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In a previous post, I discussed my thoughts on Inspiration, the I in IMPACTfull Life. Now we’re going to turn our attention to the 2nd letter in our name. M is for Motivation. Motivation can be defined as any internal or external stimulus which results in particular behavior.
Motivation has been studied extensively, and there are numerous books, articles and research studies dealing with all sorts of reasons why people act a certain way in a certain situation. We can even predict rather accurately how someone will act given a particular set of circumstances.
In the post on Inspiration, I told you my opinion was that Inspiration is what lifts you up, but Motivation is what gets you going. I also firmly believe you need both to be the most effective. Once you find your Inspiration, and combine it with Motivation and Persistent Action, you can Create a significant, positive Transformation in your life.
However, Inspiration without Motivation won’t get you very far. Let me give you an example: I’m always Inspired when I watch the American reality TV show The Biggest Loser, where contestants compete against one another by losing massive amounts of weight, but it never really Motivates me. Their transformations are nothing short of incredible, and their stories are very inspiring. But I can sit on my couch with a bowl of ice cream watching it and it doesn’t motivate me to do anything.
On the other hand, I can Motivate myself to do household chores without really being Inspired. Why? Because they have to be done, not because I want to do them. You can Motivate yourself to do things whether you want to or not, but if you’re truly Inspired, you’ll want to do them.
So, where do we find Motivation when we need it? There are a ton of books, articles and videos dealing with Motivation. In fact, I Googled “Where can I find my motivation” and got over 700 million results. With so many options available what Motivates me may not work for you. But let me give you a little insight into how I find my Motivation.
I am highly Motivated and productive on the days when I wake up knowing exactly what I want to accomplish. If I plan my day the night before, I hit the ground running in the morning. I don’t have to search for Motivation.
I saw this quote recently that sums it up, “The real reason to plan the night before is to deny you the option of planning again in the morning.” (from Shane Parrish, Brain Food newsletter 4/26/2026)
How many times have you ended your day thinking about the things you’ll need to do tomorrow, only to start the next day trying to remember all of the things you thought about the day before? Do yourself a favor and plan your day the night before. You’ll rest better by making a clean break from work, knowing that you have a plan.
That’s only one strategy, however.
On the days when need motivation, I have several other strategies:
I remind myself Why I am doing this.
I read or watch something to get Inspired or Motivated.
I review my goals.
I go through my Wants list.
I read my Statement to the Universe.
I read through a list of Positive Affirmations.
Sometimes I exercise.
But most importantly, I get started. Procrastination is the biggest de-motivator I know of. Sometimes I just have to get started to find my Motivation.
Again, what works for me might not work for you, so you’re going to have to do little experimenting on yourself. We’ll get into some of the things I just mentioned above in later posts, but for now I encourage you to find your Motivation and use it to propel you into Action so you can move forward.
So what Motivates you? I want to hear about the things you have found useful in your own life. Please share your strategies in the Comments section below. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers here, just tell us what works for you. Let’s help each other as we strive to make positive, significant transformations together.
You CAN make an IMPACT. You CAN lead a Full Life.