Early on in my Entrepreneurial journey I realized how much mindset mattered when it came to being productive. Unlike a typically job where you have a boss or supervisor to hold you accountable, running your own business is the complete opposite. This is where self-motivation kicks in. With a job, if you don’t show up eventually you may be fired. But when is comes to running your own business, you don’t have anyone hovering over your back to make sure you follow through on your tasks. In short, you can’t fire yourself!
I find this to be a blessing and a curse. It’s awesome in the sense that you have the freedom to do as you please, however if you do not have discipline, this can actually work against you. This is what led me to dive deeper into learning how to get myself motivated. I learned through my studies that motivation isn’t created, it is generated! There are certain strategies that you can implement to get you on the upward spiral of taking action.
It was at a seminar I attended a few years back by Peak Performance Strategist, Tony Robbins, where I learned about the “Emotional Triad.” In a nutshell, the triad indicates that in order to change your current state you need to alter three things. Those three are, your physiology, focus and self-talk or (Body, Focus & Language). You typically can tell a lot about a person’s mood just by looking at their posture or facial expressions. And usually, it is due to someone’s thoughts or self-talk which leads them to a negative emotion. Think about it….is it possible for you to consistently feel depressed if you’re thinking happy thoughts or vice-versa? Absolutely not! So the quickest way to alter your mood is to instantly change what it is that you’re focusing on.
I also learned that your body typically influences the quality of your thoughts, which in turn alters your mood. I noticed this every time I would lay down in a couch during the day. After awhile, I would find myself feeling like I was in a funk and unmotivated. Then I would go for a walk and boom….it was like magic!!! I would instantly start to feel more motivated. The key was in getting myself moving. As Newtonian Physics states….”a body in motion, stays in motion.” So the next time you find yourself in a funk, go for a stroll outside! Another thing I realized was that if I dressed my best, consumed some form of caffeine and listened to some upbeat music, it amplified my motivation even more. It’s like the old adage, “if you look good, you feel good.” And to put the cherry on top….throw some empowering incantations in there! They are like affirmations but with strong emotions tied to them. One of my favorites is “I am the most confident person I know.” This self-talk attached with some physical exertion can go a long way. Those feel good chemicals like Dopamine and Endorphins take over and suddenly you feel unstoppable.
So to conclude, if you ever need to take some action, observe what has to be altered. Is it your body, focus or language? Perhaps you can grab a cup of joe, throw on some trap music and get your ass moving! Give it a shot and let me know how it works out for you:)
-JV