by Mary McLoughlin

Make this your year to follow through on those resolutions.

Stay excited; learn the truth about keeping motivated!

I LOVE being surrounded by motivated people and, boy, is my gym filled with them this week! I wonder how many will still be around in March?

How about you, did you make a New Year’s resolution? The New Year always inspires us to create new beginnings. We start out motivated, but then something happens and before you know it, March arrives and the resolutions have been completely forgotten. Just how do we keep the momentum going and actually achieve what we set out to do?

Often, people confuse Inspiration and Motivation; this chart defines the differences.

Inspiration is:

  • External
  • Something or someone
  • Paints the possibilities
  • Is about vision

Motivation is:

  • Internal
  • Your personal passion
  • Fuels your activities
  • Is about your why

Something happens to us to inspire change. You may stand on the scale on January 1st and then run out and join a gym. Your company launches a new trip incentive or you hear a powerful story about someone who has just promoted and you want to do the same. You see new possibilities. You begin to look at the future in a different way (Vision). You are Inspired!

Once you create the picture of what you want, it’s time to get to work. This is when motivation becomes critical. The work part is not always easy or fun. That’s why so many people quit on their resolutions. Motivation resides within you. It surfaces often as passion. When you are passionate, it’s easier to get to work. To keep your passion strong, your motivation needs tending.

Why do you want what you want? The more connected you are to the reasons achieving your goal will make a difference for YOU, the easier it will be to stay motivated. Keep asking yourself:

What is important to me about earning… ?

How will I be different when …. ?

What will I feel or think when …. ? 

What inspires you? Do more of it. Listen to inspiring people, post pictures of your destination in your office, create an environment that keeps you focused on your goal. It will keep you inspired and fuel your Passion. Who inspires you? When you feel your momentum fading, give them a call! Be sure to ask them in advance to keep you focused. They will need your permission to ‘keep you on task’! Now, you are motivated!

Committing to your goals publicly is a great motivator. Go ahead, I dare you to share your 2015 Resolution with us!

If you want to take your direct sales leadership to a higher level, then you might want to think about joining us when our series starts next week. One of the topics covered in the webinar series on Power to Your People is the leaders role in motivation and inspiration.  The six sessions are centered on getting new leaders on your team.  You can read more about the series by going to the description of the six part series. You can also enroll in the series on that page.

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