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We've all seen and heard stories of the brilliant young leader who fights his way to the top of the heap and then suddenly falls into decline.
One of the main reason dreams die after skyrocketing to success is that success begins to be viewed as a permanent condition. However, the fact is that you must maintain the same qualities of drive, initiative and purpose that allowed you to arrive in the winner's circle the first time around. Once you reach a goal, you must work twice as hard as you originally did to get there!
Your job as a coach is not only to motivate others but also to keep the passion alive in yourself. When you are lulled into complacency by all your previous accomplishments, you begin to lose your edge, to discard all the elements of success that handed you that victory - you begin to coast. And as a wise man once said, "If you're coasting, you're surely not coasting uphill."
However, as any successful person will tell you, being the one that others look to for inspiration and motivation can present a serious problem. When you are the sole powerhouse of your team's enthusiasm, what happens when you run out of gas, when you feel the fire dying out?
Who motivates the motivator?
You may be thinking, "Okay, I am losing my fire, so who will motivate the motivator?" The answer is YOU! You must self-motivate and be able to stand alone in this process. But remember, the fact that you arrived at the position you now hold means you already possess that ability in a major way! You know how to stand alone and get the job done.
The bottom line is you will have to establish a programme of personal motivation that will continue to fuel your passion, desire, and thirst for new and ongoing victories. One of the most helpful things I do in my own life is to avail myself of motivational books and CDs about successful people from all walks of life. I find that as I read and listen, I am filled with the same drive and determination that made them successful.
The next and most important step, however, is to put into play five major steps to get you where you want to go and keep you there:
Step #1: Crystallise your thinking. You must set specific goals for yourself with a time frame for achieving them. General goals will not be effective. Having strong, exciting goals guarantees you will keep your fervour and enthusiasm.
Step #2: Write your goals down. When you write your goals down in concrete steps that can be checked off as you accomplish them, you will remain committed and focused. Never check off the completion of one step until you are already involved in completing the next step. You want to keep the momentum going!
Step #3: Develop a burning desire to reach your goals. The desire to accomplish your goals is maintained by identifying all the benefits you will experience and receive once your goals are attained. Include all the areas in which you will benefit professionally and personally. Be specific. Write this list of benefits down and keep it with you, referring to it often.
Step #4: Maintain an unshakable faith in yourself and your ability to accomplish your goals. This is not the time to be modest! List every strength and positive attribute you have. Make the list as long and as truthful as possible. Compare your qualities with other great men that have already accomplished the goals you desire.
Step #5: Create an iron-willed determination that will blast any obstacle from your path. Once you have truly internalised your goals and their benefits, you will perceive any obstacle as merely something that must be eliminated from your path. Let nothing stand in your way!
Once you realise that motivation for continued success must come from within yourself, you can proceed with the proper steps to make that happen. All the attributes that brought you to your present position are the same attributes that can fuel your continued rise to success. Keep the fires burning.
Paul J. Meyer
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