How to Get - and Stay - Motivated

Have you ever been charged up to reach a goal, only to see that charge dissipate over time?

This is a very common problem. In fact, it's the main reason most people never accomplish their lifetime objectives.

ETR reader Dave Jacobs wrote me a few weeks ago with that very problem. He said:

The good news is that Dave is super-motivated now, and he really, really doesn't want that motivation to fizzle out. That's why he wrote to me - so he could learn some trick or several tricks to ensure that he keeps going strong for as long as he needs to.

No doubt you have felt the same way Dave is feeling right now. I've faced the same problem myself several times in my life. I hope the following story can help both you and Dave.

In high school, I was a lazy student. My priorities were sports and social activities. Because I'd inherited some raw brainpower from my parents, I managed to maintain a grade-point average that got me into college... just barely. But I knew that unless I learned to learn, I wouldn't make it through four years, and I'd probably spend the rest of my life earning $10 an hour as a manual laborer.

So at the end of my senior year in high school, I made up my mind to quit being a goof-off and become, in college, a much better student. I spent the summer prepping myself by working out a study schedule and doing some background reading. But I was afraid that I would revert to my bad habits, abandoning my studies for sports and partying before the end of my freshman year.

To make that unwanted scenario less likely to happen, I found a "nerd" to share an apartment with and refused to sign up for any sports or pledge any fraternities. I told my friends that I would be "out of touch" for at least a year. I explained my goals to them and asked them to respect me by leaving me alone until the following summer.

I realized that I needed to make a radical personality change to be able to resist the temptation of regressing to my high school habits. So when school began, I sat in the front row of every class - something I'd never done in high school.

I started off strong by doing at least 50 percent more than I was asked to do. If the assignment was to write a 500-word essay on religion, I'd write 750 words and include a glossary of impressive sources. If the assignment was to read King Lear by the following week, I'd read it twice. And then I'd go to the library and read critical essays about the play so I'd be aware of all the major interpretations.

I also made it a point to raise my hand every time a question was asked and to turn in extra work, even when it would get me no extra credit. In short, I turned myself into a straight-out and full-blown brown-nosing student ... and I made sure my instructors - and my fellow students - saw me that way.

In the beginning, many of the other students in my classes did as much work as I did. But as the weeks went by, most started slipping a little bit. Each time they fell behind, I got motivated to work even harder. And I was thrilled when I got those early test scores back. I had never before understood how good an A or B+ felt.

And that feeling motivated me to push even harder. With each passing week, the distance between me and the other good students widened. By the middle of the semester - in virtually every single class - I was clearly the best.

The response I got from instructors and students fueled my ego. Being the best student in a class felt much better than being the class clown.

By the time my freshman year was over, I saw myself as a completely different person. I was no longer the funny screw-up I'd been in high school. I'd changed into the "Teacher's Pet" who sat in the front and had the right answer to every question.

Once my image of myself changed, my motivation became permanent. I couldn't screw up any more, because it was simply unthinkable. I was the best student in every class, and I was going to make damn sure everybody saw me that way - no matter how much work it took.

So... if you see yourself as someone who may be able to start out strong, but never really accomplish anything great, you need to drastically revise your vision of yourself. You have to turn yourself into number one at whatever you do - the person to go to when no one else can get the job done.

To become that person, you will have to:

1. Get up early, and give your day a jumpstart by doing something meaningful ... first thing.
2. Work as late as you have to.
3. Do at least 50 percent more than what is asked of you.
4. Volunteer for challenging assignments.
5. Educate yourself on the side.
6. Become better than anyone else at the essential skills you need to accomplish your goal.

Becoming top dog takes a lot of extra time, so you'll have to make significant sacrifices.

If you are like most people, your biggest distractions will be television, the Internet, friends, and family. Get rid of your TV. Limit your Internet use to one hour a day. And let your friends and family members know that you won't be able to spend much time with them in the foreseeable future.

Work like mad until you've become number one in your class, job, or hobby. When that happens - and it shouldn't take more than six months - you'll feel great about yourself. And once you experience that feeling, you'll never have to worry about motivation again.

Well... almost never. As I said at the beginning of this article, I've needed a motivational recharge more than once in my life. Everyone does. But after the first time, you'll understand exactly what you have to do to get yourself going again.