A: What if you never had to worry about motivation—what if you always had energy to spare? How much more living would you get done in a lifetime! How much would you love to be one of those people who are always in a good mood, who always seem to be so passionate and love everything they do that they seem to draw ample energy from their surroundings at all times? You can be that person, and you can have that energy. I’m going to tell you how, and you’re going to be amazed at how easy it is. But first I need to tell you a quick little story.
On a Sunday afternoon about two months ago, I did something I rarely, rarely do: I parked myself in front of the TV.
To watch infomercials.
I am constantly reading what’s going on in my industry, perusing others’ blogs, comparing notes with others in sales, and vetting my marketing materials against pieces I think are top drawer. And on that Sunday afternoon, I was comparing my pitch to those of the masters who dominate cable’s Paid Programming slots.
Within 2 hours, I could see the preferred formula, and I could tell the experts from the rookies. And the good ones, by the way, are good. They establish a problem; they hint at a solution; they weave an explanation of the benefits with stories that create an emotional connection; they attach their product benefits to the viewer’s aspirations; then they tell you how to buy; reaffirm the value of their product; and close with an unexpected sweetener (but only if you act in the next 20 minutes). All the while, they’re repeating a key message over, and over, and over again. I was amazed at how easy they made it look.
One of the infomercials included a line very similar to this: “All you need to do is show up. Our system will do the rest!” I burst out laughing and yelled at the television: “If someone already has the motivation to get off his arse, he wouldn’t need your system!”
The moment that followed was a pure V8 moment—complete with smack to the forehead. as I sank back into the couch, I dialed the number on the screen to order the product. I had to see it for myself.
So what was my V8 moment? Not that someone could make a buck pandering to people who want results without the tedium of work; that was a given. The magic moment was in discovering the opposite, that there was a buying market of people who are not lazy and not necessarily looking for shortcuts.
Turns out, fire in the belly is not binary: the world is not made up of “two kinds of people: barn-burners and lazy-bones.” The people behind this infomercial had figured out how to get through to a group in the middle that tend to get looked over, but that I bet encompasses the vast majority of people around us. They saw a world of people who are motivated but who maybe need help kindling the fire, or need some help stoking it to keep it going. They recognized the difference between inherently unmotivated and temporarily unmotivated.
How many people have the fire in the belly, but haven’t been fortunate enough to find a mentor, teacher, or guide to keep them going in the right direction in a world that is vague and uncertain? How much is it worth to have someone say, “Hey, here’s your goal for the next 90 days, let’s see what you’re made of?” How much would you pay to have someone show you just how amazingly easy it could be? Hang on… I’m about to show you…
What’s the point of all this?
Workers: The hard truth is, no one cares about your success more than you, and motivation is incredibly inertia driven: when you got it, you got it; when you lose it, it’s gone. So if there is something you want and you ain’t got it, you have no choice: you have drag your butt out of bed and go for it. Amazing: it’s that easy.
But, like anything else that’s new, recognize that you have no momentum and need to start small. Try setting up a milestone (an interim goal that you can knock out in 30, 60, or 90 days), and don’t look up until you hit that milestone. When you do, reassess. Because rest assured, you won’t get anywhere just by wondering, but you also won’t get anywhere by overwhelming yourself.
Start with a small commitment. Use that to figure out your direction. Build from there.
Managers: When employees are lazy on the surface, that may not mean they’re asleep at the switch. It may be that you have not found out how to tap into your employees’ talent and desire… though admitting as much is tantamount to admitting failure as a manager, and isn’t it easier just to point the finger at someone else? When you have turnover issues, inventory shrinkage, and poor service, you have a problem of commitment. Lecturing your employees about proper procedures won’t work; when they don’t care, it’s impossible to establish accountability.
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I'm Jason. I make people shine. My mission is to help 1 million people tell their stories better. 
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I couldn’t understand some parts of this article Q: “How do I get myself off my arse?” – Career Development Blog, but I guess I just need to check some more resources regarding this, because it sounds interesting.