I think that most people would agree with me when I say that being motivated is a large factor in whether we take action and get things done. Of course, it is possible to do things without being motivated, but you can’t be really successful without having drive and passion to get things done. So, it should not be a surprise that motivation is big business.
In any given bookshop, there will be a section for motivational books and cd’s. In spite of the fact that this is an area that draws on known truths, there will be new books and cd’s published every year. The old materials don’t become redundant – they just get pushed to the back of the shelves, to make way for the ones that look new and shiny. While a new book may be written by a different author, have a different title, and approach the topic from a cooler perspective, the core truths in it will be identical to those in a book published 50 years ago.
There are also countless people who travel around the world each year and speak at motivational seminars. Some of these speakers are genuinely trying to help people, although it is also true that people will pay almost any amount of money in aid of self-development. To round it all off, a simple search online for “motivational materials” returns a huge number of results: courses, posters, articles, books, audios and videos. Most of these materials are obviously not free, because motivation is big business.
Given that there is definitely no lack of means to motivate ourselves, why are so many people still un-motivated? I am suggesting that the main reason for this is also the reason why motivation is big business.
I believe it is fully possible for me to inspire someone else to become successful, but I will never be able to motivate them to do anything. Motivation cannot be passed from one person to another – it has to come from within each one of us. It is really very simple – no amount of external influence is going to have a hope of motivating you, unless you are able to manage this on your own (in which case the external influences become redundant).
If someone is going down the wrong road, he doesn’t need motivation to speed him up. What he needs is education to turn him around. – Jim Rohn
Until we individually come to this realization, we will keep paying others to endow us with motivation (and the viability of the motivational business is hence perpetuated). I don’t doubt that many of the so-called motivational speakers are well aware that they are not motivating anyone, but if people are prepared to pay, then surely they are still providing a service?
The major reason for setting a goal is for what it makes of you to accomplish it. What it makes of you will always be the far greater value than what you get. – Jim Rohn
The only way to be successful is to know what you want – that is: You need to know why you want to be successful. If you don’t have a concrete goal, the path will be ephemeral (and, as such, impossible to follow). Once you have a concrete goal, you will become motivated to take action. There is really nothing mysterious about it at all.
When you know what you want, and want it bad enough, you will find a way to get it. – Jim Rohn
Once you are motivated and are taking decisive action, you may benefit from some of the truths that are contained in so-called motivational materials. Technically, they are inspirational materials, and a large portion of these materials do fill the purpose of providing inspiration. The problem is that if I am expecting to be motivated, and I have an unclear goal, I will not know what to do with inspiration. It needs to be mixed with my internal drive and passion, before it is at all useful.
If you are not motivated, and you need some inspiration and assistance to set you on your path towards your goal, then you should consider joining a mastermind group. If you are interested, download this free e-book: Success in 10 Steps, and I will contact you with information about a mastermind group that has a proven track record of helping regular people become wildly successful.
