Fuel the Fire: The 5 Sparks of Motivation

Your motivation is sparked by a deep desire within you. It is like an internal button that sets things into motion when it gets pushed. It brings your inner warrior to life, a force of your own regeneration -- driven, fearless, and inspired.

The goal that you set is only the seed that gets planted. It's your motivation that will determine how you tend to that seed -- and how you fuel your motivation that decides whether it gets drowned out or fired up even more! Motivation is bolstered and boosted by courage, confidence, commitment, clarity, and challenge. These will empower you to meaningfully and resolutely overcome the inevitable roadblocks to reaching your dreams and aspirations.

Whatever your aims may be, they need to be nurtured to their fullest potential through the engine of inspired action. Here is a look at the five sparks of motivation that will keep your fire burning on the journey to your dreams.

Fuel the Fire: The 5 Sparks of Motivation

What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us. And when we bring what is within us out into the world, miracles happen.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Courage

It is not inability that stops you from achieving your ambitions -- it is fear. Fear of loss or failure is a wasteful energy that will keep you stuck, ground down, and always two steps behind what you truly want. But in reality, there is no failure. There are just lots of different ways to learn lessons and do things better next time! Accept fear as innately a part of you; it is simply the other side of the coin of courage or bravery. Fear depletes you, whereas courage feeds you with strength and acts like a ray of sunlight powering through the heavy cloud of your fears. You can only find courage through fear, and it is simply a choice that you make: You decide what internal force drives you. Courage dissipatesfear.

Confidence

Your confidence in your own abilities allows you to push past obstacles, move through invisible walls, and break down barriers. It is believing within yourself that you do have what it takes. You can reach your goal, you can create, and you can light your own way. Build yourself up from the inside so that nothing external can leave a lasting mark, and do things that nudge you out of familiar places and comfort zones. Take action and guide yourself from the strongest place inside you. That self-belief and confidence is an intrinsic driver, like the battery on a car that’s on full charge. Self-confidence is something that you shape and build layer upon layer through self-mastery and unwavering will.

Commitment

Staying committed despite fears, knock downs, failures, and wrong turns is the truth of success. Commitment says that you did not give up no matter how hard the journey became- you stuck it out and endured the long and difficult road because it was all necessary. That is the essence of being successful. It’s all good keeping a promise to yourself when everything is going your way, but when the tables turn it’s another story. Commitment is ‘rock solid’ integrity, it is the part of you that will not step back when things get tough- you hold on and look for a way forward even when you can’t see what’s ahead. What you commit to and eventually achieve becomes the merit of your struggle, your passion, and your perseverance.

Clarity

Clarity is about having a clear vision from inside your dream, not on the outside where it still looks blurry, messy and uneasy on the eye. Immerse yourself in what you hope and desire -- see it in your mind’s eye, feel its presence in your heart, resonate with the experience of actually having it. An unclear goal will remain that, an unclear goal. Be certain of what you want and how you are going to get there, take one step at a time, and don’t neglect the little things. Give your motivation meaning. Adapt where needed and every move will bring that vision closer to reality -- but you need to see it, believe it and feel it. A clear way forward has no place for doubt. Be driven by your purpose and your vision.

Challenge

Challenges can dim your motivation, making you feel less inspired as they eat away at your confidence. Step up to them rather than step back. The greatest things are born from the greatest struggles and everything that pushed you to grow and evolve. You can utilize your challenges to build your strength and be illuminated by your inner compass of wisdom and direction. This is the beauty of any trials and struggles; they can create a stronger foundation for you and fortify your resilience to keep you moving forward. Strength lies in adapting and using each struggle as another stepping stone to your goals. In fighting for your dreams you are effectively choosing challenges, and that puts you in a greater position to deal with them more powerfully.

Fuel your inner fire

Motivation in itself is not enough, and will quickly die out without anything at the heart of it to keep the fire burning. It needs a framework that can withstand external knocks and become inherently stronger over time.

A resolute sense of purpose and an arsenal of inspired action are needed to go the distance. The power of purpose is the defining factor of maintaining motivation, for it is motivation by design.