Have you ever been to a self-help seminar, a motivation talk, or listened to a really great audio program and then felt absolutely kick-ass afterwards?
You come home, you talk to your significant other, your friends, your dog… and anyone that will listen. You talk about how you’re going to do this, and that and how you’re going to change your life like yesterday. Everyone around you tries to be enthusiastic, but you can just tell… they don’t get it. They don’t understand the revolution and transformation that you’ve gone through. In fact, they’re a little bit less that supportive, but it doesn’t matter. You’re going to “get it done” anyway.
And so you try. And for the first few days, it’s easy. You’re up at 5am, you get your exercise done, you’re in bright and early to work, you hammer out and perform exceptionally. Everyone in the office notices your newfound energy and drive.
And then a couple of weeks pass. All of a sudden, that blazing furnace of energy that you had inside you starts to feel a little bit chilly. You don’t understand what’s happening. You start dropping the ball on projects that you’ve taken on. You start questioning whether that seminar you took was true or if it was all a scam.
You find that… your motivation is fading.
The Seminar Effect
If you’ve ever been through any sort of motivational training, you can very easily relate to the above description. It’s called the “seminar afterglow”. Some man or woman gets up on stage, and riles up the crowd into a motivational frenzy. And everyone feels great (there’s nothing wrong with that by the way). But then, a week or two later… it all starts to fade. So what happened?
Well, there are a number of complex reasons for the “seminar effect” and “afterglow”, the big one being the lack of environmental support to make changes stick. But that’s a topic for another article.
This one is going to focus instead on solutions.
I mean, you can’t keep going to motivational seminars or listening to Tony Robbins CDs day-in-day-out for a whole year. Though that would be the logical conclusion if you wanted to stay motivated all the time.
Instead, I’m going to offer a much simpler – and more accessible – solution.
A Little Side Note
We talk a lot about motivation as a “thing” when in reality it is a series of “things”. It is a process. It is the mental, emotional and physiological process that we go through that takes us from sitting still to action. So when we talk about “becoming motivated”, we really mean “get myself to take action”. Check out our audio on beating procrastination for more.
The Motivation Page
The simple solution to keep that great feeling going… is a motivation page.
At its simplest, it’s a page of things that will give you a kick of motivation when you need it the most.
Sure, putting all your dreams, wants and desires (which tend to be what motivate people) onto a page and looking at it everyday seems materialistic. But it gets the job done. And here at Asian Efficiency, we’re more concerned with whether something works, not if it’s right or wrong (disclaimer: this being said, we believe in using things that work provided that they don’t hurt or harm yourself or other people).
Motivation Pages are very similar to the “vision boards” you often hear about from people who have seen The Secret. Their composition and usage is a little different, but the concept is the same.
Elements
Here is a list and description of the various elements that should be on your motivation page. We understand that motivation is a highly subjective topic, and that what gets things going for some people might not work for others. So remember, this is a set of guidelines. Be sure to adjust as necessary.
Principles
I like to call this my “personal code” or “personal standards”. It’s a number of life principles that I look at every morning and that I like to adhere to. It’s a description of how my ideal self would act. Always.
Examples:
- Always take action.
- Treat others the way you would treat yourself.
- Don’t judge other people if you do want to be judged.
Processes
If you have any motivating self-help or NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) techniques you’ve collected over the years, they should go in here.
A good example of this is the NLP Six-Step Reframe:
- Identify the unpleasant feeling, or block that prevents you from taking action.
- Establish communication with the part of you that is responsible for it. Ask if it will communicate with you consciously. When you get a signal (physiological, emotional, mental) thank the part.
- Find the positive intention behind the block. Ask the part what it wants.
- Ask the creative part of yourself to work with the part responsible for the block to come up with there alternative behaviors to achieve the positive intention instead.
- Have the original part evaluate the choices. Negotiate with the part until it finds them acceptable to try out, otherwise go back to Step 4.
- Check for objections from all parts of your ecology and through future pacing. Six-Step Reframe any objections.
One-Liners
I like to call these “one-line summaries” or “one-liners”. Like quotes, they are sentences that motivate you to take action. You can separate these into multiple topics corresponding to different areas of your life, such as:
- Business.
- Making money.
- Networking
- Public speaking.
Some examples:
- Amazing things happen when you decide and make them happen. So make them happen.
- Choice is everything. Details are just that – details.
Mental Images
These are things you have seen, or done, that can’t be captured with justice in a single sentence. They are descriptions of scenes and of ideas that capture the imagination and motivate you.
For example:
- Your own personal Harajuku Moment.
- The idea of perpetual traveling.
Family and Children
If you have a significant other, or children, photos of them can be incredibly motivating. Knowing that others depend on you to get things done works, no matter whether it shows “relational dependence” or not.
Music
You can either list music that motivates you to work, or, if you’re Asian Efficient, create a playlist in iTunes or your music application that gets you going. Mine has a mix of hip-hop, soundtracks and rock.
Quotes
Quotes, from either real historical figures or fictional characters are incredibly motivating. Here are a couple that I always look at:
- “A man of knowledge lives by acting, not by thinking about acting, not by thinking about what he will think when he has finished acting.” – Carlos Castenada
- “I have a life and it only goes in one direction – forward.” – Don Draper from Mad Men
Literature
Fables, poetry, stories and fairy tales are all written to emotionally move people. Why not use them to your advantage and have them move you towards getting things done?
One of my favorite motivational stories is that of Iron John:
THERE was once on a time a King who had a great forest near his palace, full of all kinds of wild animals. One day he sent out a huntsman to shoot him a roe, but he did not come back. “Perhaps some accident has befallen him,” said the King, and the next day he sent out two more huntsmen who were to search for him, but they too stayed away. Then on the third day, he sent for all his huntsmen, and said, “Scour the whole forest through, and do not give up until ye have found all three.” But of these also, none came home again, and of the pack of hounds which they had taken with them, none were seen more. From that time forth, no one would any longer venture into the forest, and it lay there in deep stillness and solitude, and nothing was seen of it, but sometimes an eagle or a hawk flying over it. This lasted for many years, when a strange huntsman announced himself to the King as seeking a situation, and offered to go into the dangerous forest. The King, however, would not give his consent, and said, “It is not safe in there; I fear it would fare with thee no better than with the others, and thou wouldst never come out again.” The huntsman replied, “Lord, I will venture it at my own risk, of fear I know nothing.”
The huntsman therefore betook himself with his dog to the forest. It was not long before the dog fell in with some game on the way, and wanted to pursue it; but hardly had the dog run two steps when it stood before a deep pool, could go no farther, and a naked arm stretched itself out of the water, seized it, and drew it under, When the huntsman saw that, he went back and fetched three men to come with buckets and bale out the water. When they could see to the bottom there lay a wild man whose body was brown like rusty iron, and whose hair hung over his face down to his knees. They bound him with cords, and led him away to the castle. There was great astonishment over the wild man; the King, however, had him put in an iron cage in his court-yard, and forbade the door to be opened on pain of death, and the Queen herself was to take the key into her keeping. And from this time forth every one could again go into the forest with safety.
The King had a son of eight years, who was once playing in the court-yard, and while he was playing, his golden ball fell into the cage. The boy ran thither and said, “Give me my ball out.” “Not till thou hast opened the door for me,” answered the man. “No,” said the boy, “I will not do that; the King has forbidden it,” and ran away. The next day he again went and asked for his ball; the wild man said, “Open my door,” but the boy would not. On the third day the King had ridden out hunting, and the boy went once more and said, “I cannot open the door even if I wished, for I have not the key.” Then the wild man said, “It lies under thy mother’s pillow, thou canst get it there.” The boy, who wanted to have his ball back, cast all thought to the winds, and brought the key. The door opened with difficulty, and the boy pinched his fingers. When it was open the wild man stepped out, gave him the golden ball, and hurried away. The boy had become afraid; he called and cried after him, “Oh, wild man, do not go away, or I shall be beaten!” The wild man turned back, took him up, set him on his shoulder, and went with hasty steps into the forest. When the King came home, he observed the empty cage, and asked the Queen how that had happened? She knew nothing about it, and sought the key, but it was gone. She called the boy, but no one answered. The King sent out people to seek for him in the fields, but they did not find him. Then he could easily guess what had happened, and much grief reigned in the royal court.
When the wild man had once more reached the dark forest, he took the boy down from his shoulder, and said to him, “Thou wilt never see thy father and mother again, but I will keep thee with me, for thou hast set me free, and I have compassion on thee. If thou dost all I bid thee, thou shalt fare well. Of treasure and gold have I enough, and more than anyone in the world.” He made a bed of moss for the boy on which he slept, and the next morning the man took him to a well, and said, “Behold, the gold well is as bright and clear as crystal, thou shalt sit beside it, and take care that nothing falls into it, or it will be polluted. I will come every evening to see if thou hast obeyed my order.” The boy placed himself by the margin of the well, and often saw a golden fish or a golden snake show itself therein, and took care that nothing fell in. As he was thus sitting, his finger hurt him so violently that he involuntarily put it in the water. He drew it quickly out again, but saw that it was quite gilded, and whatsoever pains he took to wash the gold off again, all was to no purpose. In the evening Iron John came back, looked at the boy, and said, “What has happened to the well?” “Nothing, nothing,” he answered, and held his finger behind his back, that the man might not see it. But he said, “Thou hast dipped thy finger into the water, this time it may pass, but take care thou dost not again let anything go in.” By daybreak the boy was already sitting by the well and watching it. His finger hurt him again and he passed it over his head, and then unhappily a hair fell down into the well. He took it quickly out, but it was already quite gilded. Iron John came, and already knew what had happened. “Thou hast let a hair fall into the well,” said he. “I will allow thee to watch by it once more, but if this happens for the third time then the well is polluted, and thou canst no longer remain with me.”
On the third day, the boy sat by the well, and did not stir his finger, however much it hurt him. But the time was long to him, and he looked at the reflection of his face on the surface of the water. And as he still bent down more and more while he was doing so, and trying to look straight into the eyes, his long hair fell down from his shoulders into the water. He raised himself up quickly, but the whole of the hair of his head was already golden and shone like the sun. You may imagine how terrified the poor boy was! He took his pocket-handkerchief and tied it round his head, in order that the man might not see it. When he came he already knew everything, and said, “Take the handkerchief off.” Then the golden hair streamed forth, and let the boy excuse himself as he might, it was of no use. “Thou hast not stood the trial, and canst stay here no longer. Go forth into the world, there thou wilt learn what poverty is. But as thou hast not a bad heart, and as I mean well by thee, there is one thing I will grant thee; if thou fallest into any difficulty, come to the forest and cry, “Iron John,” and then I will come and help thee. My power is great, greater than thou thinkest, and I have gold and silver in abundance.”
Then the King’s son left the forest, and walked by beaten and unbeaten paths ever onwards until at length he reached a great city. There he looked for work, but could find none, and he had learnt nothing by which he could help himself. At length he went to the palace, and asked if they would take him in. The people about court did not at all know what use they could make of him, but they liked him, and told him to stay. At length the cook took him into his service, and said he might carry wood and water, and rake the cinders together. Once when it so happened that no one else was at hand, the cook ordered him to carry the food to the royal table, but as he did not like to let his golden hair be seen, he kept his little cap on. Such a thing as that had never yet come under the King’s notice, and he said, “When thou comest to the royal table thou must take thy hat off.” He answered, “Ah, Lord, I cannot; I have a bad sore place on my head.” Then the King had the cook called before him and scolded him, and asked how he could take such a boy as that into his service; and that he was to turn him off at once. The cook, however, had pity on him, and exchanged him for the gardener’s boy.
And now the boy had to plant and water the garden, hoe and dig, and bear the wind and bad weather. Once in summer when he was working alone in the garden, the day was so warm he took his little cap off that the air might cool him. As the sun shone on his hair it glittered and flashed so that the rays fell into the bed-room of the King’s daughter, and up she sprang to see what that could be. Then she saw the boy, and cried to him, “Boy, bring me a wreath of flowers.” He put his cap on with all haste, and gathered wild field-flowers and bound them together. When he was ascending the stairs with them, the gardener met him, and said, “How canst thou take the King’s daughter a garland of such common flowers? Go quickly, and get another, and seek out the prettiest and rarest.” “Oh, no,” replied the boy, “the wild ones have more scent, and will please her better.” When he got into the room, the King’s daughter said, “Take thy cap off, it is not seemly to keep it on in my presence.” He again said, “I may not, I have a sore head.” She, however, caught at his cap and pulled it off, and then his golden hair rolled down on his shoulders, and it was splendid to behold. He wanted to run out, but she held him by the arm, and gave him a handful of ducats. With these he departed, but he cared nothing for the gold pieces. He took them to the gardener, and said, “I present them to thy children, they can play with them.” The following day the King’s daughter again called to him that he was to bring her a wreath of field-flowers, and when he went in with it, she instantly snatched at his cap, and wanted to take it away from him, but he held it fast with both hands. She again gave him a handful of ducats, but he would not keep them, and gave them to the gardener for playthings for his children. On the third day things went just the same; she could not get his cap away from him, and he would not have her money.
Not long afterwards, the country was overrun by war. The King gathered together his people, and did not know whether or not he could offer any opposition to the enemy, who was superior in strength and had a mighty army. Then said the gardener’s boy, “I am grown up, and will go to the wars also, only give me a horse.” The others laughed, and said, “Seek one for thyself when we are gone, we will leave one behind us in the stable for thee.” When they had gone forth, he went into the stable, and got the horse out; it was lame of one foot, and limped hobblety jig, hobblety jig; nevertheless he mounted it, and rode away to the dark forest. When he came to the outskirts, he called “Iron John,” three times so loudly that it echoed through the trees. Thereupon the wild man appeared immediately, and said, “What dost thou desire?” “I want a strong steed, for I am going to the wars.” “That thou shalt have, and still more than thou askest for.” Then the wild man went back into the forest, and it was not long before a stable-boy came out of it, who led a horse that snorted with its nostrils, and could hardly be restrained, and behind them followed a great troop of soldiers entirely equipped in iron, and their swords flashed in the sun. The youth made over his three-legged horse to the stable-boy, mounted the other, and rode at the head of the soldiers. When he got near the battle-field a great part of the King’s men had already fallen, and little was wanting to make the rest give way. Then the youth galloped thither with his iron soldiers, broke like a hurricane over the enemy, and beat down all who opposed him. They began to fly, but the youth pursued, and never stopped, until there was not a single man left. Instead, however, of returning to the King, he conducted his troop by bye-ways back to the forest, and called forth Iron John. “What dost thou desire?” asked the wild man. “Take back thy horse and thy troops, and give me my three-legged horse again.” All that he asked was done, and soon he was riding on his three-legged horse. When the King returned to his palace, his daughter went to meet him, and wished him joy of his victory. “I am not the one who carried away the victory,” said he, “but a stranger knight who came to my assistance with his soldiers.” The daughter wanted to hear who the strange knight was, but the King did not know, and said, “He followed the enemy, and I did not see him again.” She inquired of the gardener where his boy was, but he smiled, and said, “He has just come home on his three-legged horse, and the others have been mocking him, and crying, “Here comes our hobblety jig back again!” They asked, too, “Under what hedge hast thou been lying sleeping all the time?” He, however, said, “I did the best of all, and it would have gone badly without me.” And then he was still more ridiculed.”
The King said to his daughter, “I will proclaim a great feast that shall last for three days, and thou shalt throw a golden apple. Perhaps the unknown will come to it.” When the feast was announced, the youth went out to the forest, and called Iron John. “What dost thou desire?” asked he. “That I may catch the King’s daughter’s golden apple.” “It is as safe as if thou hadst it already,” said Iron John. “Thou shalt likewise have a suit of red armour for the occasion, and ride on a spirited chestnut-horse.” When the day came, the youth galloped to the spot, took his place amongst the knights, and was recognized by no one. The King’s daughter came forward, and threw a golden apple to the knights, but none of them caught it but he, only as soon as he had it he galloped away.
On the second day Iron John equipped him as a white knight, and gave him a white horse. Again he was the only one who caught the apple, and he did not linger an instant, but galloped off with it. The King grew angry, and said, “That is not allowed; he must appear before me and tell his name.” He gave the order that if the knight who caught the apple, should go away again they should pursue him, and if he would not come back willingly, they were to cut him down and stab him.
On the third day, he received from Iron John a suit of black armour and a black horse, and again he caught the apple. But when he was riding off with it, the King’s attendants pursued him, and one of them got so near him that he wounded the youth’s leg with the point of his sword. The youth nevertheless escaped from them, but his horse leapt so violently that the helmet fell from the youth’s head, and they could see that he had golden hair. They rode back and announced this to the King.
The following day the King’s daughter asked the gardener about his boy. “He is at work in the garden; the queer creature has been at the festival too, and only came home yesterday evening; he has likewise shown my children three golden apples which he has won.”
The King had him summoned into his presence, and he came and again had his little cap on his head. But the King’s daughter went up to him and took it off, and then his golden hair fell down over his shoulders, and he was so handsome that all were amazed. “Art thou the knight who came every day to the festival, always in different colours, and who caught the three golden apples?” asked the King. “Yes,” answered he, “and here the apples are,” and he took them out of his pocket, and returned them to the King. “If you desire further proof, you may see the wound which your people gave me when they followed me. But I am likewise the knight who helped you to your victory over your enemies.” “If thou canst perform such deeds as that, thou art no gardener’s boy; tell me, who is thy father?” “My father is a mighty King, and gold have I in plenty as great as I require.” “I well see,” said the King, “that I owe thanks to thee; can I do anything to please thee?” “Yes,” answered he, “that indeed you can. Give me your daughter to wife.” The maiden laughed, and said, “He does not stand much on ceremony, but I have already seen by his golden hair that he was no gardener’s boy,” and then she went and kissed him. His father and mother came to the wedding, and were in great delight, for they had given up all hope of ever seeing their dear son again. And as they were sitting at the marriage-feast, the music suddenly stopped, the doors opened, and a stately King came in with a great retinue. He went up to the youth, embraced him and said, “I am Iron John, and was by enchantment a wild man, but thou hast set me free; all the treasures which I possess, shall be thy property.”
Pictures
This is where you can get a little materialistic. A lot of entrepreneurs I know have pictures of:
- Mansions
- Yachts
- Expensive cars
- Expensive jewelry
- Breathtaking scenery
Here are some to get you started:
A Sample Motivation Page
Here is a sample of a visual-style motivation page, also known as a Vision Board:
Here is an example of a more traditional text-based Motivation Page:
Next Actions
So now you know what a motivation page is. What you need to do next is put one together. Here’s what we recommend:
- Use a simple Microsoft Word or rich-text document. If you are uber-efficient, use your personal wiki.
- To start with, add to your motivation page every week. A picture, a song, a quote. Just add something every week.
- After a couple of months, make this a monthly process.
- Whenever you need some motivation… have a read through your page.
If you want more articles and tips like these, let us know where we can send them to:
Photos by: Francisco Diez, Damian Morys, Chile Suecia, Reinante, Marissa Bracke, Nathan Hayag.