A motivated mindset is the key to success in any endeavor. Show me two people competing over anything and I will show you the one who is motivated and fueled by their thoughts will often be the winner. If you want to win and be successful at anything in life, you must recognize the importance of positive internal dialogue and motivation. Many people are not able to do this and as a result, they often feel lost in life. Staying hungry for success on a consistent basis can be a challenge.
I have found myself in a similar situation many times and motivation is what enabled me to push through. Here are 3 important thoughts that will help motivate you throughout your life:
1. “I can do this.”
What is “this”? It can be a goal. It can be a task. The point is “this” is anything you are trying to succeed at. Why is it important to have this thought? It is important because you need positive internal dialogue every step along the way toward reaching your goal.
You must think to yourself “I can do this” before you even start. This is what gives you confidence in the first place. You are telling yourself that success is possible and you can make it happen. You must tell yourself “I can do this” during the process. This is important because we often experience mental and physical fatigue. We might have nothing left. However, telling ourselves that we “can do this” pushes us to keep going. Eventually, the goal is accomplished and we no longer think “I can do this”. Instead, we think “I did it.”
This thought applies to any goal, especially losing weight. The way you succeed is by telling yourself, “I can do this”. You say this to yourself before you go to the gym early in the morning to do your cardio. During the process, you might be tempted to eat junk food and give up. However, thinking “I can do this” pushes you forward and keeps you on task. Eventually, you lose enough weight to meet your goal. You no longer think “I can do this.” Instead, you think “I did it.”
It is very easy to adopt this line of thought. All you have to do is give yourself permission to believe that you can do it. Once you do that, you don’t stop having this internal dialogue with yourself until your goal is accomplished.
2. “No one will outwork me.”
Work ethic is what often separates the winners from the losers. Having pride in your work ethic is an incredible source of lifelong motivation. When you think “no one will outwork me”, you are making a special promise to yourself. You are promising yourself that you will give it your all in order to accomplish your goal. You will have no choice but to stay motivated. This thought is applicable whether you have competitors or not.
This applies to any arena when are competing against others because you are telling yourself that you are going to beat them during the training process. When it comes time for actual competition, you will have all the confidence in the world because you know you have outworked them.
This thought also applies when you have no competition. The “no one will outwork me” promise forces you to follow it long-term. Maybe you have competition out there that you do not know about? Maybe there is someone out there working just as hard as you? How do you deal with that? You deal with it by not leaving anything to chance. You repeatedly think to yourself “no one will outwork me” and you put in the work.
“No one will outwork me” is important because it is promise that you make to yourself. Once you make it, you can apply it to any goal you have in life. You express it by putting your heart and soul in to your work.
3. “Have faith in the future.”
Life is not a simply a matter of having goals, fueling yourself with motivating thoughts, and accomplishing them. You are tested. There are obstacles along the way. There are times when you will doubt yourself because things don’t look too good. What do you do then?
You think to yourself “have faith in the future.” “Have faith in the future” is the ultimate motivating thought. It is important because there are times when we experience serious self-doubt. We lose all confidence and just want to give up.
Having faith in the future is important because it is a way of telling yourself that although the situation looks grim, it will get better. You just have to have faith and work through it. Ultimately, “have faith in the future” is a thought that keeps you on task and reminds you of what’s really important, which is to accomplish your goal. Adversity and distractions are inevitable. However, in the end, the only thing that truly matters is accomplishing your goal.
For instance, medical school is a time when many students could use this thought. Do students experience adversity and self-doubt during medical school? Absolutely. The process of learning difficult material and supporting yourself financially can be a daunting task. Many students contemplate giving up. The ones that push through are the ones who are constantly reminding themselves that times will get better and that they must “have faith in the future.”
This thought comes in handy when times are tough. You can remind yourself to “have faith in the future” throughout the entire process. However, it is most useful when you are experiencing self-doubt. At that point, it is crucial to constantly remind yourself of this so that you don’t give up. As long as you have that faith, there is always a chance.
Featured photo credit: Eric Austria via flickr.com
