JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --
What does success mean to you? If success means achieving and accomplishing goals and dreams, then one must have a way to be successful. Does motivation and empowerment fit into your ways of success? Or does success just happen? We know that the odds of becoming successful without trying are pretty low, so in order to try, we must be empowered and motivated, or else we simply wouldn’t.
Empowerment is the authority or power given to someone to do something. It is your permission to yourself to aim high, reach for the sky, and never give up. Without empowerment, most people don’t believe success is possible. With empowerment, anything is possible for you.
Motivation, on the other hand, involves the reasons one has for acting or behaving a particular way. Motivation is purpose, inspiration, enthusiasm, desire, will, and incentive. With motivation, you have a roadmap driving you to success. Without it, you’re going nowhere fast.
When you empower yourself, you automatically motivate others by being a role model of success. This is a called a ripple effect, which is an influence or effect one thing has on another. If you make one positive change in your life, it will automatically, unintentionally at times, positively impact other areas of your life, and it can also impact other people.
Others want to know how you got to where you are if you’re successful, so let’s take a look at some tips that probably helped you get there:
-Strengths: Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. Spotting strengths in others not only makes you feel good, but makes others feel good as well. It’s one way to motivate!
-Values and Purpose: What are values and why are they important? Common bonds, connections to others, greater sense of purpose… Values help to direct our life and assist us in making decisions. Is your behavior linked to your values? Values keep us moving in the right direction and if we know how to identify our values, we can help others. If you’re stuck, you aren’t helping anybody.
-Remember: Remember the moments from your past that are motivating to you. Don’t forget about things other people have pointed out to you over the years about your good qualities or skills. When you feel good, you tend to find motivation quicker. Who was there for you when you needed it most and how can you be there for others?
-Action/Schedule/Lifestyle: What happens first for you: action or motivation? Is routine good for your motivation? Give yourself a break and refuel! Take care of your eating, sleeping, and activity habits.
-Impress: Set your own bar. Comparison with others can defeat your motivation, so focus on you and what you expect from yourself. Have you ever impressed yourself? Do more of that!
-Support: No man or woman is an island. Take a look around…do you see support in the eyes of those who surround you? Who can you depend on to support your goals? Think ‘mentor’ and ‘encourager.’ Who do you allow to pick you up when you fall?
Whether you’re a leader or just learning to find your way in the world, consider these points when working on your motivation level. There’s a lot more to being motivated than waking up on the right side of the bed. It takes dedication, commitment, and, many times, courage. “Success is not built on success. It’s built on failure. It’s built on frustration. Sometimes it’s built on catastrophe.”- Sumner Redstone. “Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.” – John Maxwell.
Are you going to be successful?
For more information on this topic, contact me at 609-754-2542, jaclyn.urmey@us.af.mil, or check out 514 AMW DPH on Facebook.