I agree a positive attitude is very important- it is a lot easier to motivate yourself when things are going well than when they are not going well.

I find it's the little successes I have which give me confidence and motivate me to build on these.

I think self motivation is extremely important. If you have a high amount of self motiviation, when others potentially lose hope in you, your self motivation gives you the power to suceed.

Just have confidence and trust in God

I believe that motivation comes in different forms for different people.

It basically comes down to either

A) Motivation to avoid pain

or

B) Motivation to gain pleasure

For most people, myself included, my motivation to avoid pain is by far the stronger of the 2.

How do I use this to my advantage? I look at certain results I am trying to achieve in my life and I put myself in situations where I MUST take action towards these goals in order to AVOID pain.

Example - 2.5 years ago I was just starting out as an entrepreneur after having a high paying corporate position for the previous 7 years. I wanted to be a personal development speaker. I had major anxiety around speaking but the goal of being a speaker was a big deal to me. I went out and pounded the pavement and eventually found 3 paid speaking gigs...average audience size 150 people. I had 8 weeks to prepare. Was I nervous..HELL YEAH...but the motivation was there EVERY SINGLE DAY until my speech date arrived. I worked my ass off and developed a ton of skill in those short 8 weeks. Had I not set the aggressive goal, I probably would have taken zero action due to low motivation.

That's how I get motivation to work for me!

Peace

Motivation for me comes from knowing what it is that I want exactly. I have a definitive plan of action and I take the necessary steps to make it happen. It is so important to always know what you are going to do next after each step. Make sure that your to-do list everyday has things that get your close to your goal.

I also think a key point is not confusing "action" with "productivity". In any endeavor, and certainly IM, it is easy to dupe oneself into confusing action with real productivity. I ask myself every day, usually several times a day....

Is what I am doing directly related to increasing my business?

and along those lines...learning the art of prioritizing the actions that relate to the above...by prioritizing, I mean doing the things first that will result in revenue...then moving onto other things that are worthwhile, but maybe not crucial.

Keeping yourself on a track, day in and day out asking yourself that question and then prioritizing is the key to execution of any plan.

Best,

Neal

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Thanks for sharing views

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I've never had a problem with self motivation. I think it depends on your personality.

I do get discouraged sometimes. I always like it if something makes a sale each day. I've just started writing on hubpages in a big way, and for me the biggest motivation was getting my first Adsense click. It was a biggie as well - way over a dollar! That dollar motivated me to go from 10 hubs to 50 hubs in a couple of weeks.

I find aerobic fitness continually maintained, helps with this a lot

"Try a little harder to be a little better"-Gordon B. Hinckley

"The only people we can't forgive are the ones we are still afraid of"-Gramma Mildred


"There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do"-Freya Stark



"Every day, tell at least one person something you like, admire, or appreciate about them"-Richard Carlson



"Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light"-Helen Keller





"Feeling grateful or appreciative of someone or something in your life actually attracts more of the things that you appreciate and value into your life"-Northrup Christiane

I completely agree that motivation comes directly from positive attitude and confidence. It absolutely won't come from a negative mentality. With what 'DrGUID' said, motivation definitely stems from success and results and I think that sometimes waiting for these results is the best thing because success doesn't really happen too quickly.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There's no point in being a damn fool about it.
W. C. Fields

Words, songs, stories can motive one's mind only if he believe in himself.

I indeed motivate myself with positive attitude and confidence.
But those are not empty words, "convincing" myself through midless repetition of affirmations.
My positive attitude and confidence spring from the firm awareness that what I am doing in my life, and what I am being, are Who and What I truly am. The integrity of what I am and want to become is where my positive attitude and confidence come from.

I feel that the best motivation is prior success success produces confidence and confidence produces more actions. The thing the thing I try to do is create success every day and I feel that is empowering.

I am not a very good self motivator. Self motivation has been my weakness until lately. I have changed my belief that I can become successful as an IM. There is no doubt now and I am self motivated. No one can do it for me.

Being Self motivated is very important in
One’s success as you know you can buy
Anything in the world whereas self motivation
You need to develop IN YOU so that you
Can achieve greater heights..
Celebrate and reward for yourself in the
Most exciting things or events you like and
This will supercharge you to be more of
Self motivated to do anything for good..
Be the Best

I am not good at self motiation. In my eyes, money is the best way to get me full of passion to my work at hand.

Definitely.

very true! these two things can get you far.

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You can but need lot's of it and still be prepared to fail.