What caffeine can't do for you.

Taking charge of your goals and getting "it" done takes a lot more than a positive attitude and a caramel macchiato with an extra shot of espresso.  Living the life of your dreams requires taking charge.  It means deciding what you want first; then setting SMART goals to have what you want.  The key is to find inspiration daily and identify ways to stay motivated long enough to achieve your goals.  Self-motivation doesn't come naturally to everyone.  And even those who are highly self-motivated need some extra help every now and then. 

How self motivated are you?  Are you motivated to achieve what you really want in life?  How hard do you push yourself to get things done?  We all know wanting to do something and motivating ourselves to actually do it are two very different things.  I mean come on, how many times have you told yourself you are going to keep a daily to-do list or join a gym or loose 20 pounds?  We have all been there.  What makes the difference between success at achieving our goals or not?  What's the secret for those people who seem to achieve one goal after another?  I will tell you...it's them.  It is their self motivation. 


Self motivation is the force that keeps pushing us to go on - it's our internal drive to achieve, produce, develop and keep moving forward.  When you think you are ready to quit something, or you just don't know how to start, your self motivation is what pushes you to go on.

OK, sounds good right?  But where does your self motivation come from?  Well, that's easy.  It comes from knowing your big "why".  Why is your dream, your goal important to you?  What do you hope to gain from accomplishing that goal?  How will it impact your life?  Knowing your big why will give you the inspiration to stay motivated.  Your big why is the under laying motive for setting and accomplishing the goal.

I believe there are five factors necessary to build the strongest levels of self-motivation:

1. Self-confidence and self-efficacy (the belief we can succeed).
   
   
2. Positive thinking, and positive thinking about the future.
   
   
3. Focus on our big why and strong goals.
   
   
4. A motivating environment. 

Let's talk about self confidence for a minute.  When you develop a strong level of self confidence in yourself, you will not only believe you can succeed, but you will also recognize and enjoy the successes of your past.  That will inspire you to build on those success stories.  The powerful momentum that results is pretty hard to beat!


To develop more of your self confidence frequently remind yourself of the achievements in your life, examine your strengths in order to develop them and set achievable goals for yourself that you will achieve and enjoy achieving in the process, 

As you begin to recognize how much you've already achieved - and understand how much potential you have - you will have the confidence to set goals and achieve the things you desire.  The more you look for reasons to believe in yourself, the easier it will be to find ways to motivate yourself. 


Build your self-motivation by practicing goal-setting skills, and combining those with positive thinking, the creation of powerful visions of success, and the building of high levels of self-efficacy and self-confidence.

Your attitude and beliefs about your likelihood of success can predict whether or not you actually succeed. Set goals, and work hard to achieve them. Examine ways to improve your self-motivation, and regularly reassess your motivation levels. If you actively keep your internal motivation high, you can significantly increase the likelihood of achieving your hopes, dreams, and visions of the future.