Motivation is Individual

I wish that I could motivate others to undertake beneficial tasks, projects and careers.  It's taken me half my life to realize that I can only motivate myself to do the things that I want and need to do.  For all others I can provide encouragement, create a ripe environment, contribute resources, nudge progress and give feedback.  Just as we cannot lead a horse to water, we cannot instill in another our definition of achievement or our model of striving toward success.

Walking on Water

It's awesome to have our staunch supporters who believe that we walk on water.  It's especially beneficial when we feel like we're slogging through the mud.  When we're challenged, it's important to rely on our knowledge, skills, experience and relationships.  It's easy to get discouraged by focusing on the things that we find difficult when dealing with a challenging opportunity.  By focusing on the resources we have and drawing on past successes, we can plough beyond the obstacles.  Sometimes we have to slog through a bit of mud before we appear as if we walk on water. 

Self Awareness

Wouldn't it be great if we could observe ourselves as others see us?  We are often unaware of things that we routinely do that negatively impact our image including:

• Failing to make eye contact
• Fidgeting
• Slumping
• Frowning
• Sighing
• Talking too much
• Allowing technology to interrupt live conversations
• Closed body language

These tendencies are easy to address when we become aware that they are barriers to achieving our highest effectiveness.