Do you ever feel like you just don’t care?
Maybe you really do care, but you just don’t have it in you today? Like you know exactly what you need to do, and you want to get it done, but you just can’t find the motivation to actually do it.
Motivation can be elusive, sometimes you have it, but then when you actually need it, all of the sudden you’ve got nothing in the tank. Or maybe you gave it your best, but somehow that wasn’t even enough, so you don’t want to try again. This struggle is real for most of us.
We are often derailed by the many surprises that life presents and can even shut down when those surprises bring chaos. Other times, we may have fallen into a season of apathy or discontent because of a lack of passion or purpose.
Whether it’s chaos, apathy, or something in between, you’ve got to figure out what’s really driving you or stopping you. Is it money, others’ expectations, fear of consequences, or your own dreams? Whatever it is, you have to figure out your why.
This idea was popularized by Simon Sinek through his famous TedTalk from 2009. During this presentation, Sinek describes what he calls “The Golden Circle” and said it all comes down to your why.
Why do you get out of bed in the morning? Why do you care about some things more than others?
What’s the driving force that compels you to take action? This is what we have to discover.
Finding a more powerful reason for why you need to do something can often be the catalyst to discovering another level of motivation. Once you discover your why, then you can use that as the fuel to motivate you, because your “why” is, ultimately, what drives you.
Think about a time when you stepped up to tackle something that was very challenging. What drove you to take action? Sometimes, if we can figure out the patterns that have worked in the past, we can repeat them to find similar success. There are other times when what used to work just doesn’t get it done anymore. In these times, we may need to find a greater purpose to inspire us.
Imagine if the next time you made up your mind to do something you were able to dig deep, find that deeper motivation and achieve what’s set before you. Imagine what it would feel like and how it might benefit those around you. Many times, when we won’t do something for ourselves, we may be willing to do it for the sake of others.
Can you envision how taking action might benefit your family & friends?
What might be the cost of not taking action? Sometimes we can be motivated by seeing the impact of not doing the thing we need to do. Would staying stuck have a greater cost to those around you? How can you help protect them from those outcomes by doing what you need to do?
We don’t live in a vacuum and our decisions always have a ripple effect, our indecision does as well.
The process of uncovering your why can be difficult, especially alone. How can you invite a trusted friend or mentor into this process with you? Could they benefit from helping you? Take some time to consider who you might trust to dig deeper into what motivates you. If you want our help digging up what’s underneath, in order to discover your why, contact us here.
