Image used with permission. copyright Vic hang-in-there 2011

Image used with permission. copyright Vic hang-in-there 2011

As the weather cools, the days become shorter, and we head toward fall, motivation seems to slither away for many of us.  I admit it – I suffer from it too.  Our trigger response to someone’s remark about the beautiful weather might be, “Too bad summer never showed up!”  When our boss says he or she chose us to lead the next project at work we might think, “Really!?  I am exhausted and have too much on my plate already.”

How do responses such as these help your motivation?  It is likely they don’t help you at all.  Trigger responses get in the way of our motivation when they are negative.  But to figure out what your trigger responses are or are not doing for you, you need to first figure out what they are.

STEP 1:  WITHOUT thinking, evaluating, filtering, censoring, or withholding, finish the following sentences:

  1. When I look in the mirror I _______________________________.
  2. My co-workers would say I am ____________________________.
  3. My attitude is _________________________________________.
  4. When I think of going to work I ___________________________.
  5. Life is ________________________________________________.
  6. I wish ________________________________________________.
  7. I describe myself as _____________________________________.
  8. I wish other people _____________________________________.
  9. Deadlines make me _____________________________________.
  10. The company I work for is ________________________________.

STEP 2:  Review your trigger responses and note any that are negative.

STEP 3: Rewrite all sentences with positives so they will ignite your motivation.

STEP 4: Post the sentences where you will read them several times a day.

And remember …  “It is well recognized that the highly motivated person succeeds in life.  All successful people are motivated people.” ~ Henry Cannon