“When the world says, ‘Give up.’ Hope whispers, “Try it one more time”. Unknown
Last week we looked at step one, which is to identify your “it”. The second step to Mental Fitness is Motivation. If you have discovered what “it” is for you, motivation comes more naturally and easier. Everyone is motivated at some level. When a person is thirsty they are motivated to get up and get a drink of water. The kind of motivation that goes beyond the basic needs and pushes a person to move beyond the thought of what they can accomplish has three components.
There must be some activating force or purpose that triggers the person to get up and do something about their dream. For the sake of illustration, let’s say a young man decides he wants to become an outstanding automotive technician. That has become his “it”. The first thing he will likely do is find a program that will provide the fundamental knowledge of how the components of a car actually work.
Once he has decided on a course of action and has enrolled in a training program that he believes will move him toward his goal, he then must accept the direction the organization has set up for him to follow. In other words, the organization or school now determines the work and study that it believes is necessary to move him toward the goal he says he wants.
The next necessary quality is persistence. In order to earn the credentials needed to qualify for the certification required to succeed in this area, the young man will need to understand and complete all the courses offered. Every goal has obstacles that need to be overcome. It is when he is confronted with these obstacles that persistence is essential. Whatever investment of time, money and/or energy he has invested, it is persistence that will determine whether or not he will reach his goal.
Finally, the third quality that is needed to reach the goal is passion. There needs to be a driving force that keeps you pursuing your goal. In the case of our illustration, the young man might have a natural ability of understanding the nuts and bolts, but struggles with comprehending some of the electrical concepts needed to complete the course. So while one area may come easy, he will have to exert a focused effort in another area in order to complete the course of study. So, in order to reach the desired end result, he must have a passion to push him forward toward the completion of his dream.
You can reach your goal. You need only to have the three qualities listed here – purpose, persistence and passion!