motivation

Learn to heal

Whenever you feel as though you are getting weak, there is something out there to strengthen you. Find that faith or should I say perseverance in yourself to keep going. I think life has a way of challenging us, but with inner confidence and an unwavering belief in our abilities, we can overcome any obstacle. Remember, every setback is an opportunity to grow stronger, and every challenge is a chance to prove our resilience.

““If you have no confidence in self you are twice defeated in the race of life. With confidence you have won even before you have started.” ”
— Marcus Garvey
,

Seeing work as a game

,

A game, at its core, is a structured interaction involving multiple players, a set of rules, and potential outcomes. In any situation where we face decisions, we can frame it as a game to gain clarity and strategy. Games exist in every strategy, whether we acknowledge them or not. Here are a few universal truths about games:

  • You don’t need to enjoy a game for it to still be a game.

  • You’re often playing a game without even realising it, and recognising it as a game can significantly improve your ability to navigate it.

  • The outcome of a game isn’t necessarily tied to how much you want to win as desire alone isn’t enough.

  • Some games are easy to step away from, while others are perpetual and ongoing.

  • Importantly, no game stays static. The act of playing inherently evolves the game itself.

Viewing a project or a challenge as a game offers a unique advantage: it allows us to depersonalise our work. This perspective can reduce emotional entanglement, foster creativity, and encourage a more strategic mindset. I think by recognising the "game" in what we do transforms how we approach decisions and adapt to changing circumstances.

Deeper motivations

Behaviour change is complex and often requires more than just presenting information, it's not just about addressing what people know. I think behavioural change may require new habits, offering incentives, or employing behavioural psychology techniques that go beyond simply presenting information. To truly impact behaviour, it's often necessary to consider the underlying motivations, beliefs, and environmental factors influencing individuals, and then create targeted interventions or messages that resonates with those underlying drivers. What do you think?

Driven with purpose

Some of our most impactful moments emerge amidst adversity, and these moments become part of our story, shaping our resilience, and fuelling our determination to persist. You will be unstoppable, if you create a purpose for the work that you are doing that is bigger than yourself. What a statement! 
Think about it, if you have a reason or story to keep showing up the daily grind will not be overwhelming or drain your energy. I think by anchoring your work to a purpose larger than yourself, you create a compelling story that keeps you going, driving you past obstacles towards meaningful achievements.

,

Personal lesson

,

Rather than asking yourself what kind of outcome I want to achieve, ask yourself: “Who is the type of person that can do…?”
Start with a small habit, provide evidence of being that kind of person and then eventually you’ll have something to proof this new belief in. Fake it like you’ve made it means to believe in something that you don’t have evidence for, and the word we tend to use for this behaviour is delusion. Rather than letting the belief lead the way, let the behaviour lead the way. Don’t just fake it until you make it, just do the work to make it.

Everyone needs to feel worthy

I think everything matters; it just depends on the context. The inspirational coach, Tony Robbins has highlighted six fundamental psychological needs that drive human behaviour.

1.    Certainty - The need for stability, security, and predictability in life. People seek comfort and assurance that their basic needs will be met.

2.    Variety - The need for novelty, change, and excitement. People also want to avoid monotony and boredom in their lives.

3.    Significance - The need to feel important, unique, and valued. This can come from achievements, recognition, or even feeling like a part of a larger purpose.

4.    Connection/Love - The need for social interaction, relationships, and a sense of belonging. People thrive on emotional connections and supportive relationships.

5.    Growth - The need for personal development, learning, and progress. People feel fulfilled when they are advancing and expanding their capabilities.

6.    Contribution - The need to make a positive impact, give back, and contribute to something greater than oneself. This can involve helping others or making a difference in the world.


 

I think that at we will naturally gravitate towards different needs for different reasons throughout our lives. And in the end, creating a fulfilling, successful and happy life will likely weave a positive balance between all six of these human needs.

,

Lead the way

,

We all want to work for leaders who genuinely value our well-being, and I think that leaders can demonstrate this genuine concern through the following actions:

1. Listen

2. Respect

3. Trust

4. Solve problems collaboratively

5. Recognise achievement

6. Provide touch points

7. Give corrective and positive feedback

8. Show vulnerability

9. Seek input

10. Provide mentoring and coaching

““Give recognition where it is due. Compliments definitely stimulate more effort and desire to improve. Be generous with honest praising.””
— Bruce Lee

Try something new

The pandemic probably accelerated innovation various fields as the unusual circumstances have allowed for a willingness to experiment and take risks without fear of failure. During or after a significant global incident, people are more open to trying new things and are given the freedom to fail, which can change their attitudes towards taking risks. Although human beings tend to stick to routine, which can result in incremental improvements, it is not conducive to exponential progress or thinking outside the box. I think to make new discoveries, one needs to break out of our routines.

““We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.””
— Albert Einstein

Invictus poem

“Invictus” by William Ernest Henley is one of the best motivational poems of the Victorian era.

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.

This poem contains invaluable advice to those who blame others for their failures. The poem also talks about a person’s battle with mental and physical impediments, and the mindset that makes one surrender while faced with challenges. I think challenges make one stronger but mentally submitting oneself to those impediments extinguishes the inner light that one carries inside the heart from infancy. Through these lines, Henley tried to say that it’s not about how difficult the path is, it’s about one’s attitude to keep persisting without submitting oneself to fate’s recourse.

Mental skills can be trained

Once you realise that you have an emotional brain, a logical brain, and a memory then this will give you a new insight into yourself and clarify why you behave and feel the way you do. Some of the assumptions you are making about other people, perhaps you should start by looking at yourself. Try asking yourself these questions:
·      Why do I feel the way I am feeling?
·      What triggers me and why do I respond the way I do?
·      What does my best self, look like and why can’t I be this way all the time?
·      Why am I feeling like my shadow self today?

Contact me via e-mail for a confidential 1:1 meeting.

Atychiphobia

Image c/o Very Well Mind

Atychiphobia is the scientific word for the fear of failure. Atychiphobia is a constant, overwhelming feeling of dread that accompanies the undertaking of projects or pursuit of life goals. We all have different definitions of failure, simply because we all have different benchmarks, values, and belief systems. A failure to one person might simply be a great learning experience for someone else. Our fears tend to paralyse us, holding us back from taking constructive action in the direction of our dreams  and goals. When we are scared, we hesitate, we become indecisive and procrastinate, we make excuses and find reasons to delay. Finally, we feel frustrated when caught in the double knot of  “I have to” but “I can’t” or vice-versa.

Please note that when you say, “I can’t”, then I consider it to mean you have a fear of failure. And when you say, “I have to”, it means that you have a fear of rejection.

Just be kind

It’s been scientifically proven that people who are curious are happier. Knowledge is not only information it’s also instructions to execute from. I think you can motivate a person with words, but you’ll inspire them with your actions. When I tell you a story that sounds good, that’s motivation, and then I’m giving you a motive to do something. When I tell you about what I did or if I’m leading by example, that’s I’m leading by example, that’s inspirational. When I’m telling you about how I did it, that’s educational. Now you have an actual foundation to build from, most people do more motivation than inspiration. So, when you grade yourself from a psychological perspective, it’s all about what you know.

““It is a little embarrassing that, after forty five years of research and study, the best advice I can give to people is to be a little kinder to each other.” ”
— Aldous Huxley

Running around

If you are frantic during a 24-hour day, do you think you’ll be less frantic if we had 32-hour days?
I think the single most important quality of success is self-discipline. And when I say self-discipline, I mean that you have the ability within yourself based on your strength of character and willpower to do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not. All the best advice in the world will only help you if you can motivate yourself to take persistent and consistent action in the direction of your goals until you succeed.

““The best way to succeed in this world is to act on the advice you give to others.””
— Napoleon Hill

Stoicism is helpful

Marcus Aurelius

When we speak about success, there are parts of this we are in control of and parts of it we are not. There are so many things that we have no control over, like outcomes, therefore, one should just focus on the things that you can change which is the world of your own thoughts and actions. I think this is where we should place our attention, therefore, I only emotional commit myself to my intentions and actions, not the outcomes as I have no control over them.

 

Stoicism is a philosophy designed to make us more resilient, happier, more virtuous and more wise–and as a result, better people, better parents and better professionals. Stoicism has been a common thread though some of history's great leaders and has been practiced by leaders, artists, writers and entrepreneurs.

Persist until you succeed

Persistence is self-discipline in action and is the true measure of individual human character. Every great success in your life will represent a triumph of persistence. Your ability to decide what you want to begin and then to persist through all the obstacles and difficulties until you achieve your goals is the critical determinate of your success. And the flip side of persistence is courage. I think the greatest challenge you will ever face in life is the conquest of fear and the development of the habit of courage.

““Courage is the greatest virtue because it guarantees all the rest.” ”
— Winston Churchill

What time is it?

© Zac Freeland/Vox

Nowadays the majority of people use their telephones as a means of telling the time. Over the weekend when I said, “the second hand never negotiates,” the majority of people in the group thought I was speaking about clothing. Time management isn’t just about time as you can manage how you use time, but time can’t be managed. Here are a few tips to help you master the art of time management:

·      Plan ahead
·      Conduct a weekly review
·      Use time management tools
·      Focus on a single task
·      Say “No” occasionally
·      Block out distractions
·      Prioritise activities

Contact me via e-mail to book coaching, mentoring or 1:1 sparring sessions.

Yes you can

The first and most important thing is the courage to begin and step out in faith. You develop courage by acting courageously wherever courage is called for. The courage to start something new and move out of your comfort zone with no guarantee of success is extremely important, as the future belongs to the risk takers not the security seekers. I think life is perverse in the sense that the more you seek security the less of it you will have, but the more you seek opportunity, the more likely it is you will achieve the security you desire.

““I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.””
— Nelson Mandela