Cracking the puzzle of motivation

As a motivational speaker and personal development author, one of the biggest challenges that I face is to convince my audience that they can accomplish more in their lives if they stay in an inspired state. Recently, while conducting an author signing event at IIM-Kashipur, a student mentioned that when he reads motivational books for a couple of hours, he feels inspired and stays charged up for a week and thereafter, the motivation fizzles out. I think this is the common problem which most readers of personal development books experience.

I responded by asking him how frequently he charged his mobile phone and how long the battery lasted. He mentioned that he charges it daily for an hour and the charge lasts 24 hours. I told him he just shared the answer to the question he asked. I suggested that if reading a motivational book for two hours motivates him for the entire week, it is an amazing ritual. He should charge the battery of his mind at regular intervals.

I cannot over-emphasise the importance of reading motivational books and questioning everything written in it. They make you see your possibilities and then leave it to you to decide what you would like to do with your life. I always tell my readers neither to believe nor disbelieve me, but I always ask them to question me. It is not only important to be inspired but it is also very important to be inspired about a worthy goal. Find a worthy goal for yourself and get all the motivation you need to take action to accomplish your goal.

Reading and getting coaching expedites your learning. You do not have all the time to figure out everything yourself. Leverage the wisdom of evolution and learn from the experiences of other human beings. I personally read for one hour every day and frequently attend seminars to stay charged up. A good book has a greater probability of taking me closer to my goals than watching a mindless television sitcom or news debate. Discover your motivation mechanism and stick to it.
Siddhartha Sharma is the bestselling author of Love Your Mondays and retire young, 60 Keys to Success with NLP and many other books