When you own or run a small business, becoming an expert in the art of self-motivation is one of those important duties you didn’t realize would one day be on your job description. Not only must you muster up you own motivation, your display of optimism and motivation is a major source of energy for all those who work with you.
In a recent column appearing on the website, Creativity Post, Dr. Brian Davidson, founder of the Intrinsic Institute, shared how his study of individuals ranging from students in the classroom to adults in the workplace, found these four similarities in the ways self-motivated individuals achieve such a positive mindset.
Self-motivated individuals cultivate a strong sense of purpose
High performers are driven by a cause greater than themselves. They use this strong sense of purpose to create and work toward goals that continually push them in a positive direction. If you are not loving what we are currently doing, chances are that the goals we are working on are not meaningfully contributing to your larger and clear sense of purpose.
Self-motivated individuals foster a growth mindset
Research at Stanford University reveals that individuals engage in thinking patterns characterized by two types of mindsets: (1) A fixed mindset, or (2) A growth mindset. Individuals with a fixed mindset believe that talent and intelligence are fixed and incapable of being improved. People with a growth mindset believe talent and intelligence can be cultivated with effort. Like the Little Engine that Could, self-motivated individuals “think they can” and thus, the can.
Self-motivated individuals maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses
Self-motivated individuals follow the advice of the ancient Greeks, “Know thyself.” They look within to gain an honest awareness of the strengths and weaknesses. Such provides them the opportunity to utilize their strengths on a regular basis while taking steps to minimize their weaknesses so they don’t have a negative impact on their performance. Self-motivated individuals can admit their weaknesses and when necessary, seek the help of others with strengths that can balance out their weaknesses.
Self-motivated individuals seek inspiration from their igniters and ignore their extinguishers
The self-motivated individuals turn often to the individuals they’ve identified as their “igniters”–the people who constantly make them excited about their goals when they talk with them. Igniters pour gasoline on the fires that burn within us, that make us more excited, committed, and motivated to keep working toward our goals. On the other hand, there are people who are extinguishers. They may be well-intentioned people, but they tend to make us question ourselves and doubt our abilities, which ultimately diminishes our motivation. The self-motivated turn to igniters, not extinguishers, when seeking advice or encouragement.
via | The Creativity Post, “4 Keys to Becoming Self-Motivated”
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