What is Motivation?

Look well to this day. Yesterday is but a dream and tomorrow is only a vision. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well therefore to this day. – Francis Gray

Motivation is defined as "the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors." There are essentially three different sub parts of motivation; activation, persistence, and intensity.  Activation comes from within and is the spark that we all have to set goals for ourselves.  Persistence is the drive that we have to keep going, even if situations get tough.  Intensity is the mindset that we can accomplish those goals that are set through the actions and drive we show to the world.  There are also different theories of motivation which I will touch on in another blog I write, but for now think about the three components that make up motivation. What are your reasons for your activation, persistence and intensity. As I have answered the questions I have asked you in my blog I will share my answers that motivate me everyday to continue to pursue my goals.The goal for my motivation for my example will be pursing my career goal of working for Chick-fil-A corporate. 

1. Activation- Was applying for the job, applying for certification class, asking what are the next steps for promotion.

2. Persistence- The drive that puts a flame under my butt is the drive that all the hard work I am doing now will pay off in the long run.

3. Intensity- My mindset often is defaulted towards being the best; however along the way I have experienced failures.  It makes my intensity when I do succeed at something that much greater than the small failures that I come upon.  

I think that if you also make this list for yourself it can help you hon in on all three components and allow you to dive deep into your mindset of motivation!!

http://psychology.about.com/od/mindex/g/motivation-definition.htm

The Twenties is a Struggle!

Change is not a threat, it's an opportunity. Survival is not the goals, transformative success is.  -Seth Godin

I am a twenty year old and as much as I think I have my life under control and figured out, everyday I come to realize that I don't have it all figured out.   I do have goals that I set for myself for the future that I want to reach, but I read an article on my friends Facebook page that mentioned "11 Life Hacks for the Emotionally Struggling 20-Something."  It opened my eyes that I am going though the same problems as described in the article.  I try very hard to excel in everything I do however after reading this article I have come to realize that I do struggle and sometimes I need to sit back and look at life.  These are the 11 Life Hacks that us 20-somethings have to overcome everyday. 

1. You will not feel better tomorrow if you don't figure out whats wrong today.
2. Its difficult to say goodbye in the digital age.
3. You have to not only infuse your life with the little things that will make you enjoy your day, but also learn to free yourself from your thoughts that keep you in confines from enjoying said things.
4. Your life won't change in a day.  Mindfully incorporate "healthy" practices into your life until they become a routine.
5. Re-teach yourself how to feel.  You're often too molded by your past experiences to go forth in the best way possible.
6. When you reach the point that you can appreciate the wonder in every one of your feelings, you will start realizing that there is more to life than just "happiness."
7. I think that when people say "be grateful" and "appreciate" what you have" they are entirely neglecting the fact that doing so is incredibly difficult when you're not in the mindset that appreciates anything whatsoever.
8. Vulnerability may be the most underestimated human experience.
9. Although people's opinions shouldn't matter, they do, and may always.
10. Know that this path will not be easy. Nothing worthwhile, genuinely changing or in the human experience ever is.
11. Sometimes you will be overcome with emotion. 

I think after reading this article it made me recognize that I need to take all of these 11 statements into consideration and realize that my mindset is something that can help myself overcome all of these struggles.  I have the motivation to make my twenties the best years of my life, because they don't call it the roaring twenties for nothing!!

http://thoughtcatalog.com/brianna-wiest/2013/08/11-life-hacks-for-the-emotionally-struggling-20-something/

Five Reasons Motivation is Important

Live daringly, boldly, fearlessly.  Taste the relish to be found in competition- in having put forth the best within you. -Henry J. Kaiser

So as I am diving deep into the subject matter of motivation for students, parents, employees, managers, the list goes on I find myself asking, why is motivation so important? I found an article that literally explains the five top reasons motivation is important.

                                                      1. Motivation is the spark.

                                                      2. Motivation fuels.

                                                      3. Motivation warms.

                                                      4. Motivation can change.

                                                      5. Motivation satisfies.

It makes myself wonder all of these questions.  What is my spark? What fuels me to be motivated everyday? What keeps the fire under my butt? What are my goals that have changed due to my motivation? What is the thing that makes me satisfied with where I am going with my goals? I will answer the questions for me personally, but as I am writing out what motivates me, I encourage you to do the same thing when you are done reading this.

1. My spark is to attain a career that drives me to be the best everyday, shaping peoples lives I touch all around me.  Also knowing that I have my friends and family strongly behind me.

2. The fuel that drives me everyday is that I am happy with how far I have come so far and there is only growth ahead of me.

3. The fire under my butt is the people who think I work to much.  Proving to them that behind all my hard work is an underlying burst of success that will ignite soon enough. 

4. The goals that have changed for me due to my motivation is the experience I have had of accomplishing goals that I set for myself, that seemed unattainable but reaching them proved to me that I can attain anything I set my mind to, making my goals that much higher and my motivation that much bigger.

5. The big part of my satisfaction comes from where I was to where I am now, only knowing that I will go higher with my goals and all thats left for me to do is grow with time.  

I hope that you take the time to write out what motivates you.  It really is something that can either make you make changes in your thought process or continue on to the path that you have set for yourself to achieve great things!

http://www.recoveringself.com/guest-blogger/5-reasons-motivation-is-important

Myers- Briggs Indicator Test

Does a personality test really work when determining what your character really is? The Myers-Brigg test is a test that determines overall how you react and how you make decisions in everyday life.  It has 16 different outcomes to indicating what your "rational" and "irrational" thought process goes through.  The four different categories that it basis it on is being and extrovert/ introvert, sensing/ intuition, thinking/ feeling, judging/ perception.  So I took the test which was about 75 questions that were either "yes" or "no" based.  Seemed pretty easy until I got the results back and then it was when I really thought about what the final outcome really meant to my thought process.  

I will share that I got scored at a "ENTJ" (Extrovert, Intuitive, Thinking, Judging).  I looked up online what my results really meant because I was so fascinated by what it meant.  It in simpler terms put me categorized as a "commander" according to http://www.truity.com/view/types.  Which I think does describe me very well, I love to have a presence in everything I do and by allowing myself to know that most of my decisions seem like they don't hold predisposition thoughts by others, encourages me that I am doing what I am doing by my own thought process.  Other ones were "the healer, the visionary, the performer, the provider" and 12 other types that people could be based off of.  

I highly recommend you taking the test to develop a sense of what your "rational" and "irrational" thought process is.  It can help you understand the mindset that compels you to be motivated in everyday life.  Here's the website where I took the short 5 minute test! 

http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp

The Motivation Secrets of Business Leaders

Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy. – Norman Schwarzkopf

A mindset that thinks about motivation constantly throughout the day is something that will drive you to achieve your goals.  Whether it be the career you want to achieve, the school you want to attend or the dream car you want to buy.  Something will always motivate us to achieve something that we don't have in the present but know that we want it for later.

There was an article in Entrepreneur.com, sharing "The Motivation Secrets of 8 Successful Business Leaders."  It was a very interesting article to read, not only coming from a business perspective but also relating it to a personal perspective on everyday life.  David Angelo the Chief Creative Officer at David & Goliath said that "relationships require casting the right people, those who share the same mindset.  Only then can you create something great."  So true in every word, not only applying to business but in our daily lives of surrounding yourself who will help you achieve your goals and sharing the same mindset so you can achieve greatness! I surround myself with people who encourage me to grow and have a mindset that I can do anything I set my mind to.  I think in not only the aspect of your own thoughts make you have motivation but it also comes from the people you surround yourself with.  I highly recommend reading this article to really dive deep into what CEO's think and how you can also relate it to your everyday life.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/228371

Why we do what we do...

I highly recommend watching TED talks on YouTube or downloading the TED talks APP. If your not aware of TED talks, they are amazing, inspirational videos to watch speakers speak on such powerful subjects that really construct our day-to-day lives.  I recently watched the speech by Tony Robbins- Why we do what we do. It was an amazing video that puts into perspective what our minds really process.  There was one part of the speech that stood out to me and that was the subject of "destiny."  Sure we all hear the word "destiny" used in finding soul mates but he used it in how we have three decisions we are making everyday of our life without ever really processing it. They are..

1. What am I going to focus on?

2.What does it mean?

3.What are you going to do?

No one ever thinks about these things we just do it, but what if we did take the extra time each day to think of these things?  We would have a lot more of a direction on where we might be headed everyday.  There was so much more to this TED talk that I highly recommend you taking a look at to really determine "Why are you doing what your doing."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpc-t-Uwv1I

#destiny #TEDtalks #amazing #motivationmindset 

The Motivation Starts with YOU!

So, my first blog post will be about introducing myself and what my purpose is for this blog.  My name is Taylor Howell and I am the Director of Operations at the Chick-fil-A store I work at.  I live in California and am dedicated towards my goals for my future.  I want to continue on the business path that Chick-fil-A has allowed me to experience for example, traveling to help new operators and team members open the store, becoming certified trained by the corporate employees and being able to experience at the store I work at the difficulties and opportunities that can arise when you own your own franchised business.  The operator of the store I work at is an amazing person to be around because he projects such great positively around the team members and conducts business in such a way that all you can do is be amazed.  I have so many people in my life that give me inspiration and positivity throughout my growing process through my career.  My grandma is probably the person I look up to the most.  She is so successful in everything she does not only in the business aspect but in her daily life.  I hope one day I can be just like her.  Surrounding yourself with people who are not only positive but have the same mindset of motivation that is needed to stand out in everyday life is so important.  Because once you are surrounded by people who don't have any drive or make bad decisions, is when you are brought down to the level of  no motivation and complacent with life.  I am so excited to be able to start this blog and share with everyone the key to success is the mindset you set for yourself.  And that is the mindset of motivation!