MAWMonday Motivators 03/06/2016

by: Dr. Michael A. Wright In Blog, Coaching DiaryTagged , , , , , , , , ,

Will“You have to want it.” I tell my toughest clients like Sean (Robin Williams) in that pivotal scene in the movie Good Will Hunting.
“I do want it. But…” they respond.
“You have to want it.” I keep my face stern communicating the consistency and certainty of purpose needed to achieve.
“Dr. Wright, I do want it!” the frustration begins to well up.
“You have to want it.” My voice becomes the backdrop for their thoughts as they reflect on the excuses they provide week after week, day after day unproductive day.
“Not you too, Dr. Wright. I thought you were different,” they plead wishing that there was some magic beyond the choices they make in each moment. But, there isn’t. The only magic is the magic you make.
“You have to want it.” And, they relent.
“Okay, Dr. Wright. I’m going to show you that I mean business.” I smile.
“…and I can help.”

Today, I have a simple message for your motivation. Guess what it is?

1. Bet On You
The first thing I am asked about stock investing is, “What stocks do you recommend?” I typically respond with a lesson in transferable skills. My question: Do you know how to invest in yourself? Take the time to do the critical analysis. Determine what contacts, network, supports, materials, machinery, and know-how are present. Evaluate the profitability and past performance against estimates. Count the productivity, and review the projections related to you. Treat yourself just like you should treat a company. Set your expectations realistically. Comprehend what market conditions (environments) will ensure your growth. List your goals both long-term and short-term. That is how I decide where to invest. It is a pattern for how you may decide on investments and more.

2. Ignore the Distractions (Not Life)
I am continually surprised when I hear clients discuss distractions presented as valid concerns. It is a recurrent challenge in the life of a thoughtful person. This would be a great time to plug my book Deceptions, Distractions, and Disillusionment, but I will resist that urge.

I have come to believe that some have adopted the notion that the distractions are the life. Maybe it is a history of struggle, complaining, or disappointment that feels somehow familiar, but some enter the rut of dissatisfaction and remain there. They focus on what could go wrong. They lament the untrustworthy. They fear the unknown. They recount the betrayal and the foolishness. I am an advocate for feeling it and getting it out, but I am excited to point out the positive. Even in the depths of the struggle, the upward slope must be admonished. This upward movement, change in elevation, and separation from the foolishness is enhanced by discussions of progress, supportive networks, and achievement. See the life of progress as the success. Speak about it more than you speak of the distractions.

3. Enjoy This Moment
There is something magical about the present. It is not only magic, but math. This moment is a second? This moment is a minute? Worry about the future misses the calculation that a day is 1440 minutes. Not 1440 opportunities to do, but 1440 opportunities for enjoyment. I often advise taking 20 of these moments per day to build. Even those are building toward greater enjoyment. If you are having trouble adding up the math of enjoyable moments, rely on the magic that moments are fleeting. They pass away. This next moment is another opportunity for you to enjoy. Make the decision to enjoy it.

4. Create a New Daily Habit
I’m not a big fan of the word change. My problem is not the classic resistance to change. It is the fact that I most often hear it used to describe some truth about a person that needs to be hidden or otherwise disregarded. My counsel is always to integrate rather than to change.

But, that is not the only use of “change.” Some people find themselves in the rut of a comfortable routine. They want to break out, but their comfort won’t hear of it. When you find yourself in this place, the solution is small doses of change. It can be as simple as a new snack or a 5 minute look out over the front garden. It could be a different route home, or a new toothpaste. Change up the daily routine in order to awaken your mind. Once awakened, you are able to contemplate larger changes. Make them as easy as your former routine. Make them daily, and enjoy your new perspective. Then, integrate the truth and creativity of who you are and innovate your life.

5. Know It Is Worth It
Hardest. Realization. Ever. To see life as you are going through the valley of the shadow of death. Whether it is relationships that fail, opportunities that are denied, candidates that are overtaken, or ends that rarely meet, your job is to learn the lesson that ensures that the next endeavor yields more enjoyment. In a strange and magical way, that means that you can even smile in this current difficulty. Smile, not because of the current struggle, but because you know the outcome. And, that outcome pales in comparison with the level you will achieve after that. Your only requirement: stay in the game.

MAWMondayMotivators First: How about a music video? “Stay in the Game” by Helen Doron

Dr. Michael A. Wright received his Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work degree from the University of South Carolina - Columbia. Since 1997, Wright has led MAWMedia Group, LLC, a firm helping individuals and organizations tell stories and translate ideas into capital.