Lighting Your Motivation Fire!
Sparking Your Inner Motivation to Reach Your Goals and Change Your Life

Welcome to Module #5 of the Common Thread Success Academy coaching program on “Lighting Your Fire – Sparking Your Inner Motivation to Reach Your Goals and Change Your Life.”

So far in this program you have:

• explored the concept of motivation
• discovered what motivates you
• applied your motivators to a previous success
• learned what makes motivation wane

Now that you know what motivates you, and some of the things that can occur to weaken your motivation, let’s learn a process for rekindling your motivation so that you can successfully achieve goals in life that are important to you.”

Materials Needed:

Pen or pencil, note paper.

Print out Worksheet #5—“The Steps to Re-kindling”

Read the summary below on the steps to rekindling a goal. Take notes on the worksheet of what resonates with you most. 

Then return to this module.

The Steps to Re-kindling

Although the fire of your goal has waned, it has not gone out completely. Imagine that you still can use this fire—you can still get it going again. Maybe you need:

•  more kindling
• to blow on the burning embers
• to add more logs
• to move the logs around
• to add fuel

Once you have determined what the fire needs, you can create the flame again and bring it back to life.

The same is true for your own motivation. There are seven steps you can take to bring a goal back to life.

Step 1 – Restate your Goal. 

What is the goal you now want to accomplish?  Has it changed since the first time your set out to achieve it?

Step 2 – Acknowledge its Importance.

• Ask yourself, is it still important to you? Will this goal make a difference in your life?
• Does the goal meet the criteria of being compelling enough for you to act, and to challenge your status quo?
• On a scale of 1 -10, how important is your goal to you?

 Step 3 – Determine Your Motivator.  What motivator is operating for you now? (This may be different than the original motivator.) 

• Are you motivated by position or wealth?
• Power?
• Learning?
• A sense of accomplishment?

 Step 4 – Acknowledge Progress.

• This means progress you made when you originally set out to accomplish this goal.
• Note how far you traveled towards your goal when you first pursued it.
• If your ultimate goal was to run a marathon, did you run a half marathon?
• If you wanted to lose 10 pounds, did you lose 2?
• In rekindling your motivation, it is important to acknowledge that you are not going all the way back to the beginning, and starting from square one. You already made effort, and you already made progress. You have gained new knowledge and experience.  You have a “leg up.”

 Step 5 –  Put Supports in Place.  Determine how you will keep your motivation high.

• In order to do so, first identify why your motivation waned in the first place.
• Was the goal unreasonable?
• Were results unsatisfying or did they take too long?
• Did other priorities get in the way?
• Strategize what you will do to keep motivation high.
• Will you have more reasonable expectations for results?
• Will you pace yourself better?
• Will you make sure you celebrate each small success?

 Step 6 – Determine Action. Decide on a reasonable first step you will take.

• What is the first action or set of actions you will take to resume working towards this goal?
• If the marathon was your goal, but you have not been running consistently, perhaps you would reinstate a routine.
• Ask yourself: Is the effort I am making sustainable? Can I see this effort through to the end?
• Make sure your plan is reasonable and your effort sustainable. Make sure you give yourself every chance for success.

Step 7 – Lock it In with the Benefits. 

One of the best motivators for achieving your goals is to determine the benefits of your efforts.

• Why are you pursuing this goal? What will be benefits of your efforts?  How will your life be different when you achieve this goal?
• Write down your benefits and keep them handy for when you need a boost in your motivation.  Here is a great tip from TV Talk Show Host Montel Williams.

 

Remember to complete Worksheet #5 – “The Steps to Rekindling” – before continuing with this module.

Now that you have a powerful tool for rekindling your flame of motivation, it’s time to apply these steps to a personal goal that you would like to fulfill.

Print out Worksheet #6—“A Personal Rekindling”

Think again about the goal you stopped pursuing, which you identified in the last section, and which is still important. Write the goal down in the space provided.

Follow the steps on the worksheet, then return to this module.

The rekindling process is powerful for refueling your motivation to achieve your goals.  And you have a much greater chance of success if you know why you are pursuing your goal, have the proper plan and supports in place, and get clear on the rewards of your efforts.  You know that you can rekindle the fire of your own motivation if the goal is still important to you.  Then all it takes commitment and action.

Continue to Module 6.