By Nat Crawford
Napoleon Hill stated, "Enthusiasm bears the same relationship to your PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) and your progress towards success as gasoline to a car's engine; it is the fuel that drives you forward.
The famed author and motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, joke that enthusiasm doesn't last, but neither does bathing! He suggests you do it both often!
That's true, isn't it? Enthusiasm doesn't last. It takes hard work to maintain. And it is worth the effort. Some of you may say "hold up! You need to be realistic, enthusiasm isn't a 'cure all.'" I agree. Enthusiasm won't let you do anything you want. If you are not a surgeon you can't perform open heart surgery even though you may be enthusiastic. You could not defend Rex Burkhead of the Huskers, regardless of your enthusiasm. But enthusiasm will allow you to do everything better than without it.
Let me offer three easy ways to create enthusiasm:
1) Act as if! Yes, act enthusiastic. The real enthusiasm will follow. If you are heading into another meeting, before walking in put your shoulders back, put on a big smile, and enter the room. Go to each person and shake their hands enthusiastically. Bounce around the room sparking enthusiasm into other people. If you are tacking taks, which you are dreading, say out loud "I am excited to get these done and off my list. I will do them to the best of my ability. Each completion motivates me more for the next!" This really works if you do the first step of acting as if!
2) Transform you "to-do" list to your "can-do" list. To-do lists are tedious and daunting. Take that list and rename it. Then take the list and separate them into two lists: The first is your "can-do" list. Take the tasks that are fastest and will be performed best and add them to this list. Next make your "will-do" list. Your initial list will create a snowball of enthusiasm. Each can-do, becomes a can-did! You will be done so fast your "will-do" list will be well-done in no time.
3) Keep track of your cues. What are you doing when you feel enthusiastic? What events, actions, triggers spark enthusiasm for you? Whenever you get that jolt, take out a notepad, smartphone and jot it down. If there was a positive result of that enthusiasm, write it down too. When you are running low on enthusiasm, look at your notes. Concentrate on the your entries. Meditate and replicate them in your mind. This will be your spark plug to enthusiasm.
If you know, what sparks your enthusiasm?Labels: act as if, anchor, enthusiasm, journal, napoleon hill, positive, transform, zig ziglar
