I Need Motivation Theories

What sets successful people apart from the pack?

Is it luck, money, good lucks, and/or talent?

No, it is one small simple fact -- motivation.

People who are successful all share one trait --

they are motivated.

Of course, motivation really isn't simple at

all. That is why there is multi-billion industry

focused on self-help books, tapes, seminars,

camps, and coaches.

There is just one problem with using these

methods. When it comes to motivation one size

does not fit all. One of the elements that makes

human beings so endlessly fascinating is that we

are all individuals.It is the primary reason our

species has been so successful. It also means we

each have different interests, goals, and

motivation.

So before you can begin following any one of the

thousands of motivational programs available you

must first determine which motivational group

you fall into.

After some thought, study, and research, I have

come up with four basic motivational categories:

~ The Pessimist
~ The Competitor
~ The Minimalist
~ The Exhibitionist

The Pessimist

The Pessimist is personified by my husband.

Whenever he gets the smallest bit of bad news he

immediately leaps into the deep end of doom and

gloom. It doesn't matter if the problem is small

or large, he often reacts as if it is the end of

the world. If the satellite dish has a momentary

hiccup in service then he immediately assumes

the bill didn't get paid and our account

terminated and our credit score is now on the

decline.

It took me a long time to learn how to deal with

this. At first I thought it was real panic and I

would try to shield him from the smaller

hiccups, and even some big ones, of life. But

now I know this is actually how he motivated

himself.

When we face challenges, big or small, he works

himself through a familiar cycle. First he

outlines the worst-case scenario, then he

outlines his options for action, and then he

takes action. And when he takes action just get

out of the way as he moves very quickly -- and

successfully. Challenge faced, problem solved.

It makes me crazy but it works for him!

The Competitor

My brother thrives on competition. Whether he is

playing sports or working in sales, he is always

more successful if he has competition.If his

motivation flags he can easily juice himself up

with a quick comparison of his progress toward a

particular goal in comparison to others. He

likes to keep score and that keeps him

motivated. He wants to win whatever competition

is at hand.

Don't knock this method. By almost any measure

my brother is a huge success and has worked his

way from a contract employee barely able to

afford his two-bedroom apartment to a high-level

sales executive with a six-figure salary plus

bonuses to further incentivize him.

The Minimalist

Perhaps this person might best be described as

having a short-attention span. They need short-

term goals that are immediately visible and can

be achieved within a short time span. They can

go the distance as long as it is broken up into

smaller projects. Each small victory will spur

them on to the final goal but they need those

little successes to keep them motivated. In many

ways this label applies to me but I think down

deep that I am really in the final category.

The Exhibitionist

I know I fall into this category because I have

a very difficult time with goals that I cannot

see. It is one of the reasons I hate cleaning --

sure you can see the results but with a busy

family you know how long those results stay

visible!

Like the minimalist I enjoy breaking large

projects up into small, bite-sized chunks so

they are not so overwhelming. When I grade

papers for my teaching gig I always divide the

pile into several smaller piles so I can feel I

am making progress. I do the same with cleaning

-- first straighten the room, then dust, then

vacuum.

But it isn't enough for me to accomplish the

task -- I need to have a to do list that I can

check off as I go and then crumple up and

throwin the trash at the end of the day. I need

to be able to point to some visible success for

the day whether it is a shining kitchen, a stack

of graded papers, or a pile of completed

manuscript pages.

Which category do you fall into? Once you know

that much about yourself you will be better able

to find the motivation technique that works best

for you. Stop by the Words of Inspiration web

site and vote in our motivation poll and then go

get motivated!

Published At: http://www.isnare.com