Brilliant Life Coach, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 10

How to stay

motivated

‘Your destiny isn’t a matter of

chance, it’s a matter of choice.

It’s not something you wait for,

but rather something you achieve

with effort. Never give up on your

dreams. You do have the power to

make them a reality.’

Patanjali (2nd century

bc; founder

of Yoga sutras)

K

nowing what you want is one thing. Having – and

keeping – the motivation to make it happen is another.

The Buddhists talk about living life as if your hair were on

fire. In other words, when something is important enough you

make it a number one priority and all of your energy goes in that

direction. Your motivation needs to feel like a burning desire if

you truly want success. When you’re motivated, you draw on all

of your resources, rally all of your faculties, marshal all of your

energy, and focus your heart and your mind on attaining your

objective. You’re 100 per cent committed to yourself and your

aspirations, and your thoughts and your actions support your

commitment.

What motivates you?

However inspired you are by your goal, there are times when

your energy can start to flag. When this happens, you need to

plug yourself back into the source of what motivates you and

use motivational tools to get you back on track. Here are some

motivational tools.

Know your worth

Although our sense of self changes as we journey through life,

we tend to measure our worth by how much we’ve accom-

plished, how intelligent, good looking, prosperous or talented

we think we are. The opinions of others can often dictate how

142 brilliant life coach

we feel about ourselves. The truth is that your inherent worth

has nothing to do with these factors. Your true worth is innate

and can’t be eradicated by anyone or anything and once you

value yourself for who you are your life begins to change from

the inside out. Every time you affirm yourself and treat yourself

with respect you grow in self-confidence and self-esteem. When

you feel worthy you have no problem

accepting yourself as you are. It is

your self-worth that enables you to

feel happy, confident and motivated

to become the best you can be.

Keep your creative juices flowing

When you’re thinking creatively you are open to new insights

and perspectives. You literally pluck ideas out of thin air. Your

creative juices flow and you feel buzzing and alive and you bring

enthusiasm and energy to whatever you’re doing.

once you value yourself

for who you are your life

begins to change

brilliant

action

Here are some suggestions to keep your creative juices flowing and your

motivation high.

 Check in with yourself and ask yourself such questions as ‘What makes

me excited about my goal?’ and ‘Why do I want to achieve it?’ Have a

pad of paper and write whatever comes into your head. Be inspired by

your answers.

 Seek inspiration – read books and see films about people who have done

extraordinary things with their lives or succeeded against all the odds.

 Dance, sing, exercise, meditate – any of these change your mental and

physical state.

 Breathe deeply for five minutes, oxygenate your lungs and empty

them of stale air. You’ll feel revitalised as every cell in your body is

replenished.