Motivation Vs Inspiration: Why We Need Both To Have Success

By Lachlan Haynes


We have all heard the saying, "Actions speak louder than words". But what does it really mean? We know that it is important to take action if you want to achieve your dreams and success. Often, a short term action is taken and the person attempts to continue to just use their words to carry them through. But words alone are not enough - it's action that truly matters. And long term success is about getting in the mindset to achieve sustained long term action.

So how do we achieve long term action? Two qualities rank high on the list, consistency and persistence. Not everyone is born with these traits but you do have the ability to learn them. A key tip that can help you learn persistence is to set aside your emotion. We are all very emotional creatures at our core. We experience our ups and downs, sometimes more downs than ups, and it is important to try to set the negative emotions aside to learn persistence. Some other key tips that are worth including are becoming accustomed to succeeding which can be done by setting small goals and meeting them, make small changes which means changing one bad habit at a time, and remember to reward yourself for every accomplishment.

Each of us is familiar with those random bursts of energy that can find us achieving some of our greatest moments in life. Similarly, we all have the tendency to begin a project, goal, or idea with a wealth of energy, which can dwindle halfway through and find us giving up, or simply becoming taken with a new project without completing the first. This energy comes and goes when life interferes with setbacks, depressing events, or other things that can affect our emotional state, which, in turn, impacts our professional and personal results.

Whether or not we are going through a rough patch, if our bodies are in good shape (plenty of sleep, physical activity, good nutrition, healthy relationships, etc.), we tend to feel pretty resilient overall. And, when we enjoy a good return on our investments - whether we are invested in school and are earning good grades, getting praise from our bosses, or whatever the case may be, our energy toward these activities remain consistent overall.

If however the opposite occurs and you're feeling stressed, hungry, tired, unhealthy and socially outcast then you're likely to feel pretty low. Worse still, if you start getting poor grades or negative feedback, it's likely that your emotional state will depress and you'll feel like giving up. That's only natural isn't it? It's pretty hard to feel good about these things!

This is the point where you must focus on turning short term action into sustainable long term action. In order to achieve big, you need to think big. This applies in not just your schooling but your future career and the rest of your life. You must envision your future. Where do you want to be and how will you get there? When you know where you want to go, you can start to plan the way to get there. This is an important step that should never be ignored. You must map out the success in your life. Once you have that road map in your hands, you may be wondering, but how do I get there? The answer of course is one step at a time. It may seem minuscule or daunting but it works! Those continued short term actions, or steps, will move you closer and closer to your dreams. Celebrate each step you take in the right direction and before you know it, all of those little steps have turned into big leaps - and you have achieved your goal with long term sustained action.

Enter inspiration, your spiritual guide. While motivation can come in bursts, be harnessed, and become sustained, inspiration comes from some place deeper inside of you. It is something greater and more powerful than you; and it lives inside of each one of us. You can find your inspiration with your desire for change. While motivation is a very powerful tool, it is often tied to a time frame or certain circumstances. It is more of a physical presence rather than an internal entity.

An easy way to separate the two is thinking about going to school. Do you go to school every day because you want to graduate and get your diploma? Or do you go to school every day because you possess an unyielding desire to get into the college of your dreams? And then graduate and have the job of your dreams or start an organization that could change the world? While both of these scenarios are driven by ambition and motivation, the inspiration comes from the latter; that feeling, the internal drive to want to do something, be something, and achieve more. This is where inspiration gives you the desire that will push you through, carry you through the ups and downs, and create sustained long term action.

Now is the time to really consider everything; to see yourself as a powerful piece in an even more powerful game. It's time to think about things like higher education, never needing a job that you despise, even the possibility of becoming a billionaire via the creation of something new that impacts people - even the entire world in a positive way! All of these outcomes can be possible for you; however, they require an ability to prolong your motivation long enough for it to transform into inspiration. Outcomes like these require that you can keep your eye on the big picture, while stepping evenly toward your goals every single day. Regardless of our circumstances, we can all direct our inspiration into unlimited potential - it is what you truly believe is possible that matters in the end. So, what is it that you are capable of - and how will you begin energizing your capacity to achieve it today?




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