So the first thing that people will tell you that you need if you want to accomplish something is motivation.
You've got to be motivated about something.
You've got to want something or want to do something or want to accomplish something to do anything.
Now while that's the truth,
Here is where a lot of people get caught up with motivation.
They think that to continue making things happen they have to sustain that motivation.
Now here's the key.
Motivation is the initial spark but once that initial spark happens it doesn't really play much of a role.
That's when things like habits take over.
Think about it this way.
When you get into your car and you put the key in,
You turn the ignition on or you push the button and what happens?
You've created a spark that starts the engine of your car.
Your car is now ready to drive but once you've actually turned the ignition key,
That ignition doesn't do anything else.
It doesn't help you drive.
It doesn't help you steer.
It doesn't help you accelerate.
It doesn't help you brake.
It does nothing.
You then have to reach over,
Put the car in gear.
You've got to start.
You got to get that foot on the accelerator.
You might need to hit the brake and steer in a different direction and hit the accelerator again but the ignition does nothing.
However,
Without that initial spark,
None of the other stuff is possible because if you don't have the spark that starts the engine,
You can sit in your driveway or garage and steer and hit the pedals all you want.
You can even try and put it into gear.
Nothing's gonna happen.
You're gonna stay put.
So,
Motivation is key but if you're relying only on motivation to help you get things done and get things done consistently over long periods of time,
You're missing an important component.
One of my favorite quotes is Zig Ziglar.
That phrase from Zig Ziglar who once said,
People say motivation doesn't last and Zig said,
Well neither does bathing.
That's why we recommend it daily.
That's the truth.
You've got to have sparks.
Sparks are what get you going.
They get you started but the thing that needs to happen is what are you gonna do once you have the spark.
Now you've got to take action.
So here's a quick tool that you can use that when that spark of something hits,
You can take it out a little bit further to get your mindset ready to employ some habits that actually put some action to that motivation.
So if anyone's ever done any improv of any kind,
There's an unwritten rule within improv which if you think about improv,
It's really just there's no script,
Right?
You just take it where it takes you and life's kind of like that.
Life's a bunch of improv from day to day.
You have an idea of what might come up but it always tends to surprise you,
Doesn't it?
But in improv,
There's one unwritten rule that can never be broken and that rule is called the yes and.
Basically what that rule is is when you're on stage with someone doing a scene,
You can never use the word no because if you say no,
It stops the action.
If you say no,
The scene is over.
If you say no,
There is literally nowhere else to go.
Instead,
You have to say yes,
You have to acknowledge what they said and you have to end it.
In other words,
You need to continue adding on to the story so that it can continue.
But if you think about it,
In our lives,
We rarely yes and things.
What we do instead is we yes but everything and this is where we get caught up and stop motivation in its tracks.
We stop the spark almost as quickly as we got it.
Think about it.
You get a great idea and your first thought might be,
Whoa,
We should do that.
That would be great.
I'd love to do that.
And immediately,
The next words out of your mouth tend to be,
But I don't have the time,
I don't have the money,
I don't have the energy,
I can't do that,
I couldn't take a week off of work,
I don't even know how to do that,
I don't have any knowledge how to do that.
We immediately shoot our ideas down.
The very things that get us excited and motivated every day,
We shoot them down.
Nobody does that but us.
So the yes and tool can help you in real life.
I want you to start being aware.
Pay attention.
You'll start catching yourself yes butting just because we had this conversation and anytime you are gonna yes but something,
I want you to stop for a moment and try and yes and it first.
In other words,
Yes I would love to visit Italy and if we could visit Italy,
I could go to Florence.
There's architecture there I've always wanted to see and you know what,
My goodness,
We could go through wine country,
Italian wine country and try some new amazing things.
Maybe we'd even find something that will come back and get in the states that we absolutely love.
It could become one of our favorites.
Just being out in the European countryside,
Think of all the things,
Think of all the things that you could do that you would love to do that you would enjoy.
Feel that because when you can take yourself there even for just a few moments,
You get to feel and experience it.
Now if you go back and try and yes but that same thing,
You might have a little more difficult time to do that because now that you've had the experience and you felt what it would be like to do something you really want to do,
Now you've got some answers to your questions that you would yes but.
Well I don't have the money for that.
Well you know what,
That would be an amazing trip.
I don't have to go next month.
Maybe we go next year or in a couple of years.
Why don't we sit down and start putting a few bucks away every month?
Within a year we'd have what we needed.
You know what,
Maybe we'll talk to our friends up the street or our cousins,
People who travel all the time.
Where can I get a great deal?
Maybe I can go with a tour.
You know what,
If it's a group tour kind of thing maybe they've got savings because if you have groups going instead of individuals it's probably gonna cost less.
You will find a way if you first allow yourself to experience what it is you actually want but it's got to start up here.
Catch yourself yes butting.
Flip it to a yes and and start to see what happens in your life.
I guarantee you'll love the result.
