Motivation to succeed comes in part from our positive outlook.

Whether we adopt a positive or negative attitude the one option we do not have is to ignore the effects of our outlook. A positive attitude will enrich our life and will bring fulfillment, satisfaction and a joy-filled success. A negative one will rob us of what truly could have been ours. It will make us dread our individual futures and will then rob us of what truly could have been ours. It will make us dread our individual futures, and will then distort them in terrible ways when they finally arrive. As the existentialists state, we cannot choose not to choose. Every choice we make has consequences and the desire to sidestep the whole issue is not realistic, even though it is understandable.

We must adopt the most positive outlook we can muster. We are going to pay for our outlook whether it brings us happiness or misery. In fact, the outlook which all but guarantees misery, is actually more expensive, at least if you measure value received against dollars spent. So which are you going to choose? I have made my choice so I have to renew it every day. We succeed when we couple a positive attitude with an appropriate set of self-chosen goals. Then we can act consistently with these in mind. This brings us to motivation.

Dictionaries define motivation as an inner urge that prompts a person to action, with a sense of purpose. Motivation is that something which propels us forward even against formidable odds. It is a force which encourages us to act whether the result of this action is specific or more general. It can be seen as closely related to inspiration, though it may have roots in the mind and body which are more psycho-physiological. Motivation provides a motive, a reason for our actions. Without it we probably would not even respond to the strongest stimulus.

There are ten basic motives which inspire all thought, all action, voluntary and involuntary:

There are other lists but I like this one. I am using it as a springboard for further discussions.

First, understand your motives. Come to grips with why we do what we do ... why we are driven in some directions and repelled by others. This is as good a foundation for self-knowledge as I can imagine. Take some time right now and make a short list.

Choose one of the items in the list above, say, self-preservation, as the base of a pyramid and then build up toward the apex. Your list will be unique. Stack the ten items in importance to you, building each item as far as you can. You will find that there will be an overlap between them. A mosaic will form and finally a map will be created - a personal motivational map.

Once you begin to understand the order of importance of your present motivational structure, you can decide if changes are necessary. Do you really want the things you placed in those slots to occupy this order of influence over you? There is some latitude here. We cannot do much about the need for food but we can certainly control what food we eat.

Is your life lop-sided from a motivational perspective? Are you being pushed or pulled in a way which brings you closer to your stated goals, or are they at odds with some of your supposed motivations? Let us look at some examples.

A particular person might say that right after his need for survival comes a need for love and/or sexual activity. So far so good you might say, but then comes the conflict. His value structure suggests that his choice of an occupation and material gain is in direct conflict with his more basic motivating force. He cannot do the work he loves and still attract the kind of woman he desires. Some real choices have to be made and they are hard ones. The one bright side of the picture is not to pretend that the answers will be obvious because they might not be true. But to insist that without such basic understanding of self the man has not a chance at real success. He will continue to undermine either one project or the other, since right now they are at odds with one another.

Is the same true of you? Are you at odds with yourself? Is there a secret civil war going on within you? If so, does this explain your lack of success? It could. Now is the time to conduct at least a preliminary inventory. We may have located a fundamental obstacle to your achieving success in our first basic exercise together!

If your basic motives oppose one another, clearly you cannot have a successful life no matter how liberally you define the term. What can you do? Are you stuck in a lifestyle that is always going to be frustrating? Not necessary. It may take some real soul-searching to make the changes called for if real conflicts are located. The first requirement is to look very carefully at your motives. This may be a great deal more difficult than it sounds at first.

Unfortunately, we cannot always determine what a person really wants by asking them questions, even if the list is a very long one. It makes no difference if the person is you or someone else. In fact it might make things even more difficult to resolve since self-deception is such a common trait.

A list is a useful starting point, of course. You may have to return to it every often, altering your responses as you uncover more about yourself. You will discover why you do things the way you do them and you will alter how you feel about those things.

Your first list will only be an approximation, an educated guess. But it does start the ball rolling, and this by itself is important. Once you have something down in black and white, you can ponder it far better. Do you have to change it, or is it fine the way it is?

Example: On your motivational list, let us suppose that you have rated financial success higher than anything except physical survival. You now have to ask if your behavior proves this to be true. Are you willing to give up sex, love, freedom of body and mind and self-expression for material gain? If the answer is no, and your behavior will verify this, and then stop kidding yourself that this is your main motivation.

Example: You have rated love (sexual or not) just below physical survival. What does this choice mean? It means that your love life, your choices, your basic lifestyle should illustrate this decision. A person should be able to tell that love is the most important single motivational force in your life, after survival. It should show that whenever you come to a fork in the road, love consistently wins out. Does your life prove this or is it more of a gag line in terms of your decision-making? Do you say one thing and do another?

See why I said this might be difficult? Making a list does not seem like much of a task, does it? But try making that list honestly. Do not let yourself use any of your usual dodges. Have the courage to look at you eyeball to eyeball. Do not blink or look away when you find something you wish was not there. Self-deception is created if you do this too often. Force yourself to carry out this inventory. Change the list as many times as it takes to get it right.

How will you know when this list is right? Simple. When you have a list that really fits with your long-term behavior you can step back and begin to understand what makes you tick.

You may like what you see. If that is true why are you not successful? Perhaps you do not like what you see. You may not like to think that you love material gain so much, but then find all the evidence against you. Would it help to keep on denying this? Should you pretend that you care about something that your behavior contradicts? Obviously not.

If you are honest on this very private list, you can see if change is necessary. If change is necessary, in what direction should you move?

Example: You find out that self-expression appeals to you very much. Go through the same steps as before. Ask yourself if your daily decisions mirror this view. If there is a contraction, something else must be true. You must care about something else more. It is better to discover the real basis of your internal conflict that continues the charade any longer.

If you are not sure what really motivates you then what better time to find that out. You will never be younger. If you are disturbed by what you see then get to work and change it! It is your life and you should be its master, if you are not already. With your, life you should be the leader and take responsibility for it. This requires courage since it is always easier to blame someone or something else.

Eventually, this list will give you power. Knowledge is power and you will seldom find a better illustration. If you discover that you have been living a lie, you can begin to take corrective action. If you do not like what you see in the psychological mirror, you have two choices: smash the mirror and walk away, or take to heart what is reflected there.

As unnerving as it might turn out to be, is it not time you faced yourself as you really are? Look at your motives that pull your strings. This is an effective way of looking at yourself, even if you do not appear very attractive. Of course, the inventory may be much less disturbing.

You might find only a few changes are needed. With the clarity given by this exercise you may have enough insight to carry through with some of those life-decisions you have been putting off. Should you pursue a career in visual arts or take that selling job? Should you marry that wealthy gentleman or let your heart dictate your choice? Is this corporation the right one for you or would you increase your degree of personal freedom by going off on your own? Look at the motives. They guide your life whether you know they are there or not.

How does this relate to success? A great deal. A conflict in motives can undermine success. Realign your motives so they are in harmony and you will move more consistently. You will increase the chances of attaining goals. You will move toward that success you have always wanted, but this time in a straight line. Your movement will be like a laser beam if you follow through. If you care about things which seem to conflict, then make a choice and stick to it! Otherwise, your lite will continue in its zigzag and will never add up to anything.

Perhaps this is what has been happening in your life for so long. You move toward your goals, and then, at the last minute, it seems to elude you. You choose another move toward it and the same thing happens. This is the life for the majority of people. Their motives fight against each other. They cancel each other out. No wonder these peoples efforts cannot add up to anything. They never had a chance of success, because failure was built in from the beginning. Their goals were in conflict with each other. Their motives were at war. Naturally this creates wear and tear on the mind and body. It turns even the most pleasant choice into a stress-provoking situation. It transforms the most positive type of energy and enthusiasm into a potentially destructive force.

Rule Number One: Be sure your motives reflect the real you and are not at odds with each other. Understanding this is easy; putting it into practice can take years. You have to start somewhere and somehow. This is the where and the how. So, what are you waiting for?

• We cannot overlook the effects of our outlook.
• A positive outlook will enrich our lives and brings fulfillment.
• There are ten basic motives that inspire all thought and all action.
• These include: Self-preservation, Love and Fear.
• Your personal motivational list will eventually give you power.
• Rule Number One: Be sure your motives reflect the real you and are not at odds with one another.
  

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