Over the years I have talked and written about motivation in many different contexts. I have given workshops on motivation and coached people whose motivation was lacking. I would first like to point out that there can be physical conditions that are causing your lack of drive but these cannot be addressed by a coach. As it relates to the mind, many things undermine our motivation from fear to beliefs. We have many inner roadblocks and beliefs that limit our potential and looking at these is important if you feel like your motivation is diminished. However, if you want to look at what stimulates motivation rather than what stands in its way, one of the best things I have found it curious.
Children are incredible learners. They seem to just absorb information from their environment. What children all have in common and many of us lose, or allow to decline as we grow older, is our sense of curiosity. People who maintain a high level of curiosity in their approach to life will continue to find the motivation to learn and grow. They are eager to travel, meet other people and experience new things. Our minds are wired to seek out novelty. Many people have become satisfied with the passive observing of novelty through the digital world and an abundance of television channels. Unfortunately, these sources of novelty tend to distract and numb our senses rather than exciting and motivating us. It’s time to find your childhood curiosity for exploring life in the real world again.
So how is curiosity going to help you get out of bed in the morning or to do those things you have been putting off? Simple, if you start each day curious about how it will unfold you will find the motivation to get out of bed. Where possible integrate some level of uncertainty or novelty in the things you do. Far too many people have a sense that each day is like the last. It can seem that way when you are stuck in your routines. If you don’t assume you know the outcome about everything that will happen in your day it will not seem as mundane. If you follow your curiosity your life may not be filled with as much boring routine. If you develop a habit of waking up each morning curious about how it will turn out you will be priming your mind to learn something new and expect the unexpected. This promise of something potentially new to experience will keep you mind more alert and your motivation turned up.
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