I`ll tell you about this simple way to stay motivated as long as you take full responsibility for the inspiration and drive you experience as a result. Do we have a deal?

Here is the secret: http://www.peterwmurphy.com/motivationfire.html

Take a look at highly driven yet happy people – what do they have in common? How do they manage to keep going in the face of one problem after another and still enjoy the challenge? So many of them are happy and clearly enjoying themselves. Can we all copy whatever it is they are doing?

Yes, we can copy one essential outlook that happily driven people share. In a nutshell we simply need to decide what is the important positive difference we make in the world. There is tremendous power in dedicating ourselves to a purpose that is meaningful for us. It gives us a good feeling about getting up in the morning, it keeps us on track all day long and at the end of each day we can enjoy the satisfaction of knowing we made a difference for others and for ourself during the day.

Purpose is all about how you live your life and it goes far beyond achieving goals. It goes beyond your occupation. There will always be more goals to aim for and there will always be activities and events to prepare for and deal with. Purpose is the theme song for your life. Its what really matters deeply to you. Its the playing field on which the games of work and play take place.

Let`s look at a few examples of meaningful purpose in specific situations…

- telephone engineer: keeping people in touch with each other

- convenience store employee: saving people time and aggravation

- friendly neighbour: the glue that keeps the community together

How to discover your purpose in life

Take a piece of paper and just write as quickly as you can the answer to the question – what is the purpose of my life? Then put your scribbled thoughts away. The next day read what you wrote and you`ll notice a few ideas really stand out for you. Some ideas move you emotionally. Look for a common theme e.g. justice, teaching, leading, supporting. Then, notice which quality describes what you have been about so far in your life. If nothing stands out right away keep asking the question: what is my purpose? Do so again and again over the next few days when you have time to reflect. The answer will pop up if you persist.

You`ll already be living your purpose in life but may not have noticed it. Pay attention to those strong feelings about what really matters and you will see that whatever has been a dominant theme in your life is in fact your purpose.

Your purpose gives you energy and inspiration. It matters deeply to you and gives you a very important reason to make your life count. Once you become consciously aware of this purpose you`ll see how it is behind everything you do, everything you say and its intrinsic to your true nature.

What`s great about knowing your purpose is that you can now turnaround all those activities you are unmotivated to do. All you do is decide to make being in alignment with your purpose more important than any dislike you have for a particular activity.

Let`s say you hate your job but your purpose is being a great parent. Keep your focus on how that job facilitates your purpose and you`ll be more energetic and positive about work because it enables your purpose to be fulfilled. This will completely change your attitude about work so it will never again be such a source of dissatisfaction for you. And, in time, your new more positive attitude could lead to better career opportunities.

Consider another routine chore you dislike doing and procrastinate on until the job gets bigger and more daunting. Let`s say you always put off the yard work until the grass is so high you don`t know where the dog is! Again, put your attention on your purpose for a moment. Let`s say your purpose is to create a happy and relaxed family life. Well, feeling why that matters so much to you is enough to get you started on clearing the yard and clearing the air when it comes to completing the chores you agreed to finish.

You can have a purpose in life and also a purpose at work, a purpose at home and so on. Your purpose in life is the big one that covers every aspect of your life. If you find it useful go ahead and get clear about your purpose in specific parts of your life but be careful about making this more complicated than it needs to be.

Lasting motivation is simple when you stay in touch with what matters most to you in life.

One of the secrets to Goal Setting and Success is enthusiasm.  It is something infectious that the people around you will get infected and the enthusiasm will spread around you.  The sense of passion will be among you.  Being enthusiastic and having enthusiasm differ entirely.  It is good to be enthusiastic but having enthusiasm is better.  To love what you’re doing will be easier if you put enthusiasm on it. We know how important it is to love what we do in order for us to succeed in our goals or dreams in life.  But as explained above, a lot of things may happen.  To bring back your interest for your goals, have enthusiasm on what you do.

Enthusiasm, when properly applied, can get you to success or achievement of your goals.  Enthusiasm can keep you motivated with your work and continue walking to the path of your goals.  What we need sometimes is a little push to keep ourselves going. If we put enthusiasm on it, and somehow influence those around us, we’ll be more eager to do our jobs.

• Most people feel motivated when they know that they are making a contribution in the progress and success of the company.
• Being heard is one of the things that is most important for a person.  Effective communication means listening to them – to their ideas, opinions, needs, etc.
• Acknowledging you people and the things that they have done for the company will help them feel important and most especially a part of the company.
• Helping them develop their skills will surely be appreciated by them.  Developing their skill will help them improve themselves and be motivated to work and use these new skills.

If your people are not motivated to work, it is a loss to the company. It will result to low production rate, a not-so-good atmosphere, and a negative energy within the company.  Some mistakes that leaders make is to assume what their people needs or overlook some important thing such as motivating them.  People or the workforce is a company’s most treasured assets.  They can either help the company succeed or they can destroy it. True motivation is not an occasional matter but is part of our life.

Or, as a wise old saying says: he (or she) who deliberates fully before taking a step, will spend all their life on one foot.

Here are some steps to help you deal with worries about making mistakes:

1. Accepting failure

One of the old movie moguls was once asked the secret of his success. He replied:

‘I was right fifty percent of the time’.

The message is simple: no-one is perfect, so don’t worry about making mistakes; you’re going to make them.

2. Be prepared

That’s the motto of the Boy Scouts and it applies in nearly every aspect of your life. The better prepared you are in whatever field of endeavor you are embarking, the less chance of a mistake.

So, if you’re building a swing set, read the instructions and get all the necessary tools. If you’re going on a job interview, get directions to the location, and leave early enough to get there on time.

3. Plan ahead

This has to do with scheduling. Whether you are painting a house, writing a report about the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan or taking your daughter to fencing class you have to set things up ahead of time.

How much time do you need to adequately complete the task? You can’t write a fifteen page report in a few hours. If you try to do so, you’ll fail.

Do you need some special equipment or materials to complete the job? Can you get it easily, or do you have to order it? Failure to plan ahead can lead to failure as surely as self-doubt.

4. Relative importance

As stated above, you will make mistakes in your life: they’re impossible to avoid. So, you have to learn to ask yourself just how important the issue is.

Often, the easy thing to ask is: in twenty years, will I look back and remember this issue? If not, then don’t let the fear of mistake rule your decision-making process.

5. Limitations

This is a delicate balancing act. On the one hand, you need to know your limitations and not try to take on more than you can handle. That will most certainly lead to failure.

Yet, on the other hand, unless you try to move beyond the realm of the possible into the impossible, you will never know what you can achieve.

This can mean dealing with failure, but that can also be a step forward; as the next point illustrates.

6. Take a tip from Thomas Edison

This is the man credited with creating much of the 20th century technology . Yet, he dealt with failure constantly.

When asked how he could do that and still find the strength and determination to go on, Edison just smiled.

The incandescent light bulb took hundreds of experiments to perfect. His attitude about each failure? Each experiment was merely one more he didn’t have to do again.

This is reflected in the Billy Joel song, ‘Second Wind’. In it, Joel says that you learn more from your mistakes than anything else in your life.

7. Avoiding risk

Making mistakes is one thing, taking genuine chances with personal safety – whether yours or someone else’s is quite another thing. Always be mindful of any risks connected with what you do.

Skydiving can be exciting and fun, but review the above points and be sure you’re ready to take such a chance.

Some people say that a hero is nothing more than a person who does what he knows is right, in spite of his/her own fears and self-doubts.

Be striving to make use of the tips outlined here, you can be the hero of your own endeavors.

Those feelings may come from things like losing your job, settling into your routine or simply boredom.

Other times, distractions and just a general feeling of complacency pushes us into a place of laziness, keeping us from doing our best and performing at our most effective.

Never fear! There are ways of countering that lull in energy and lack of confidence. Some of them may be easy to do while others may seem like they are a little bit more difficult to achieve. But they’re worth a shot, especially when you’re stuck in a rut.

1. Get out of bed, or the couch, or the house….you get the picture!

When we are unmotivated, it’s very easy to just stay home, under the covers, or on the couch…you name it. All the more reason, then, to get off your behind and move.

Go for a walk.

Get in your car and go for a drive.

Go visit friends, or buy some flowers, or go pay some bills.

Anything to get you out of the house and absorbing some sunshine.

2. Run errands

Face it: the electric bill isn’t going to pay itself. The packages you need to mail won’t hop to the post office on command. Your groceries won’t magically arrive at your doorstep.

Running some errands will not only get you moving, but it will inject in you a real sense of urgency and need.

If you don’t get these things done now, you’ll have to do them eventually. So why not do them now, when you need some motivation anyway?

3. Keep a positive things journal

Create a journal in which every day, you make a list of ten things that you are good at, things that inspire you (people, places or things: anything that inspires you), things that you see yourself doing in ten years, ten months, ten days, ten hours, even ten minutes!

The idea is to create a positive flow of thoughts and feelings that keep your confidence up.

4. Post a bulletin board in your house or your office with things that inspire you

I have one in my home office that has everything from phrases and headlines from magazines, to poems, to articles about inspirational people, to comic strips and even notes and drawings given to me by friends.

I look at it every day and add to it when I see something worthy. These things remind me that I have reasons to remain confident and they keep me from gravitating towards laziness.

5. Listen to some music

Find something that will keep you energized and ready for anything. Listen to feel-good, catchy songs. Cheesy pop music, as much as you may hate it, is great for revving up some much-needed energy!

Don’t worry. Go ahead and dance your butt off. You’re at home; no-one’s looking.

6. Drink LOTS of water

Why? This may not seem obvious, but the way we feel mentally often is affected by the way our bodies react to stress. Keeping yourself well hydrated will keep you energized and awake and will give your body some much-needed fuel.

Caffeine, while a quick energy boost, will ultimately dehydrate you, which will not only not help you, but it may also give you more issues like headaches and sudden drop in energy.

7. Surround yourself with motivating people

When I lose confidence in myself or get a little lazy, I have a list of about 10 people that I can call that will make me feel instantly better.

Some of them are gentle pushers; others are the ‘get-off -your-butt-and-do-something-already!’ sort of folks.

Regardless of their methods, sometimes family and friends know exactly what to say to get you going. Let them.

When life hits us with abrupt changes, or even when it just teases us with quirky little annoyances, it can be easier for us to fall victims to our own self-doubt and laziness.

The key is to have a plan of action so that we don’t succumb to those self-defeating vices.

You’ve been going a hundred miles a minute and now that shifty, unpredictable rollercoaster is catching up to you.

You feel like you have to keep going but you don’t know if you can, and the crashing and burning is imminent.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Nine time out of ten, we have complete control of that burnout.

We know that it’s coming, we know that it can and will happen and yet we do nothing to make it better. We do nothing do stop the train from crashing into that brick wall.

We can stop ourselves from becoming burned out and remain motivated to do our jobs while doing so.

1. First: stop and breathe deeply

Deep breaths are not only good for the mind; they’re good for the body. Your body feels more energized when it takes in oxygen, and you force yourself to focus and…

2. Regroup

Sometimes we’re so concentrated on doing what we can to finish what we started that when something goes wrong, we’re thrown off and we get stressed out.

That’s when you know you’re getting burned out.

Before you get to that point, regroup and refocus. Take some time to step back and look at everything, and decide what you’re doing and how.

3. Ask for help

Don’t be afraid to ask family, friends, or co-workers to help you through rough patches. Ask for their advice, seek their guidance, listen to their thoughts and opinions.

They will be just as eager to help you through your crisis as you are to get out of it.

4. Take a break!

You’ve been working hard, so much so that you can’t think about anything else. Sounds familiar? It should, if you’re prone to burning yourself out.

It’s OK to take a break.

Take a walk, get some air, call a friend, go to the gym, buy a purse: whatever you have to do to get your mind off the task at hand, do it.

But when you come back…

5. Remain calm, focused and steady

There is no joy in doing something if you are neither motivated nor focused.

When questions arise, remain clear headed and organized. If you find that things are getting too out of control and you can’t seem to focus no matter how much you try…

6. Just go home

Seriously. You will be no good to anyone if you can’t keep yourself from breaking down under the pressure of burnout.

When you start to feel overwhelmed, the best thing to do is just to stop where you are, gather your things and go home.

If you are home, then turn off the computer, turn off the phone and just chill.

7. Showers are wonderful things

A lot of people swear by baths, but I am a shower fan.

Feeling the warmth of the water hit the nape of your neck, it is by far one of the most relaxing feelings on earth.

Always keep a special aromatic soap at home, something organic or natural that you can use on days like these, when you’re stressed out and ready to break, when you’re not motivated at all and you just feel completely burned out.

Eucalyptus, sandalwood, lavender and chamomile are always nice. Enjoy the alone time and just relax.

When that is done…

8. Get a good, natural, full night’s sleep

Slip into your most comfy pj’s, grab your favorite comforter, get your room nice and cool so you can snuggle under the covers, and get a good night’s sleep.

That means more than the four hours you usually get. A good night’s sleep is about 8 hours of uninterrupted, deep sleep. Your body will need the release and will thank you for the rest.

A lot of times we burn out because we have not given our body the proper amount of time out.

What a difference a good night’s slumber makes!

9. Put your well-being before the tasks at hand

Remember that you can’t do a good job if you’re not taking care of yourself.

Be proactive in keeping your mental, emotional, and physical state so that you can counter any feelings of getting burned out by whatever you’re trying to accomplish.

These are just some of the things that you can do to make yourself less susceptible to burnout and get back your motivation. The more you put these things into practice, the more you’ll be able to remain calm and focused in the face of stress.

Is he brilliant or just crazy?

Most people will think he´s from a different planet when
they hear what he has to say. Still, I want to make
sure you get a chance to decide for yourself.

That´s why I made an online video to tell you about
the night Larry was ready to jump off the penthouse
roof.

(I did warn you. He´s an unusual guy)

Anyway, check out the short video over at:

http://howtotalkwithconfidence.com/Larry/Larry.html

(Only share this video with your open minded friends.
You´ll know what I mean after you watch it.)

“Well begun is half done”.

Getting properly organized, working up a plan of attack, and finding a way to make the job something you can enjoy are key to getting it done right, and getting it done well.

Let’s look at some of those points.

1. First and foremost, work on something you truly love

That single step will help to awaken your passion and enthusiasm. If you’re a writer, and you love stamp collecting, write a story about that. It doesn’t matter if you think it’s not a subject others will find interesting.

If you’re passionate about it, and put that passion into your writing, others will love your story.

2. Look to make the job something you can relate to

Again, look at the example of writing. If you’re given the job of writing a war story and that’s not really your favorite subject, look for a way to turn it into something you do like.

Do you enjoy romance stories? Then try writing a love story set during a war; make the war the backdrop for your story, not its focal point.

3. Working environment

Some people need silence to work; others find the lack of noise positively deafening. Does the sound of rock music get your heart pumping and your mind racing with ideas? Then get yourself a stereo or iPod and crank it up!

4. Manageable chunks of work

Often, people will look at a large task and throw up their hands in defeat. How in the world can they possibly overcome something so huge? Split the task up into smaller ones that you can handle.

An example: you’re going to set up a stand at a conference.

OK, break it down.

Find out what you have to do to be part of the conference.

Make a list of the things you’re going to need in order to operate your stand.

Obtain the items you need, get them ready and so on.

The point is, make each task something small and easy for you to handle.

That leads to the next point:

5. Make a list

Trying to remember everything you have to do is nearly impossible; make a list!

This will help you to focus and organize your thoughts.

Also, as you complete a task, you can check it off of the list. This will give you a feeling of accomplishment and further stimulate you to keep at it.

6.Take small steps first

This goes along with point 4.

When faced with a difficult task, and one that requires great creativity, many people find it hard to get from point A to point Z, especially on one step!

So, don’t do it.

As an example, when trying to write a story, start with something simple and build on it.

Do you think the novel trilogy ‘Lord of the Rings’ sprang fully finished from the author’s mind? This also goes hand-in-hand with point 5, in a different sort of way.

You start with a very basic premise as item one, maybe even something generic like ‘Once upon a time’ or ‘The boy walked down the street’.

Then start to add things to the story, change them and so forth. As each point becomes more and more complex, you gradually build a full-fledged story.

The same principle can be applied to any creative endeavor.

When looking to tackle a task, you want to excited and driven to get it done and get it done well. The key to that is finding the things that work best for you to do just that.

Not everyone is the same, so don’t feel you have to use these items in the exact order or method outlined. Use them as a starting point and modify them as needed to help you find the best means to tapping into your creative streak.

Do that and every job will be a joy.