Why Motivation Doesn’t Work

[Christine Alexander]

Why Motivation Doesn’t Work

You know that feeling …. You’re at an event – getting "pepped- up" and energized by the motivational speaker …. Feeling as though you are on top of the mountain …. Finally receiving the “key” to success and now …everything in your life is going to change!

But once again, as you experienced in the past …. For a few days… the motivation follows you into your life, yet as each day passes by, less and less of the pep-talk and motivation you heard and felt so strongly has the power or energy to change anything.

If you have experienced this, you are not alone… and it is not your fault you did not see lasting change. Motivation does not work! Sure, motivation can energize you to take a much-needed next step – but it can never be the fuel to lead you to true life change and success.

Consider yourself like a fruit tree. The tree has deep roots, which nurture and provide what is needed for the tree to produce its fruit. If there is a problem with the roots, no matter how you treat the fruit … polish it up, spray it or prune it, you will continue to have bad fruit appear on the tree.

Motivation is like that – it is a polishing up the surface of your life- yet never touching the roots in your life to make real change.

“So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.” ~ Jesus

To see real success and lasting change, you must go to the roots in your life and change the things deep down inside that have kept you from experiencing a life of true abundance and success.

I call this transformation. Transformation is permanent change, it goes beyond trying to polish up rotten fruit or pruning bad fruit and hoping somehow the tree will next time produce different results…

Transformation changes you at the core root of the issues, and once the roots are nurtured and healed, the tree automatically produces good fruit – without the need to “pep” it up with motivation or ego energy.

Transformation produces good fruit- without trying!

Want to experience true change and success in your life? Be willing to go deep down inside and heal and nurture the roots. It is not always easy – but will lead to success without needing motivation.

Christine Alexander
The Spiritual Training Center
www.spiritualtrainingcenter.com

[Christine Alexander]

Agree - the motivational speaker is the the person on the side lines cheering for you as you run the race. But one must first properly train for the race. Make sure the body is healthy and in tip-top shape to run it. Motivation is the icing on the cake - not the main ingredient.

Good chating with you Bev!

[Pat Howlett]

Maybe "Motivational" Speakers can serve as the impetus to let one know that there are problems at the roots and a solutions path one can take to address the root problem.

To use a different metaphor the Motivational Speaker is like the Canary in the Coal Mine, letting you know there is a invisible problem and to look for the way out.

Featured!

[Pat Howlett]

Just had a epiphany while watching the NASA Channel (Curiosity Rover lands on Mars in 40 hours and I'm a space geek who grew up near Kennedy Space Center) and reading your post.

I find that I'm motivated less by what people "speak" about and more about what I see people "do".

I am currently "motivated" to plan a trip to the NC mountains to be able to get above the light noise of the city, get my deep space telescope out and do some peaking into the heavens.

I've not done this for one reason or another since I moved to NC and the work these Space Scientists are doing is what "Motivated" me.

[Christine Alexander]

Good insight Pat ... for sure, it only takes a few motivational speakers to show us that it goes way beyond the surface!

Take some photos when you get to the top of the mountain!

[Deb Zechini, Home Organizer]

I just read that verse this past week. Your article made me think of the book I'm reading "One Small Step Can Change Your Life: the Kaizen Way". Taking small steps to make changes.

[Leslie Flowers]

Motivational speakers don't purport instant change or transformation ... great article ... they simply are the stimulus to have people 'start thinking!' If they did, they would not SELL programs at the back of the room! [they KNOW you need this] Those who 'think' they can get a quick permanent change are simply UNAWARE of course that it is only possible with a whole life SHOCK. Transformation TAKES TIME. We learn and change and grow in spaced, consistent, repetitive intervals of ACTION WE TAKE -- not what others do or say. Motivation WORKS for the audience that is already inspired and 'becoming aware' and is hell bent on making a change. Taking a workshop is a great start, or even a transformational weekend (like what you are doing Christine, Landmark, Legacy). It is the 8 week mastermind I conduct or the Landmark 3 months seminars that are AN ABSOLUTE REQUIREMENT for permanent change inspired by a motivational speaker ... or anything that ignites inspiratin in a person. And 2-3 months is only the BARE MINIMUM! If it takes decades to instill practiced disliked behavior ... what thinking human would BELIEVE it can happen overnight? Love this post. Read it several times before I responded.

[Pat Howlett]

@Leslie - Agree 1000%

[Christine Alexander]

Right on Leslie -- we get many lessons hand-delivered to our door step that lead to transformation - yet most don't like the package they are wrapped in.. So the lesson comes to us again, this time wrapped in yet another package ... only to once again be rejected and returned to sender:-)

[Diogenes Ruiz]

Great post Christine - Motivation contains seeds of transformation but we have to do the work. No getting around that. Ultimately we have to participate in our own rescue.
Enjoyed this post - lots of really good comments from everyone.