“Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one’s thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world.”

– Wolfgang von Goethe

The first step to doing great work is setting great goals.

Ideally, we’d approach every goal with shoulders squared, ready to do the work because we want the outcome and we know we’re capable. If only it were so simple. Your belief in yourself will often move from high to low, and everywhere in between, depending on the goal you’re chasing. You’ll also possess varying degrees of discipline toward different goals, so if you can learn to recognize and work through these highs and lows, your likelihood of success will increase.

There are four motivation types that you can read about in my new book,The Success-Energy Equation, and in this post, I’m sharing the first motivation type: The Driver.

You can learn your way toward being the Driver (which is where you want to be) by paying attention to what drives you.

This first motivation type is the gold standard we’d all love to embody for everything we do. The Driver has high belief in themselves and their goal, and high discipline to work toward success. The Driver is good at blocking out distractions, maintaining focus, and staying positive—or at least optimistic—as they work toward success.

We all have the Driver in us. If you have trouble achieving your goals or are easily distracted from the hard work to reach them, you may disagree, but you have it. Possibly the Driver within you is temporarily focused on raising young kids, or literally driving teenagers around, or fulfilling another obligation.

You may believe in your cause and be disciplined enough to see it through, but doing so may feel more like work than like goal chasing. If you’re getting the work done, however, and you’re not questioning your ability to do it, you’re the Driver on those tasks. You may also be the Driver on goals and tasks that might benefit from less of your attention.

Ask yourself the following questions:

When does my Driver show up?

Which goals or tasks do I embrace with my Driver?

Are these worthwhile ways to spend my time?

What is it about my positive Driver tasks and goals that make me want to spend time on them?

If your ultimate goal is to become the Driver more often, you can do a few things to help that process. Whether it’s your belief in yourself that’s low, or your discipline—or both—pay attention to what’s going on when you’re in those spaces. Spend time reflecting on your goals and do the work to make them as thrilling and resonant as possible, so that you feel excited about them and they ignite action.

Read more about setting SMARTer goals that excite you here in my previous post.

Until next time. I’m Michelle Cederberg, reminding you we’ve got one chance to do this life. I say Dare To Live It Big and dare to find your driver as you set goals for greater success, both at work, and in your personal life.

P.S. this post is an excerpt from my latest book The Success-Energy Equation. Read below to find out how to get your copy and take advantage of more information like this that will decrease stress and drive success.

Resources Galore!

♥ Does your workplace or conference need a good dose of re-energizing? Ask me about my half and full day Success-Energy Reset sessions (or any of my other topics, which you can download here: MichelleSPEAKS) to help you reignite your drive, recommit to growth, and ignite high performance in all you do. Contact me to chat.

♥ Buy my new book via my website and I’ll send you a signed copy!

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Michelle Cederberg, CSP, Health and Productivity Expert, Speaker, Coach & Author
CEP, CPCC, MKin, BA Psyc