|
Author: Kevin Eikenberry Article source: http://www.kevineikenberry.com/. Used with author's permission.
When I meet people and tell them what I do, I often hear, "Oh, you are a motivational speaker," with some amount of assuredness in their voice. While I realize there are many speakers that people lump into this category (some who are my friends and mentors), I strongly disagree with that label.
Do I speak? Yes.
Can I inspire, challenge thinking, provide ideas, input, and encouragement (and in smaller settings), provide feedback? Yes I can.
Can I motivate? No I can't.
DIY
There is a channel on my television called DIY - The Do It Yourself Network. On this channel you can learn how to make drapes, redo your landscape, take care of your yard, build a deck, make unique crafts, and much more. Many people must watch it, because it has been on my television for several years.
Actually this doesn't surprise me. People want to learn how to do new things. They want to avoid the cost of the expensive plumber, carpenter or painter, and they like the pride that comes with seeing the results of their efforts.
If people do the things they learn about (rather than just watching) they are doing it because they are self motivated. No crafty, clever, or comical TV host has motivated them - they have motivated themselves.
It is the same with our personal, professional and business projects - we may work with others and need expert coaching, advise, counsel and encouragement, but in the end these are "Do it yourself" projects too.
Five Suggestions
Here are five things you can do to make your own improvement and growth and "do it to yourself" project.
1. Have a reason for doing. If your windows are bare, you know you need drapes. If your grill sits in the grass, you know you want a deck in your backyard. What is the reason you want to improve your skills or habits or achieve new results? Having a clear goal is the first step towards self motivation. If you watch the TV show because you are interested, but don't need that skill, you will just watch. If you listen to a great speaker or read their book and don't have a clear goal, you'll get no more than an enjoyable experience.
2. Take action every day. You have your goal, your reason, so now take action. I can't take that action for you any more than Bob Villa, your boss or a family member can. Make a plan and get started. You don't have to carve out two hours in your already over crowded day, but do something. Take a step towards your self-improvement project every day. At least one thing, every day.
3. Put in the positive stuff. Many people who are learning to build that deck buy books, magazines, and software; go to the local hardware super center for classes and ask for advice, and much more. Are you putting anywhere near this amount of time, effort, and money into reaching your personal or professional improvement goals? Read or listen to the positive, uplifting material each day. Consider it inspirational fuel for your own motivation.
4. Lose the Losers. Do you have people around you who aren't willing to invest in themselves? How much time are you spending with those who ridicule or put down your efforts? While you may not be able to remove these people from your life, you can reduce the impact their attitude has on you. Recognize how they negatively impact you and move on.
5. Turn off the TV. Yes, even football, I remind myself. Am I saying you should not watch any television? No, but TV is the major time stealer in our society and is a self reinforcing habit. Every show has commercials for other shows. So not only are watching others achieve their goals while we aren't achieving ours, but we are being bombarded with messages about products we don't need and being convinced to watch even more. You will find as you watch less TV it gets easier to watch less. Why? In part because you won't know what is on!
The person who learned how to dry wall his own basement when asked why they chose to do it says something like, "I figured no one would care as much about the quality of the job as I would, so I decided to learn myself. Besides, I have so much more pride in the results."
These are great reasons to "do it yourself." Apply that same logic and reasoning to yourself. Don't ask me to motivate you. That is your job. Just like the expert on TV, I can help show the way and help you see that it is possible. But in the end, it is your life, your results, your project.
Go out and Do it yourself. Kevin is Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. Kevin publishes Unleash Your Potential, a free weekly ezine designed to provide ideas, tools, techniques and inspiration to enhance your professional skills. Go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/current.asp to read the current issue and subscribe.
Reasons Why You Should Have A Weblogger Installed On Your Web Site
I don't know about you, but when I built my first web site three years back I don't know anything about the webloggers. One day when I checking the features of ...
Eating Healthy with a Meat Grinder
Americans consume too much saturated fat and cholesterol in their diets. A meat grinder can help anyone who is looking for a way to control the amount of fat an...
Home Loans: To Substantiate Financial Possibilities On Your Land
Home loan are loans that require you to place your most valuable assets that is your home as the guarantee. Home loans throughout the loan market are available ...
Cut to the Quick - What is an Entrepreneur? The Inside Story
Its a ubiquitous term, vague even. Lets tune in, to understand for real what an entrepreneur is...
What is Candida?
Everyday, Candida causes numerous health problems and discomfort for over 30 million men and women, and it is estimated that nearly everyone has or will eventua...
Why Is The Social Elite Liberal?
Looks into why the social elite has a liberal bias.
Tricks For Removing Snow Easily Using Snow Throwers
The article on snow thrower will tell you how snow throwers work, the technical information regarding gas engine snow throwers, and tell you tricks to make remo...
Do You Build Or Buy? (Tips On Leadgeneration)
How to build your own "goldmine" of quality subscribers
Three Building Blocks of Leadership
It's not enough to declare that your selected candidate for promotion to supervisor is now a "leader." You must provide him or her with three essential building...
The Top 10 Habits of Organized People
Have you ever wondered how some people seem to have "it all together - all the time," while you struggle with deadlines, misplace items, and run late for appoin...
High Risk Personal Loan and High Risk Loans
High risk personal loans are for people who have a troubled credit history, but need money to pay current debts or unexpected expenses.
Fibromyalgia Pain: How Using Visualizations May Bring You Relief
There are many theories about what causes fibromyalgia. One is that it's due to an overly stimulated sympathetic nervous system. Here's some background on that ...
Sellers, Are You Having A Hard Time Selling Your Home?
Solution for homeowners who are having a difficult time selling their home.
Caregivers Need Vacations: Guilt Can Be Reduced
Jacqueline Marcell,well-known eldercare expert/speaker and author of the best-selling book, "Elder Rage", offers steps caregivers can take to reduce guilt and e...
7 Perks to Living a Life on Purpose
Have you ever felt like you were living Groundhog's Day, same old
same old over and over and then you expire. This is the real reel,
there is no sequel to th...
The Secret of Weight Loss
Millions of people approach weight control, focusing on the symptom. The symptom being the weight itself. These people put all their energy into baking it off, ...
Tap Employee Passion For Business Success
Meriwether Lewis set the stage for the Corps of Discovery's success before one single "employee" had been hired. From the outset Lewis and Clark engendered a co...
Introduction to the Law of Attraction and Unlimited Wealth
This article was written for one purpose: To explain to you as effectively as possible, exactly what you can do to have everything in your life that you can pos...
Virginia Real Estate – Living in History
Virginia has played a central role throughout the history of the United States. With reasonable prices, you can live in the middle of it with Virginia real esta...
Web Coach Tip: 10 Ways To Grab Your Prospects Attention Just by Using Your Photo
Get your prospects to notice you right away with these 10 easy tips.
Fetal Development Month by Month
Your first month of pregnancy your baby will accomplish many things, first and foremost, conception, fertilization, and implantation. After a woman ovulates, th...
Hypnosis Way of General Indications of Deceit
When the subject is changed, he's in a better, more relaxed mood. The guilty wants the subject changed; the innocent always wants a further exchange of informat...
A Short Biography on Some of Europes Most Loved and Hated Monarchs - Pt 3 King Ludwig II
During the last thousand years, European Monarchs have ruled Europe and the world with an iron fist and by fear, compassion and hatred. As their wealth grew fro...
Can You Escape the Trap of Ever Growing Debt?
Can You Escape the Trap of Ever Growing Debt?
|
Print this page