Read an Excerpt
The race of your life is like a marathon. Everyone has a different reason for running it. Some people may run it for health related reasons while others may run it to be a part of a cause. The same applies to our goals. We are all working towards something for a particular reason. What is the real motive behind your ambition?
You might be someone who comes from a poor neighborhood. So, your goal may be attaining financial stability in which your motive could be creating financial security for you and/or your parent(s).
You might be someone who was abused as a child and been told that you will always be a failure. Perhaps, you’ve believed it for a while. Your goal is to prove yourself and the other doubters wrong by working towards the goal that is going to complete you and make you feel ecstatic about life.
You might be someone who has a physical or mental disability. Your goal may be to prove to yourself and the doubters that you are capable of achieving whatever your heart desires.
You might be someone who hates their job. So, your goal may be to find a career that coincides with your passion, which will satisfy you personally and professionally.
You might be someone who hates working for someone else. So, your goal may be to start your own business or find a profession that allows you to be your own boss.
These are only a few of many examples that may relate to a person’s situation. Everyone has a motive. When there is a motive, the next to come is the motivation. The motive and motivation cannot be separated. They are dependent upon each other. You cannot have motivation with no motive or a motive with no motivation.
Perhaps, you may think that the words motive and motivation are interchangeable. It is true that the two words can be used synonymously in some cases. However, there is a difference that many people aren’t aware of. Motive is the specific reason for performing a specific action. Motivation is the feeling that makes you want to perform the specific action.
Do you see the difference? If not, let’s zoom in on it. The motive is the reason of why you’re doing it and the motivation is the feeling that is driving you to do it. In the following examples, notice how each motive describes the reason for the aspiration while each motivation uses words of emotion to describe the necessity for pursuing that goal.
Motive: I want a job that allows me to use my creativity because it can help improve a company’s sales.
Motivation: I’m tired of working a job that limits possibilities and restricts my ability to be creative.
Motive: I want to go to a college that pays for my tuition. A tuition-free education will eliminate my risk of going into debt.
Motivation: I hate spending thousands of dollars at a college, especially in this economy. I can’t afford to graduate with 50 thousand dollars in student loans and a strong likelihood of not finding a great career.
Motive: I want to be self-employed because I prefer to create my own schedule and make my own decisions.
Motivation: I do not like working long hours and working on the weekends.
You should now have a better idea of distinguishing the motive and the motivation. What is your motive? What is your motivation? The answers to these questions are the prerequisite to running the race of your life. Without those answers, you will be like a person trying to guess their way from Los Angeles to New York City instead of having a roadmap or GPS.
Most of us obtain driving directions in one of 3 ways: print out instructions (via Google Maps, Mapquest, etc), a GPS monitor, or a roadmap. You can say that a roadmap is akin to a blog. Blogs are known for their concentrated information on a certain topic. Print out instructions is akin to having a book. Like a book, you have to read the instructions to know how to proceed successfully. You can say that a GPS is akin to having a mentor. Like a GPS, a mentor is there to provide you with step by step instructions and ongoing support to assure that you stay on the right path. Believe it or not, following instructions can be difficult for some people. The fact of the matter is that it sounds easy but it is not always easy. Some people are too stubborn to do what they are told even if it will make them successful. As humans, we have a tendency to take ideas and analyze them through our scope of reasoning. The ideas that we are presented may make us doubtful despite its effectiveness. Some people will say that it doesn’t make sense to me so I’m not going to do it. There is no wonder why they are not successful.
I am not suggesting that you should throw your brain out of the window and do everything you’re told. However, I am suggesting that you take advice from successful people regarding your pursuits. Successful people know what works and they continue to be successful because they apply methods that work. Whether you’re reading their blog, their book, or a member of their seminar or coaching program, follow their instructions exactly. Don’t try to slightly modify instructions based on what you think will work. FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS!
