If
you can dream it, you can DO it! - Disney
Leap and the net will appear! - John
Burroughs
Nothing in Life is impossible. The word itself says "I'm
possible". - Audrey
Hepburn
These, and a thousand more blindly positive platitudes
float through our culture from well-meaning parents, teachers,
preachers, speakers, and tacky posters in the hallways of companies
around the world.
I'm guilty of repeating these quotes over the years -
mostly to myself, in an effort to get myself going. My problem? I'm a
realist. Pragmatist perhaps. Even a cynic, those close to me would
say. My bigger problem? I'm a motivational speaker. Or, for those
that hate that term (me among them - but it's the most general,
recognizable term for the world), you can go with 'inspirational
speaker' (but that offends non-spiritualists), or 'transformational
speaker' (whatever that means), or even 'GIMP speaker' (which you
might think is a crass term for disabled speakers like me, but
actually stands for 'Great Inspirational & Motivational
Presenters', or so my coach Tom told me after he came up with it).
But I digress.
I have a love/hate relationship with 'motivation'. Even
though it's fairly well accepted that no one can motivate someone
else, because motivation is an intrinsic force (finding a source for
this is a bit of a wild google chase, but no matter), people in
general tend to A. Believe they CAN motivate others, B. have a desire
to be externally motivated, C. believe they aren't getting the right
motivation from others, and therefore blame them for not being
motivated, and/or D. complain that motivation doesn't last (which
reminds me of a favorite Ziglar quote - “People often say that
motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing – that's why we
recommend it daily.”)
People WANT motivation. NEED motivation. SEEK OUT
motivation from books and music and speakers, and depending on our
psychological makeup up, from exercise, food, and even sex.
Here's the problem - the motivation so many people think
they want isn't motivation at all. It's a dopamine hit. A rush of
energy that we are able to harness for varying lengths of time to
help us work. That's not motivation. It's a drug hit.
But, perhaps I digress again.
The question you might be asking, and that I have asked
myself many times, is "If you don't believe people can be
motivated by others, why do you do what you do? What is 'WinAnyway'
if not a motivational message?"
Fair
question.
WinAnyway, and me as the "WinAnyway Guy", is
all about realistic motivation - encouragement aimed at giving my
audiences the means to realistically and consistently find the
motivation within themselves. I can't motivate you, but I can guide
you to regularly accessing your intrinsic motivation.
It's a simple process - Review, Celebrate, Redesign, &
Act. Whether you've attempted a task and failed, attempted a task and
succeeded, or are simply at a resting point figuring out where to go
from here - motivating yourself to move forward again takes
self-examination.
Review: Where were you? How far have you come? Whether
you look back years, days, or even a few hours, remembering where you
started is important. Even if you've taken steps backward. Every
journey comes with setbacks and victories - big and small. We have
been trained to ignore the small victories if we don't experience a
large one, and conversely, even if we don't suffer a large setback,
we often magnify the smallest of mistakes along the way. Taking time
to review and take inventory of the reality of what has happened
along the way puts you in a position of clarity and strength moving
forward.
Celebrate: What did you learn? What progress did you
make? What have you survived? The answers to these all give you
reason to celebrate, even if the world may tell you you should only
celebrate your final victory. This doesn't mean you need to spend a
ton of money on some extravagant event or trip - though, if that's
the level of celebration your life allows, I'm the last one to stop
you. My celebrations are simple, and more geared toward respite and
recharging - maybe a movie, or a night out with family (or alone!),
or buying that book you've put off buying because, well, you didn't
really NEED that faux leather bound copy of Huckleberry Finn, but it
sure would look nice on that bookshelf. These rewards preserve your
self-esteem, protect you from focusing on outside negative judgments
that can quickly fester as internal negative judgments, and help you
build internal emotional energy (read:
motivation) to move to the next step.
Redesign: After celebration, it's time to turn your
attention back to your journey - back to your goal. What changes can
you make in your approach? Is it simply a matter of starting over, or
do you need to start differently? What resources and allies can you
bring in that will help you over obstacles you've yet to overcome?
Here's a big question many don't want to ask: is this still a goal
you want to pursue?
The Redesign stage offers options - and one of those
options is to quit. QUIT? OMG! The world hates a quitter! Still,
quitting can yield bigger and better results if done with intention
and thoughtfulness. Maybe you've grown beyond the goal you've been
trying to reach. Perhaps you see a different goal altogether that is
just as valid, or even more valuable, than what you been trying to
achieve. Oftentimes, we see other options open up even as the doors
to our original goal repeatedly slam shut. Quitting doesn't have to
mean giving up - and really, it shouldn't. But if you quit in order
to shift, you may just find your next journey goes smoother and
faster - and farther.
Finally - Act. No good motivational formula is complete
without a call to take action. Maybe massive action, as Tony Robbins
likes to say. Maybe just a step further than you've gone before. But
you've got to do something now that you have a newly designed plan,
and maybe even a newly determined outcome.
The WinAnyway life isn't about false platitudes. Yes,
dream. Yes, take chances and leap - after at least taking a peek.
Yes, more is possible for us than we often believe. Maybe even just
go all in the first time - and if you achieve your goal - GREAT. For
the vast majority of the you, however, you will face failure.
Unexpected challenges that stop you in your tracks. Partial success
that leaves you wanting. You'll feel like a loser, and the outside
world will affirm that belief.
WinAnyway was built off one question: Are you who you
want to be, or who the world has let you become? Use it to build off
the knowledge of where you've been, to create self-esteem through
celebration, and renew your energy by redesigning your plan - and
your internal motivation will be replenished and ready for your to
draw upon - regardless of what the world is throwing at you.
Motivation and Reality CAN mix, and you can define your OWN
success...and put yourself in position to Win...Anyway.
Bring the
WinAnyway message to your organization - contact Rich at
Rich@RichHopkins.com,
or call 303-345-8487.
