Against Hair Loss

The single biggest reason cited for not competing tasks is the lack of motivation. If you're like everybody else in the entire universe (and you are) then at one point or another you will lack the motivation to do something. Welcome to the club. There are about 6 billion human members plus a few million animals as well (that's right animals can be lazy too).

Whilst a lack of motivation may not be your biggest challenge personally, it is one of the biggest challenges that students face as they try to find the strength of character to push through high school and College.

When you don't have the proper motivation to complete a task, the task can quickly become a painful and cumbersome chore - rather than a fairly straightforward process. Why?

Well, when you feel 'motivated', it's easy to stay focused over a long period of time and work diligently towards your goal. However, when you are not feeling 'motivated' you will have virtually zero focus and the chances you will even start the task are minuscule. Either that or it will require someone threatening you with something before you'll get started on your work (like a parent taking away your iPad or a teacher removing you from the class). That's not a great way to get motivated!

Unfortunately, much of the motivation in the world comes in the form of fear - the fear of negative consequences. For example, you will see most students completing their homework (or at least attempting to complete it) for fear of what will happen to them if they don't. They may be embarrassed in class, they may be grounded by their parents, they may fear falling behind everyone else, or they may fear appearing stupid. It could be many things - but it is all fear-based motivation. It's only natural - this type of motivation has been around since the dawn of time.

If there was no deadline and no consequence for not handing a paper in on time, would we ever even hand it in? Would we even start the stinking paper? Would anyone ever do anything they didn't want to do?

Fear of negative consequences has its place in the world. It's important in its own way - however it should absolutely not be the ultimate reason for you to do whatever it is you do each day. It should not dictate your behavior. That's not living. That's just "existing".

Acting only out of fear of consequences will not lead you to a positive and happy life. It will lead to "existing" - and existing is not the level of motivation you will need to take you to where you really want to go - all the way to the top (of whatever it is you want to do)!

Want to find real motivation? Act only out of possibility. Never act out of fear. Act out of the possibility of what may come from doing what you're doing. If you're doing homework, ask yourself what the possibility may be. Is the possibility that you learn something new? Is the possibility that you are smarter than you were before? Is the possibility that you are closer to your ambition of a good grade? Is the possibility that you are one step closer to College? What is your possibility? Every act has a possibility. Find yours and you will have found your true motivation. The power of possibility always crushes the fear of negative consequences - if you harness it correctly.

So the next time you are doing something (anything) ask yourself "Am I acting out of fear, or out of possibility?" You may be very surprised by the answer.