Productivity Through Motivation

Have you ever noticed that you never see a mule running in the Kentucky Derby? A stringent task is for a stringent achiever, isn't it? What about our level of personal productivity? We need to think about the way we have our minds set on what we want to accomplish in our given period of time on God's green earth. Sometimes we need to erase our barriers and see things in a more positive and vibrant perspective. Whatever we think we're going to accomplish is what we're usually going to accomplish! Isn't that true? It's all a matter of perspective and personal vision.

I happen to believe there's a correlation between the commitment we have to a cause and the achievement we experience; between the motivation that we have and the energy that we enjoy. The greater and deeper our level of commitment, the more expendable energy we will have. It will become internalized for us. Have you ever heard about the kamikaze pilot who flew 188 missions? He was busy, but he wasn¹t committed. There are a lot of people who are busy but are not committed. They are simply going through the motions they have developed the habit of going through.

In training, I have learned that you don't directly motivate another person. Motivation is accomplished through an indirect process. If we're going to motivate a customer to buy, if we're going to motivate a team member--we don't do it directly, we do it indirectly. How do we achieve that? We achieve that by creating an environment and atmosphere around them that will serve as an inducement for them to motivate themselves. All motivation is self-motivation. Don¹t wait on somebody else to motivate you.

In terms of motivation, we've got to accept the fact that it's an idea, emotion, or need from within us which incites us to act or not to act. We've got to take responsibility and accept the fact that we are accountable for our own productivity. It's not an external thing; we can't rely on others; it's up to us individually. That's one of the greatest benefits of living in a free society, but it's also your responsibility as a member of that free society, is it not?

I would like to suggest to you that today and in the future, you think about the fact that we create and control our own level of motivation. We can be productive to the extent that we arm ourselves with the pertinent skills and motivate ourselves to put forth the effort. If you do that, and do that consistently, I promise you a highly productive future.