The Power of Self-motivation to Succeed in Today’s Uncertain World by Vijay Santhanam We live in an uncertain world, perhaps more than ever. With a growing interdependency globally, strife or economic failure in one part of the world affects others, even seemingly geographically remote areas. At the individual level, competition is intense in any field, from schools to colleges. Finding a job is getting tough and keeping it, even tougher. Stress is omnipresent and too many young people are dying due to heart attack or stroke. So what is the solution? Building and honing skills and expertise constantly combined with maintaining physical fitness is the foundation to survive; but self-confidence and self-motivation are key to strive in such an uncertain world and for lasting success. There is, of course, a fine line between self-confidence and arrogance. Arrogance is the undoing of many in today’s brash world but it is equally true that gone are the days when one could do great work, don’t say anything about it and let others discovery it and be rewarded. Marketing oneself is self-preservation in today’s world. Good marketing is rooted in good products or services; the same is true of people. Marketing based on faulty products and false promises don’t last. At the same time, it is important to believe in your own true strengths. Over time, self-belief grows to self-confidence and that is the first step to promote oneself successfully in the market. There is a bigger force we need to tap into to success - motivation. We have all benefitted from motivation we received from the loved and respected ones – parents and teachers to name two. But, sometimes, we can be overwhelmed with ‘lectures’ and when that happens, we stop listening to even genuine, sound advice. We then seek for motivation from others, those who don’t have no any personal stake. No wonder, therefore, from colleges to corporations, the breed of ‘motivation speakers’ are in such demand now. A good ‘motivation’ talk does help but often, though such talks inspire they fall short of creating the motivation to make us actually act differently. Finally, we realize that the adage, ‘The best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your own arm’ is so true and germane when it comes to motivation. Self-motivation is not easy, but once you are able to harness it towards your goal, the journey will be fulfilling and the rewards will be lasting. For example, for most of us, going to the gym or ensuring a healthy diet doesn’t come naturally. Frankly, it is far easier to laze around and eat junk food. Repeated external sources of motivation with the ‘stick and carrot’ method does help to reinforce good habits; but such motivation in isolation rarely produces lasting fruits. However, once we decide to ‘just do it’, we realize the joy of doing it and the rewards are usually more lasting. That is the power of self-motivation. The same is the case of learning a new language or skill and importantly, creating and maintaining a positive attitude. It is all in our minds. And there is when we win or lose in life. When I was afflicted with a stroke at the age of 41, I was paralyzed on the right side of my body. I couldn’t move without help and I couldn’t speak at all. But I soon realized that my powers of reasoning were not lost to me. I was very fortunate that I had a wonderful family and set of friends, great medical facilities and a very supportive environment. But at the end of the day, it was my self-motivation that helped me to succeed from a person who had to relearn the alphabet to become a published author of three books. If I could do that, so can you! So long as you have the positive attitude and are willing to work hard to harness your self-motivation, as the famous line says, nothing is impossible. *Vijay Santhanam graduated from IIM-Ahmedabad in 1986. His 21 years of corporate career included senior marketing roles with Procter & Gamble and BP. Having planned for and happily taken early retirement, Vijay is now able to pursue his passions more fully – writing, teaching and other interests. His latest book, My Stroke of Luck: Alphabet to Author (published by Hay House India in June 2013) is based on his own experience as a stroke survivor. Here is a link to the book: hayhouse.co.in/BookDetails.aspx?Id=hx+6LbypUx8=
Posted on: Fri, 17 Jan 2014 06:50:25 +0000
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