Some people have the wrong idea about motivation and success. They think that in order to succeed, they must first get motivated then they will be able to perform at a higher level. And so they postpone their effort until they are struck by a bolt of motivation from the heavens. While that may happen on occasion, external motivation does not last forever. Also, you are just as likely to be hit by a bolt of frustration and quit if you are waiting for outside forces to move you around.
The way to avoid being manipulated by all these lightning bolts being thrown about is to rely on yourself for motivation. And the way to do that is by giving yourself a healthy dose of enthusiasm. Like motivation, enthusiasm is an emotion; A temporary feeling. But you can create enthusiasm by an act of will. Once you decide to increase your enthusiasm, just follow these simple steps:
1. Act enthusiastic
2. That’s all
What? They don’t all have to be a 10-step process do they?
When you act enthusiastic, you will become enthusiastic. When you increase your enthusiasm you will have more energy. When you have more energy, you gain motivation to get your tasks done. Congratulations, you are now motivated to succeed, all you have to do is fake it (see Step 1).
Really? Yes. (see Step 2).
Enthusiasm will increase your effectiveness at just about any task. Another benefit of your increased level of enthusiasm, is it will increase the effectiveness of the people around you. Enthusiasm is contagious. Your enthusiasm will spread to the people around you at work or at play.
Winning sports teams recognize the power of enthusiasm. One teammate steps up with a powerful move, or play, or score; and the rest of the team becomes energized and starts to gain momentum. An enthusiastic home-team crowd is so important that they are called “the extra sixth player” on the team (well, just in basketball). One player can fire up the crowd, or sometimes a particularly loyal crowd will try to fire up a team that is lacking enthusiasm.
Enthusiasm is not limited to sports though. You can inject enthusiasm into nearly any aspect of your life. Get enthusiastic about your child’s role in their school play and they will become enthusiastic about it. Get enthusiastic about your store meeting and force your coworkers that are dragging themselves in to wake up. Get enthusiastic about making a phone call, going grocery shopping, washing your dog and visiting the dentist. Enthusiasm is so important that Norman Vincent Peale wrote an entire book on the subject, Enthusiasm Makes The Difference. Frank Bettger devoted the first chapter of his book, How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling, to enthusiasm (which helped him not just as a professional baseball player, but also as an insurance salesman).
Right before I was about to hit publish I found this quote: “Enthusiasm is everything. It must be taut and vibrating like a guitar string.” ~Pele. Which I am assuming is a quote from soccer legend Pele and not the Hawaiian volcano goddess that is currently devouring part of the Big Island in my home state.
How has a healthy dose of enthusiasm helped you to thrive in a bleak situation?