Getting motivated sounds easy. After all, if we want to do something we just go out and do it, don't we? Wrong. In fact becoming motivated, and then sustaining it, seems to be one of the most difficult stumbling blocks people face on a daily basis.

Everything we do requires a certain amount of motivation otherwise we wouldn't get out of bed in the morning. But is that really motivation? After all, we have to get up to go to work, drop the kids to school, shop, cook and live. But these are the necessities of life. The 'have to do's'. Motivation is the oil that makes life run smoothly and along the track we want it to go. We may be completing the tasks we've set ourselves but are we really motivated? What actually is motivation and why is it so important?

For Jo Ouston, a specialist in management development and career planning, motivation begins with a vision. As she says, "If you're planning a meal and having people over you think about your produce before you shop. If you didn't you'd look at a lump of meat, or a bag of rice and never buy it." Vision starts with thought and it's how we talk to ourselves that makes or breaks our motivation. Jo says, "It's very important that the logical and creative side of the brain work in tandem and that they do it naturally."

Your imagination creates something for you and your logical brain carries it out. She explains, "It all comes down to image, feeling, words and action and you can't have a block anywhere in that process." And there lies the trick. Because we're all extremely adept at convincing ourselves we can't do something before even trying. We say we can't run a business because, 'people like me don't so that sort of thing'. Or we can't write a business plan because we're not a writer, even though we might have all the information at our fingertips already written on scraps of paper. It's easier to talk ourselves out of attempting something because that way we don't set ourselves up to fail. However, no risk is no gain. And when people realise that, they head to people like Jo to help them realise their full potential.

Motivation begins with a vision. 'If you're planning a meal and having people over, you think about your produce before you shop. If you didn't you'd look at a lump of meat or a bag of rice and never buy it'.

Finding the passion

When it comes to passion, Jo's main tip is, "whoever you are and whatever you're doing, the thing is to think what you do most naturally." She explains, "You have to ask yourself what do I love doing, not what am I good at." And that's because we can all learn to be

good at things but deep down they may not be what we are really passionate about. And in order to get into the flow of motivation we need passion. How many of us are, for instance, trapped in a job that we excel at but that doesn't really light our fire. We often make choices early in our career for the wrong reasons, end up being exceptionally good at something, but deep down want to run off to Africa and raise orphaned elephants. So how do we know when that passion is there?

There are three key tell-tale signs: Firstly, whatever we are doing is effortless. Secondly, we are completely engrossed and, thirdly, we lose sense of time when we do it.

"You have to ask yourself what do I love doing, not what am
I good at."

Keeping motivated

Once we've identified what we're passionate about, the trick is to find ways to build that into our life so it has some meaning. At work it may not be that easy just to give it all up, but often learning new skills, taking a step sideways, or even making subtle changes can bring dividends. Maybe changing your role but staying in the same sector might be the answer, or taking that role to a new sector might open up new doors. There are choices as long as you don't allow your brain to start building obstacles.

Techniques such as visualising yourself doing what inspires you can help to move you forwards. It's that vision followed by action thing. Setting goals is also important. As is remembering that Rome wasn't built in a day and any major change can seem daunting. Breaking the task into small manageable chunks can give you that sense of achievement to keep you heading in the right direction.

Jo says, "People generally do hone into what's important for them." The trick is to recognize that and stick with it. In her courses she employs the use of visual metaphors to help people identify where they are now and where they want to be. When she started out in 1990 she envisaged her company as an 'old-fashioned Rolls Royce with a flat tyre and no headlights'. For her it represented an aspiration of traditional values but not yet road worthy. Eighteen years on she still sees the Rolls Royce but it has transformed into a Tardis inside to fit all her staff in the back seat.

She says, "Metaphors are fun to work with and easy. Everyone can have their own metaphor." Using a metaphor to visualize where you are now and where you'd like to be is a good and simple way of getting the motivational juices running. It's cheap, very cost-effective and who knows may just set you on the path to a more fulfilled life.

To find out more about Jo Ouston's motivational techniques visit  www.joouston.co.uk  

By Michele Nevard