7 ways to become more self-driven

15th September 2017

“You don’t overcome challenges by making them smaller but by making yourself bigger.” – John C. Maxwell

Its not unusual to bank and rely on others for motivation, to be inspired by successful people, and depend on affirmations to focus. Unfortunately they are situations where waiting for outside (extrinsic) motivation can be damaging. You don’t always have to have some external form of motivation to get on with your career plans, to push your business or to accomplish your goals.
There must be something, something in you that pushes you through whether you are feeling inspired or not, whether you are motivated or not. That very thing that makes you push forward in times of adversity when faced with challenges. The drive lies in you, the rest just adds on. Ask yourself, if extrinsic motivation is the answer, then why is that after reading daily affirmations, great motivational books, hours listening to motivational speakers-you are still miles away from achieving your dream. You can’t just rely on external motivation without having something inside you.
The intrinsic or inside motivation is the force that drives you without over relying on rewards. That very force that makes you do things because you are passionate, or you get satisfaction or pleasure with or no bait-you just have it in you to do this.
So how can you build your inner drive?

• Make learning a must

You cant go about in life seeking opportunities without improving your knowledge. They were never wrong when they said knowledge is power. That power is what lies beneath you and feed your drive. When you are knowledgeable about stuff you feel the world is in your palm, you are ready to conquer and get what is yours.
Your source of knowledge isn’t just those four walls at school, college or university. That isn’t the only knowledge you need. I am talking about the knowledge that points you to opportunities, to understanding the complexities of the world, the knowledge that positions you in this competitive world, the knowledge that arms you with bargaining chips to get deals done.
So look at this as adding something new, getting valuable insights that helps you in your business, profession, sporting career or even interacting with society. Learn and never stop, do it and do it everyday. Be hungry to consume and learn anything that affects your well being, business life or innovativeness. Your brain just like any body part can only grow with ‘nurturing’-Why not take time everyday to develop your own brains, the processing unit that can help you conquer the world. Mind you when you constantly stimulate your mind, it triggers your momentum-the ultimate drive. It fires you up-regardless of whatever situation you are faced with.

• Always connect with your​ ‘Why’

You cant escape the ‘why’ question if you want to keep pushing on. Asking yourself that WHY question gives you a perspective of what you want to achieve. When you get to ask why, you re-connect with your inner self and belt out energies you never thought you had.
You want to be that amazing singer, the renowned business lady, the unstoppable athlete, the motivator, get back to basics and ask why does this matter most to you, how did you end up wanting this so bad, can they be you without this. By laying to bare why you got to do this, you are connecting with your inner-self, the bit that says l have been through enough it’s time to get mine, l can’t get on with life as a side show- l need to shine. You will get filled with tonnes of energy​, you bring on the desires, every bit of you becomes attached so badly in what needs doing. There is no exaggeration in this, you will get pumped.

• Network with People

The thing about networking, is them people can colour or tarnish your life. I am talking about finding and networking with people who vibrate at the same level as you. Obviously the like-minded, not just the liked or available. Its not just networking with any people for the sake of it. Getting yourself in the wrong network is punitive, regressive and takes a toll on your drive. So never underestimate the influence of surrounding yourself with either the wrong or right groups of people-you could up your drive or get robbed senseless. It doesn’t matter how many​ times you have heard this, you might as well get it again so it remains stuck in your head. Choose your networks carefully.
There are multiple benefits derived when you surround yourself with like-minded people who are success-driven. You will benefit from their experiences and how they deal with challenges and remain driven. However, you are likely to lose out your drive if you hang out with negative people –they will drain you and erode your drive. Don’t waste away your drive for the sake of a stupid laugh or being seen as fitting-that is absolute nonsense- Instead rise above their level, protect your drive and if they so choose they too can emulate and be at your level. There is no need to play small so that you make those around you feel good in their inadequacies.
Invest carefully in the people you have around because some people will zap your energy, they are what they are-toxic-negative and parasitic to an extend they poison what they survive on. Always remember, the drive and energy differs from group to group, scenario to scenario and even place to place.

• Find the right habits and build them

Do you want to be consistent?, then you can’t run away from building good habits. Habits takes you through the day-they are more like second nature. If you do something out of habits, consistently and continuously you will always have the zest to get by days. You won’t need to rely on some inspiration because with or without you are already in a routine of delivering. Good habits put you into an inescapable drive. In your case your habits become your weapons for your momentum, they truly ‘got you back’ whatever the situation.
So you want to be a successful business person, a great sports personality, the next inventor, why not get into the habit of reading books on entrepreneurship, the habit of checking business trends, the habit of training as many days as you can and the habit of solving problems.

• What is your worst case scenario

What would you do if you knew you are going to wake up penniless, that you wont have a home, you wont have nothing to live on? Paint the bleakest picture and imagine your life in such eternity. What if this day is on the horizon? How would you feel when you envision a desperate situation in the future? Quite the opposite of envisioning a successful future. When you paint yourself living in a rut, you shake up every bit of your body. You send fear down your spine. Would you miss on opportunities knowing very well that you have a bleak future, would you sit on you’re a** and not grind? You will find yourself knitting possible ways of changing the future before it happens. There is your drive, you all of sudden utilise your fear of leaving in a rut to give today your best. Your fear of the worst case scenario certainly pushes your drive.

1. Change is inevitable so be ready to adapt

Most often we get tested when new change is introduced. The most uncomfortable change is the one that robs you of your current ‘comfort’, the rapid change that leaves you feeling lost and helpless. Adverse changes are a real setback-they change the way you do business, the way you survive and relate to the world. Are you able to cope with setbacks? Are you made of sterner stuff. Do you have what it takes to push through when universe is against you? Changes, both positive and negative provide you with an opportunity to rise to the occasion. In times of change we scramble for inspiration and motivation.
The choice lies in your hands, what do you do when you are confronted with the unexpected changes. Don’t go about thinking life is about what you know, about the same things, same environment and that you can’t handle changes, and when it does come you are all of a sudden a victim. No no, that is petty and ridiculous. If you hadn’t already, switch on to the flexibility mode. You need to understand that no one single day is the same that without change you won’t grow.
Be ready and get flexible, be quick to be flexible. Being flexible and even anticipating change is enough to keep your drive. When you adapt and go with the flow, naturally you are able to think of solutions to problems. When you choose to be rigid you will break and you are just likely to give up. There are no exaggerations here or coated mis-truths, no self delusions and sound-good stuff. Its just the hard truths.

• You are the master piece

If you believe in miracles or the big bang, it all starts right here. This is not the easiest thing to do though casually people tend to drop the ‘I believe in myself’. It hardly occurs that, believing in yourself is a lot of work and requires truly believing in your abilities to do anything that comes across your mind even when faced with challenges and difficulties.
You have to nurture the I CAN DO spirit. Your can do spirit makes you stand against any fears, natural or imposed. Often fear can make you doubt your potential. The best way to remain true to yourself is confront your fear(s), overcome them, not just once but as many times and solidify your belief in what you can do, come rain or shine.
When you declare that Yes You Can, even the most difficult things seems doe-able. How can anyone think any less of the power in self belief and declaration when we are reminded of how the “Yes We Can” movement made Obama to win the hearts of many Americans. You too can, you are a real masterpiece, you got all it takes, that belief on its on fuels your drive. You are the best, you got what it takes.
“If you doubt you can accomplish something, then you can’t accomplish it. You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through.” -Rosalyn Carter