What Is The Best Kind Of Motivation?

There are so many different types of motivation but which one is the best? If I am thinking about the world today there seems to be three major methods that stand out and that people are exposed to daily.

So What Are They?

The three most prominent forms of motivation are social media, people in surrounding environments and of course yourself. If you are exposed to all of these daily, which one is the strongest and most powerful for you? Which one are you most driven by? What one is going to help you become better than you were yesterday?

As you scroll down your Facebook newsfeed I am sure you will find a few beautiful pictures with uplifting messages on them. If not the same, I would say even more so for your Instagram feed. Meme after meme after meme, they are never ending. Let’s not forget about twitter that seems to be littered with your fair share of quotes to help you get through your day. I find most of them to be exciting in the moment but tend to wear off after a small distraction. Some others really get you thinking about how you are spending your life. Are they driving you to be a changed person forever, or are they just temporary? There is no true yes or no answer to this because each person is different. What is motivating for one person may not be for another. Nonetheless social media seems to be a gateway for motivational insight now a days.

People Around You

I would say the next most popular form of motivation that you would be exposed to on a regular basis are the people around you.

Many people are naturally drawn to authority figures or the more experienced people around them. Media psychology expert and communications consultant Scott Sobel (2015), founder of Media & Communications Strategies, Inc. in Washington D.C. says that “Humans are aspirational. We want to look up to role models and leaders and follow what they ask,”. In some situations it may be your parents who are constantly reminding you of what is right and wrong and educating you about making healthy life choices. In other situations it may be your teachers, coaches, friends or other family members who are continuously trying to keep you and other loved ones on a positive and progressive track in life.
Our environments can have various different effects on your daily attitude and decision making. Does your surrounding social environment have an effect on your attitude throughout the day? Does it have a positive or negative effect? Many people are drawn to listen to authority figures and more experienced people around them so it is easy to assume that your social environment can have some effect on the choices you make.

Yourself

Last but not least the next form of motivation that you have access to everyday of your life is YOURSELF. I am so proud when I see my own athletes positively talking themselves into being brave and trying something that is a little scary. That would be an example of an abundance of personal motivation. You may be letting yourself slack off for various different reasons which could be an example of a lack of personal motivation. Are you motivating yourself by making positive changes in your life? Are you motivating yourself to take that next step to becoming more than you were yesterday?

Which One Is Best?

So back to my questions from earlier. Which form of motivation is the strongest and most powerful for you? Which one are you most driven by? What is going to help you become better than you were yesterday?
There is no right or wrong answer here because all three forms are going to work differently for different people. What works for one persons may not work for another. I can be honest when I say the only one that you can always trust to be around is yourself. You will always have you.

I read this book called “Who Says You Can’t? You Do” by Daniel Chidiac. It is one of my favourite books. In one of his chapters he writes:

“Our true motivation lies in repeatedly being self-proud. If you ever wonder how some people seem to stay motivated in life, this is why. They don’t wait for other people to come and praise them for their efforts, they do it themselves.” – Daniel Chidiac (2012)

 During the process you may feel defeated by moments of failure but sometimes those are the best times for learning about how you can improve yourself for next time. “We are our own biggest critics, but once you recognise that your own criticism is the best life coach you will ever have, you will excel” – Daniel Chidiac (2012)

Once you finally admit your mistakes and own up to your own doing, you will find yourself more motivated to make changes in your life. You will be driven to better yourself in every aspect of life whether that be in sport, school, work or anything else.It’s okay to scroll through and read those beautiful motivating memes on your Facebook or Instagram newsfeed but always remember that you are the best motivator for yourself. Trust yourself over everything else because you will always have yourself to lean on when times get tough. Believe in your abilities and use your strengths to strengthen your weaknesses. Empower your mind with positive thoughts and you will be thankful.