Motivation or inspiration

What’s the best way to get results? Is it to have motivation or to have inspiration? Well, from my perspective it is definitely inspiration, but you will need some motivation as well. What is the difference then?

Motivation is good to have in order to get you going, like taking that first step. Can be to actually get to the gym, or to start writing your post or maybe to start calling your prospects.  Motivation is mostly driven by fear: I must go to the gym or I will get fat, I must write that post otherwise my followers will let me down or I must make those calls to be able to pay my bills. Motivation is great short-term, but maybe not so great longterm. It will make results, but maybe just the results you need to get by and often not for long.

Inspiration is great, and will make you see grand visions, big goals and the perfect results. Inspiration is based on feelings and make you feel alive and ready to rock the world, but it tends to stay there unfortunately.

What I suggest is that you use them both in collaboration. You start by boosting up your inspiration with a lot of Why´s. Then start to think about what it can lead to, your dreams. And last boost up your motivation by thinking about what will happen if I don´t do anything.  This will lead you to have a thoughts mixed with emotions, inspiration mixed with motivation. The best thing is off course if you write it down to make it real and publish it to make it official, if you dare :-)

Then to get results, just think about one thing that you can do that will lead you closer to your dream. It can be anything, just a small research, a sketch or to take that first call. Just do one thing.

Then start thinking about the next thing you can do and do just one thing. As you go along you will get closer and closer step by step, and it won´t be hard.

Think about it as if you would plant a tree that slowly grows to become a wonder. You won´t see anything in the beginning, as long as it is in the ground. But when it comes up through the ground and get its sunlight, then you will see the results and then you will see it grow day by day.

Often we set big goals and think we can make it just by thinking about it or by making great plans and goals. But the fact is, that it is really hard to get there by share willpower. It is so easy to think you can do it all fast and then quit before you can reap the rewards from it.

To get more understanding about how you can take baby steps to overcome mountains, read my post and the book “The Slight Edge” by Jeff Olson

Take care and grow, little by little

/Peter