Thursday, December 13, 2012

Dispelling Some Common Myths About Motivation

The popularity of self-help books is perhaps a good indication that many people are seeking advice on how to improve their current conditions. These self-help books primarily cater to readers who want to unleash their potentials and become successful in their careers, love life and other aspects. The typical mantra of these books is "positive thinking" equals success. There is nothing wrong with this mantra but the other claims surrounding it are either exaggerated or over-simplistic.

Relying on self-help books - Many of these so-called motivational books emphasize too much on wealth or financial independence as the main source of motivation. They rely too much on greed as a motivational factor. Most of the insights found on these books are good but a few of these "financial wisdom" are either too generic or too impractical.

Many self-help books also include quasi-mystical and quasi-religious concepts in giving supposedly scientific and well-proven psychological and career advice. There is nothing wrong with mysticism or religious concepts per se but if they are mixed with economic and financial advice, a serious question on credibility arises.

Writing down goals - It might be helpful to write down goals and be highly specific about goals. A list of goals can provide reminder but it will not necessarily sustain the pursuits of goals. People change their mind every time and over time. Case in point is that most children change their ambitions as they grow older.

There are really just a few real commitments that are pursued over a course of a lifetime. Merely writing down goals is not enough without committing to these goals. Being specific about long term goals is wise but there should be a hierarchy of goals in terms of importance.

One cannot simply list all aspirations or dreams that come into mind. There must be a serious focus that is highly important and worth strong commitment.

Trying the best - Exerting the "best" effort on any endeavor is good but merely trying is counterproductive. Having the mentality of trying the best efforts on vague goals are unlikely to result to concrete accomplishments. One must focus on difficult and specific goals that could serve as strong motivation in achieving excellence rather than mediocrity.

Visualizing success - Many motivational gurus and some highly successful individuals typically say that by visualizing success, it can be attained. Realistic optimism usually lead to success but overly unrealistic or even fanatic optimism will only waste effort and resources. When it comes to visualizing success, it should be grounded on reality and objective assessment of the situation, including personal capability.


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