David Abreu

Do you know the power of motivation?

2019-12-08 00:32:42

Have you ever tried to begin something new and gave up half the way? Like... learning a new skill or a new language and for some reason you got stuck and felt like it was not worth the effort at all. What a coincidence!! Me too and I pretty sure we are not alone....

First off, sorry! This is my first article here and also my first language is not English, there might be some grammar mistakes and misspellings along the way but I hope you can understand the hearts' content of my message. 

Ok, guess we can begin this article... let's get started!


Let me tell you something rude: "You are LAZY!". But not just you, me too and probably most humans and every other species in on earth. So, when I say that we are lazy, what I really mean is that our body and mind are programmed to work this way. 

We have evolved since the beginning of time but yet the goal of our body and mind is very primitive: "Survival. Survive long enough to have children and then you have accomplished you mission". Therefore, to your body, to do such a thing as running if you are not going after food is a complete waste of time and energy. You should just eat and sleep.

Do you know what else demands energy and time? Goals! Learning a new skill like cooking, speaking a new language, playing a new instrument, starting that WOW project you have always wanted. So even when you feel motivated enough at the beginning, you become tired over time and without your knowing, your mind is ordering you to stop wasting time and energy. However, YOU are not primitive. You can and should control your mind and body, not the other way around.

"Even when you feel motivated enough at the beginning, you become tired over time and even without your knowing, your mind is ordering you to stop wasting time and energy"

"You can and should control your mind and body, not the other way around"

There are plenty ways to control you mind (I might even consider to talk about each one of them if you enjoy this article) but one of them that I have used a lot is MOTIVATION. 

Imagining that the force that you mind use to make you stop is like a fire and the hard work you have at the beginning plus those thoughts about the difficulties that are yet to come are like fuel that does nothing besides increasing that fire. DO NOT FUEL, DO NOT GIVE arguments to your lazy mind. Show that you are smarter and control it. Use water, use MOTIVATION.

But how? Can I tell you a short story?

I had always wanted to learn English. I tried so many different courses, but it seemed so hard and demanding that I must have tried at least five times to learn and never worked, I couldn't do it at all. Why? There was one piece missing, motivation. 

Then, that magic year of 2014 happened, I had an amazing chance to go to United State to study Electrical Engineering. WOW! So many doors, so many things to live, to see... now I had a very legitimate reason to learn English. But listen! I am not saying you need something so specific as motivation, like living in a new country to learn a language. You are creative, think about the rewards you can have for learning that new skill. If you want to learn a new language, get a piece of paper and answer this question: What are my final rewards to accomplish this mission? Could it be traveling to many places and communicate with people from there? Watch movies without subtitles? To live and work in that amazing country? Maybe find a new girlfriend or boyfriend from that country? hihihi! 

"You are creative, think about the rewards you can have for learning that new skill"

Do you want to learn how to play a new instrument? Well... think that you can surprise your family or the person you love with a new song. Don't think about the difficult way you have in front of you, think about what there is at the end of the road.

YOU are awesome. So next time you think about giving up something you were so excited about it at beginning? Tell your mind and body that they should obey you and use the power of MOTIVATION against them.