Today I made an interesting observation regarding the two states of mind. One can be referred to as the mental state of being motivated while other can be referred to as the state of excitement. They both feel the same but deliver different results.
People attend motivational seminars, read inspirational texts, and do other things to gain some motivation, but most of them end up being excited and sometimes they get overexcited. Despite having good intentions and despite having the will to achieve something the outcome usually mismatches with expectations. This happens, has happened to me and probably you are not an exception to this phenomena.
Excitement is the feeling that our primate brains perceive when our desire to acquire something grows deeper. This is crude and sometimes semi-processed in nature. It feels like something special but in reality, it is not that special at all. It is easy to acquire and not that productive. It’s driven by the desires and as far as the desires are concerned they can be acquired in huge quantities without much effort.
To be truly motivated about something you need to have following things:
- Excitement to make it happen
- Serious consideration
- A plan and backup plan
Excitement and willingness is a must and without these two things failure is probably the only option available to choose from. What’s the point in forwarding yourself on the path that leads to a destination where you don’t want to be?
Yes! true motivation is all about seriousness. The changes you desire must be evaluated with a calm state of mind (not in an excited one). All costs including the opportunity cost and the hidden costs must also be calculated. If one of then is too high; you are supposed make the necessary adjustments.
Once you have gathered enough info about yourself (your abilities, disabilities , strengths, and weaknesses etc ), your situation (place in hierarchy, financial status, assets and liabilities you have etc), and your objective then you can begin framing a plan (detailed and actionable).
In simple words true motivation includes excitement, but is not restricted to it. Fantasy really helps in setting a goal or an objective in life, but the fantasy in it’s purest form is almost useless.
Life is full of majestic unbroken horses. How would you approach such a horse? Everyone desires to ride them and only a few dare to try. Among those who try are a few over excited ones who are most likely to fail and suffer badly. The point is “Trying is not enough and not enough is trying too hard”. It is very important to know and understand the game before participating in it.
Aim for an objective you are serious about, Evaluate your situation and costs involved, Plan out a feasible plan, and Prepare yourself accordingly. If you can do so you are truly motivated otherwise you are just an excited guy.
I am sorry if that hurt. My apologies in advance.