FINDING YOUR FORMULA... recently, professional boxer Dewey Bozella won his first fight. By itself, not a particularly noteworthy announcement. What is noteworthy is the knowledge that Mr. Bozella is 52 years old and was just released from prison after 26 years incarceration for a murder he did not commit! While listening to an interview I quickly came to the conclusion that, “There is bound to be a movie made about this guy… his story is incredible!”. One of the most fascinating parts of Dewey’s story is how he stayed motivated, how he kept his sanity (don’t forget, he was proven innocent!). He focused on two things… self-improvement (education: he got 2 degrees) and staying healthy (boxing was his vehicle). It is hard to imagine how Dewey Bozella actually stayed motivated all that time. He used education and boxing.
Everybody needs to have their own formula for staying motivated. In her excellent book “Get Motivated“, Tamara Lowe suggests that everyone is motivated differently. The key is to understand your own “personal formula for motivation”. As Jim Rohn said, “When the WHY is strong, the HOW becomes easy“. One of my Coaching clients recently shared her plan. It looks like this:
1. Bombard myself daily with inspirational material (books, CDs, positive people, etc.)
2. “Staying present” with where I’m going… what is my Big Picture?
3. Lead to generate daily so I’m always adding new “possibilities” to my life
4. Have a Reward System in place to prevent Burnout (“I always plan my next trip well in advance”)
You don’t need to spend 26 years in prison to figure this out. The above formula is just one example, the key is to find out your Personal Motivation Formula and stick to it every day. Some people don’t try… they just say “I don’t know what I want“. One thing you can count on in your journey is that human beings are “meaning seeking creatures”. Keep investigating your “meaning” and you will find the answer. Next, keep your answer in front of you at all times and you will stay motivated. NO Excuses.