Motivation is very much like our bodies—without consistent nourishment it dies. We must see that we consistently feed our motivation with uplifting material and people. Dr. Stephen Covey calls it “sharpening
saw.” Taking time to sharpen saw increases our productivity and eases effort. By doing so, we can continuously make progress toward goal achievement. This nourishment can take many forms: • Books • Articles • Websites • E-zines • Discussion groups and forums • Audio programs • Live seminars • Tele-seminars
Just as you should eat a balanced diet, so you should nourish yourself with a variety of sources for motivational energy. At end of this chapter, I have provided links to some of my favorite authors and resources.
Books For hundreds of years, books have brought inspiration and instruction to billions. Those who live “TV existence” vegetate their way around wonderful inspiration. Books teach us, inspire us, entertain us, and can build in us passion we need to nail our goals.
If we obtain and study books that help us lift ourselves and build our skills, we position ourselves to achieve greatness we seek. Every author has his own perspective. By reading a variety of subjects and authors, we can take from each teachings that apply to ourselves.
For me, books represent my favorite means for nourishment.
We now have added opportunity to obtain eBooks. We can purchase these books online and immediately download them onto our own computers. Some can then be loaded onto our PDA’s for portability. You may wish to read eBooks directly from your monitor, or you may choose to print them out and read them.
Articles Magazine articles can provide you with good motivational nourishment on a single subject. Often, these articles point you to resources available from various sources.
Website No matter subject, there are probably hundreds if not thousands of websites covering it. Most of these provide information to you at no charge. Some websites provide premium memberships that give you access to more detailed information. Most often, site will point you to resources you can purchase. Either, site allows you to purchase resources at their site, or they link you to an affiliate site that pays them for referral.
Websites can be excellent sources of motivational nourishment. Find a few that you trust, and return to them often. Every few months, search around for additional sites.
Subscribe to one or two. It will only cost you a few dollars a year, and will give you access to hundreds of articles on a variety of subjects.
E-zines Want a regular infusion of energy and information? Subscribe to a few e-zines. These publications come to you via email at no charge. Many of them are well-written and insightful. They feature an article or two in each issue, as well as inspirational quotes and stories. And, like websites, they offer resources for purchase.
Select three or four, and read them when they come. It may take you ten to fifteen minutes to read them, but they can provide you with energy infusion you need to keep focused on your goals.
