[ad_1]
Ramit Sethi, financial expert and host of Netflix’s show “How to Get Rich” recently shared a post on LinkedIn about motivation myths that get in the way of building wealth. You might not have thought about how motivation relates to money, but Sethi explains that motivation is involved in how we set and accomplish goals, thus in how we save money, invest money and much more.
Side Gig: Earn Up To $200/Hour With This Easy-To-Start Job, No College Degree Required
Learn More: How To Get Cash Back on Your Everyday Purchases
He also pointed out that motivation depletes easily and can be difficult to replenish, so it’s important to use your motivation wisely. We explore his two motivation myths and some strategies to overcome them:
I’m a Self-Made Millionaire and Professional Money Coach: Here’s How You Can Get Rich Working Only 20 Hours Per Week
MYTH #1: You’re Just Not Motivated Enough
Sethi first tackles the myth of believing you just don’t have enough motivation. He gives some examples of things you might have thought about doing or even begun, but never followed through on, such as:
-
Wanting to go on a big overseas vacation but never even beginning to plan or research
-
Wanting to start a business, but not taking the steps to actually come up with an idea (much less a business plan)
-
Wanting to lose weight but giving up on the gym or giving in to other “busy” aspects of life instead
-
You could add to this list, saving for a financial goal, or investing a certain percentage of your income each year.
When you tell yourself “I guess I’m not motivated enough,” he said that this is “one of the most destructive 6-word sentences you could possibly say.” In his estimation, this just gives you permission to “fail for the rest of your life.”
He adds that this is tantamount to saying that you are someone who just can’t get things done and that you might even be lazy. “And once you label yourself that, how can you ever change?” he asked.
He makes clear that motivation and success are not a straight line and that successful people don’t wait around to be motivated because it’s fleeting. Instead, “top performers” as he called them “build systems, they hone their craft, and they systematically improve their mental psychology.”
Saying you’re not motivated enough is like losing the game before you’ve even begun playing, he suggested. It’s also sort of like insulting yourself. So to combat this myth, he shifted to talking about “the world of productivity.”
MYTH #2: Success Equals Greater Productivity
Sethi takes a hard look at why we suggest that success must go hand in hand with productivity. He said, “We literally use words like ‘I’m swamped’ or ‘If I just had more time.’”
He challenged us to think of some truly successful people we know, someone you admire who is “at the top of their game” and imagine if you asked them what makes them successful, how would they respond.
He’s sure they would not give credit to their productivity. Productivity is a subjective concept anyway, that changes from person to person.
However, this doesn’t seem to stop most people from chasing productivity as though it is a guarantee of success. “We fall back on the ‘Two Ts’ — Tactics and Time,” Sethi said. “We start to feel guilty about not being able to do everything. So what do we do?”
This leads to what he called the “Productivity Cycle of Doom,” in which people look for, try out, and abandon new tools and tactics only to find themselves right back where they started.
So, this creates a conundrum: motivation may initiate change, but it doesn’t necessarily sustain it.
Sethi ends his post with a question: “How do you personally stay motivated?”
Here are a few ways you can work on motivation that may improve its lasting power.
Motivation Must Come From Within
According to Psychology Today, if you’re pursuing goals that come from only external places, what author Robert Taibbi, LCSW, calls “shoulds”–all those things you feel you should do but might not want to, then it’s a lot harder to truly act upon that motivation.
Set Specific Goals
Another problem is that your financial goals might be too vague, making it hard for you to come up with actionable steps to actually get stuff done. So getting really clear is an important step on the path to wealth. Don’t just save at random, or invest because it seems like a good idea: do your research, speak to a financial planner, get educated and then make a plan.
Remove Blocks
While just tacking on a bunch of productivity tools won’t get you where you’re going, a certain amount of preparation can. You do this by “eliminating potential roadblocks,” according to Psychiatrist Jeffrey Ditzell, DO, writing for Real Simple. Eliminating roadblocks means removing processes, steps, and even working on your thoughts, to make your next steps simpler. Or as Ditzell put it, “Whatever it is, you want the supports in place to achieve the win, and they must be accessible to you, as you need them.”
More From GOBankingRates
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Ramit Sethi: 2 Motivation Myths That Are Keeping You From Being Rich
[ad_2]
Source link