Motivation and discipline
Motivation : we often talk about it as a key to change. In reality, the motivation plays an important role in the initial phase of change , when the current state, albeit comfortable, offers us a degree of gratification lower than the desired state.
The motivation is important when we decide to change something and we start our path towards a new habit that will act as an instrument towards change. In the second phase, when the new behaviors must be repeated to give results, the real key for change takes over: the discipline .
Motivation: why do we lose it so quickly?
It works more or less like this: for some reason we experience something (a friend convinces us to follow him, a parent involves his children, we see an image that particularly affects us). This thing satisfies our need (probably even more than one), so we generate a series of habits related to our new interest. He spends time and interest begins to diminish. The thing that previously passionate about it now does not seem so tempting. Slowly and inexorably we move away from that specific context until the moment of complete abandonment.
Has it ever happened to you?
Well, know that anyone happened. There is a precise reason that explains why we cyclically passionate about something and then abandon. This is a question related to our nature. We are human being, in fact, we are born practically without any ability or knowledge . Try to think of any animal that is born in nature. A specimen of any animal species becomes autonomous after birth in extremely shorter times than humans. This is because the genetic equipment of each animal contains a series of information which, thanks to instinct, allows the new born to gain independence much earlier than a newborn baby's newborn.
To make up for this disadvantage, nature has equipped us with an innate push towards the new . That's why we discover a new pastime, we get passionate, we make it a fundamental part of our life and then we abandon it by going in search of something different that triggers the spark of passion in us.
In this way, nature ensures that the human being amps as much as possible his wealth of knowledge since, compared to the other species, he starts with a disadvantage at birth. In practice, the more things we experience, the more things we learn .
What can we do?
Now that you understand that looking for new stimuli continuously is part of human nature, let's see what we can do to maintain a sort of stability in the motivation that pushes to act. Of course, as you know, there is no secret or magical makeup. At the basis of everything there must be commitment and perseverance.
The great and bitter enemy of perseverance is boredom . When the mechanism of boredom is triggered every passion is dampened, every motivation breaks, every good purpose melts like snow in the sun. That's why, if you really want to make a difference, with boredom you have to make peace.
Not only that, with boredom you have to make friends , indeed, I will tell you more: you have to fall in love with boredom! Anyone who walks on the road to excellence, sooner or later, finds himself having to walk accompanied by boredom.
Behind the great results are hidden countless boring performances.
Accept boredom as a natural part of your personal improvement path. Whatever your passion it will be ups and downs. During those "bass" recalls that boredom is part of the game , it reminds us that we are human beings, that we are born in Tabula Rasa configuration and that over the years we have to build our experiential baggage.
Accept boredom, make friends and then fall in love with it. In this way you will have placed the solid foundations of your discipline, on which you can build your splendid future with motivation.
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