Motivation is what keeps you going, but mojo is what makes it happen. Do you feel as if you’ve lost a bit of sparkle? The way back to that ‘it’ feeling is to listen to yourself. Stop for a moment and get out of your emotional cloud. There are ways to get-up-and-go. Read how to find your lifestyle change and professional flow again. You haven’t lost ‘it’. Your mojo has gone astray for a while, and now is the time to get it back. Read on to find out how and why.
Motivation and Mojo – What Is What?
Motivation is what keeps you going, but mojo is what makes it happen. What is the difference? Is one dependant on the other or do we give one too much importance? We talk about motivation as if it is a given, but what happens when we know we want something but can’t find the oomph to move towards it. Have we lost the motivation or that elusive thing called mojo? I think we first need to sort out what is what.
Motivation – What Is It?
Motivation is derived from ’motive’ which means needs, desires, wants or drives within individuals. The process is the stimulus or the motivation that drives us towards a given goal. It is also how we stimulate other people to actions to accomplish goals.
The process of motivation consists of three stages:
- A felt need or drive.
- Stimulus in which requirements have to be aroused.
- When needs are satisfied, the satisfaction or accomplishment of goals.
Therefore, we can say that motivation is a psychological phenomenon which means needs and wants of the individuals have to be tackled in a planned way.
For instance, if you want to get fit you can’t just get up and run a marathon, without some kind of plan. Les Mills – the fitness guru behind the global business he created to inspire people to get fit – say you need four P’s to get to your exercise goals: Planning, Priorities, People, and Purpose. The red thread throughout is what we define as motivation.
Motivation is a positive force which is not to be misinterpreted with emotional blackmail, the stick method (as the opposite of the carrot) nor can we truly accomplish a satisfaction without really wanting it. Tip: Read Mindset by Dr. C. Dweck.
To get to a given goal you need to identify what it is you want or need first. When you’ve made choice to change, you will decide to go forward towards the end goal. Chances are that you will adjust, and veer off along the way but as long as the eyes are still on the horizon you will get there. But – there is a catch.
Motivation Isn’t Enough
There is no try – do! Now as easy that this is to write – the reality is that you can have as much motivation as you want but still not accomplish anything.
Motivation alone is no guarantee for success to get to your goal. What if you end up not doing what you have set out to do? When time pressures and unforeseen events come knocking on the door, you often give other things priority. After a while, your motivation becomes a stress factor, and you feel as if you’ve lost it. But have you? Or is it that ‘thing’ we call mojo that has gone astray?
Mojo – What Is It?
Mojo means a spell, charm or amulet and as such invokes thoughts of magic. The modern interpretation is a quality that attracts people to you and makes you successful and full of energy. Sometimes it’s called ‘It’ or ‘Wow’ -factor. However, when talking about inner balance, it also means having get-up-and-go, sparkle, zest and drive to fulfill your goals.
Motivation is what keep you going, but mojo is what makes it happen. Does this make sense? If you go to the gym and go through your routine, you do it because you’re motivated to keep fit. Do you do the same routine over and over again? The inner mojo is what makes the workout full of zest, fun, and enjoyment.
You feel a great sense of accomplishment when your mojo fuels the motivation. The same goes for work situations where you’re motivated to be in a job because it pays your bills, keeps you productive and useful. The mojo is the spark that gets you noticed, picked for an exciting assignment and ‘seen.’
When the mojo is lost, it is easy also to lose motivation. When the energy goes you can quickly feel lost, and not sure how to turn the page or move on.
Mojo Isn’t Enough
As much as mojo is the ‘wow-factor’ that gives you that special force to carry on, you can’t get to your destination with charm alone. The underlying motivation needs to be there. If the mojo is the V6 engine, the motivation is the carrier.
There can be many reasons why you feel lost, or somehow less enthusiastic about a project, assignment, or lifestyle change challenge. It can be as simple as the time of the year. Winter can drain you for instance. Toxic people in your surrounding can impact you a lot. Or perhaps you are stuck in a job you’re not happy with?
Now you have a choice. You can wallow in self-pity – which in itself can serve a purpose (read why here) or you can say to yourself that the time to change (again) is now.
Motivation Mojo: How To Get ‘It’ Back?
The most important part about recharging is to be kind to me, myself and I. You need to distance yourself from self-judgment. Do not flog yourself over the back. Assess instead what it is that you can do, and find a path back.
Resist the temptation of emotional chaos and steer toward logic. Look back to what you know worked before, and keep the best parts for your new plan. Adjust mini-goals so they become achievable. Reward and appraise yourself in the process. Tip Read: The 4 Pillar Plan: How to Relax, Eat, Move and Sleep Your Way to a Longer, Healthier Life by Dr. Chatterjee.
A good way forward is talking things through with someone. This is both harder and easier than you think. It’s harder because you have to share and easier once you’ve actually done it. Perhaps this time though find someone objective to discuss with, to get an unbiased view and advice.
5 Step Plan to Reset the Motivation Mojo
- Set new goals.
- Plan to achieve them by setting mini-goals.
- Find a coach, mentor or friend to talk with to go through what is ‘real’ and what is not.
- Measure your progress to see how your goals are achievable.
- Live the moment when you make a win for yourself.
Motivation Mojo: You Have It!
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Overall you will find a way out of the cloud when you break the parts down to achievable chunks. The plan will help you find a way back to what you know works. Excuses don’t work, explanations do – so get into action by addressing what’s real.
The mojo hidden within you is playing peek-a-boo with your emotional circus. You may just have forgotten to set mini-goals for a while, and therefore lost the feeling of what accomplishment feels like. When you reach a destination you feel alive, and Yep! You have your mojo back.
Once you have assessed your situation, you will be able to see solutions. Sharing your dilemma with someone objective like a coach, mentor or friend will open up possible new ways to reach your goals.
Sometimes playing the long game is the real secret for life and career goals. And finally – once you’ve moved forward, you can look back. Then you will realize the growth within and how you’ve come over a new threshold.
Get up and go? Yes, you can feel, be and do good – if you want more inspiration for your healthy lifestyle goals to feel free to sign up to our newsletter. Thank you for reading thegoodista.com and welcome back anytime!
Recommended and Related:
- Wellness Goals: How To Find Your Wellness – thegoodista.com
- Up Your Motivation Mojo – truscore
- 7 Tips for Keeping Your Motivation Mojo – She Climbed Until She Saw
