action will only make the problem bigger or the issue worse, over a period of time.

For example, if you were suffering from high fever and the doctor gave you a bitter tablet to take immediately, will you think “when should I take this” or “how will I feel”? Of course not, you will take the bitter tablet and that too, immediately. That’s because you’re suffering in the present and taking the tablet is a “magic pill” for you which will impact you in the short-term. You won’t make excuses to take that tablet.

Do you know the real reason why most people are not so motivated in doing things that are important in life, especially in forming good habits and leaving bad ones? It’s because if they don’t do that “important thing”, there is no immediate negative impact in the short-term. If you don’t exercise today, you won’t fall sick tomorrow. If you eat junk food today, you won’t become obese tomorrow. If you don’t floss your teeth today, you won’t get cavities tomorrow. If you don’t work on your marketing and business ideas today, your business won’t crumble overnight. You get the point, right?

If you don’t do something today that you need to, the sky won’t fall on you. But if you maintain discipline by forming good habits and sticking to them, soon, they will become a natural routine for you. And before long, you will transform into a much better version of yourself. As they say in Navy Seals, “The more you sweat in peacetime, the less you bleed in war”. The harder you are on yourself, the easier life will be on you. Don’t think, just do it. No excuses. That, my friend, is the real secret to self-motivation.

Before I end this article, I have one last necessary point to convey. I know that it’s easy to read an article and maybe get inspired, but difficult when it comes to actually taking action. It’s because life has it’s ups and downs. We’re so busy in juggling around with our countless tasks and responsibilities, that by the end of the day we’re tired and when it comes to doing something that is “important but not urgent”, we tend to put it off until later, because its not urgent. We think “Not today,  I’ll do it some other day”. That day never comes, unless you forcibly do it immediately, whether you like it or not. I’ve been in this situation several times and I’ve learned to overcome it. Let me help you too.

Remember, whenever you feel lazy or find it difficult to do any action that is important and necessary, ask yourself these questions:

1. If I don’t take this action now, what are the consequences?
2. If I continue to delay, will the consequences multiply or intensify?
3. What negative impact will it have on myself and others?
4. How will it affect my quality of life, and of others?
5. How much will this cost me financially, physically, mentally and spiritually?
6. How will it impact my family members and my relationships?
7. What regret will I have after a year? What about after 2 years? And what about after 5 years?

Then ask yourself opposite questions, like “What will be the consequences if you took necessary action today? What positive impact will it have and on whom? In what way?” Then compare both answers and take a logical decision. I can guarantee that this questioning method will convince you and give you the push required to take necessary action!

Challenge: Here’s my challenge to you. Think about what you have been delaying on purpose and giving yourself or others some creative excuses. Come on, think fast, we don’t have time. What is that “piece of action” that is important and necessary for you, that you have been procrastinating on, or you may be fearing to do because what others may think about you. Got it? Good! Now go and do it NOW. Don’t even delay a minute. Don’t think, just do it, now. And when it’s done, let someone you love and trust, know you did it. You can even let me know if you want in the comments below.

If you did it, I salute you! Happy to be of help.

P.S.: Don’t forget to subscribe to my mailing list, I’ll keep you updated when I put out more cool stuff!

Samir Jhaveri