Tips On Meditation For Motivation
Did you know that meditation can have a positive impact on your motivation levels? I know that this may sound a little strange, especially if you are already finding it hard to stay motivated to meditate on a regular basis.
How Does Motivation Work?
Motivation is typically known as those factors both internal and external that stimulate us to take action or not take action. Most people think of motivation as being a positive force that moves us towards our goals and desires. In reality I have come to understand that motivation, or the energy that arises from it, can be both positive and negative – it depends on how we use it.
That means that we can just as easily be motivated to make changes in our lives as we can be to stay the same, or even sabotage ourselves in some way. Sometimes it takes even more energy to resist making changes we know will improve our lives, than it does to actually take action on them.
Self-defeating behavior is nothing new. All of us are familiar with those times when we know what is good for us to do but we choose to ignore it for whatever reason and go ahead and do something that is not in our best interest. That still requires motivation. The only difference is that the motivation in this case is self-sabotaging.
We can also be motivated to not take action. This type of motivation typically comes from either fear or complacency. If we are afraid to take the necessary steps to move forward in our lives then our motivational force is used to stay stuck in our comfort zone. Whereas if we decided to take a step, then the same energy is used to propel us forward.
This energy is really being directed by our mind and emotions. While external stimuli can also be a factor, the ultimate power behind how we use our motivational energy is what we think and feel about what we are compelled to do from moment-to-moment.
The reason why I share the two-sides of motivation is because many people subscribe to the belief that all they need is a little more motivation and there life will be better in some way. What they really mean is that if they had more positive motivation then they would get more positive results.
Motivation and Meditation – How It Works
One of the biggest motivating factors in why we decide to take action on something or not comes from how much clarity we have around our goal or task at hand. When we’re not clear about what we need to do, how it needs to be done, or why we should be doing it, then it’s almost impossible to find the motivation to move forward.
The other 2 components that also come into play with motivation are confidence and competence. This means that even if we do have clarity around what our objective or desired outcome is, if we lack the confidence to take action and we don’t feel competent yet in what we will be doing, that this can also make moving forward difficult.
Behavioral studies have shown that clarity accounts for approximately 80% of our motivation to take action. Confidence and competence are around 10% each. That makes a bunch of sense if you think about it because both confidence and competence can be almost non-existent when you start something new but once you get going, they automatically grow.
Meditation helps with motivation because it clears the mind. When that happens then it’s easier for us to have clarity about our decisions and actions. Meditation also helps us to step-back from any fearful or judgmental thoughts and feelings which creates mental and emotional balance in the mind and body.
When you consider that one of the biggest blockages to us being able to have an unstoppable flow of positive motivation in our lives is focusing on negative thoughts and feelings, then it makes perfect sense why meditation is the perfect solution.
The next time you are looking for extra positive motivation in your life, spend 10 to 20 minutes meditating immediately before making any decisions or taking action. If you do, you’ll find you”ll have so much more freedom to use your mind, body, and emotions, as a positive motivational force in anything you want to be, do, or have.
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Michael Atma
Meditation Dojo Blog
Skype: michaelatma
Email: Michael@MichaelAtma.com
“I Teach You how to live a Happier, Healthier and More Fulfilling Life Through Meditation!”
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