Coach’s Corner: Is Motivation Overrated?

By Mark Johnson
Chief Executive Officer, JP & Associates Realtors

Have you ever said, “I just need to get motivated?” Maybe  Zig Ziglar said it best:

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing, that’s why we recommend it daily.”

Zig Ziglar

How do you keep driving forward or pushing forward when you’re just not feeling it? Well, that’s the million-dollar question and the topic of the day.

You see, no one needs an extra nudge to flee a burning building, yet making those sales calls is another story. In Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Daniel Pink explains motivation’s different forms: extrinsic and intrinsic.

Said another way, inspiration is something that you feel on the inside, while motivation is something from the outside that compels you to take action.

Extrinsic motivation depends on external rewards such as money or praise. The reward is the goal. Intrinsic motivation comes purely from within. You do something because it feels good, or you experience a sense of personal accomplishment. The reward becomes an afterthought.

Yet consider this: even intrinsic motivation fades when you overtax it. Growing a business takes grit and determination, yet you still will have many challenges. Fear, boredom, and distractions get in the way. That’s precisely the moment when the right systems can lead you to a breakthrough.

A system will produce what a system will produce, nothing less, nothing more!

Your “focus” system

Motivation flows from focus. Focus and motivation are connected. This year, many of you have three business priorities: expanding your team, developing a social media marketing strategy, and converting more online leads.

These priorities will drive everything you do. When a project or opportunity doesn’t match one of your main goals, it hits the chopping block or the parking lot. This focus allows you to deflect distractions more easily.

Your “motivation is optional” system

You might have read my post on the five words that kill more dreams, more potential, and more happiness than any other five words spoken:

“I don’t feel like it.”

You see, many people often think “getting motivated” means generating some type of spark before starting an activity. But feelings don’t always align with proper actions. You can “not feel like it” and still move forward.

Who says you need to feel like doing something to start doing it? Consider this:

“It isn’t that you don’t feel motivated; it’s that you imagine that you need to feel motivated.”

Here is what I’ve learned — routines outsmart feelings because routines don’t consider your interest level. If you follow the routine, you’ll engage in the task. It can be that simple. There’s no need to take your motivational temperature because it doesn’t matter. When you repeat the system without stopping to gauge your feelings, results happen.

Your delegation system

Delegating when you’re able, even if it means hiring someone, will pay dividends. Tasks are best offloaded to someone else when you can redirect that time to high-level activities only you can best carry out.  At JPAR, we have a quick template that helps you determine your time’s value and the activities you complete that generate more or less value than your time is worth.

For example, the typical real estate file takes around 15 hours of coordination. This task keeps many of you from networking, prospecting, and creating a pipeline of new business. For a small fee, you can delegate to a firm like Transactly.

Delegation makes sense when someone else is better equipped for the task. Most of you reading this would be well served to delegate your marketing. Digital marketing is a complex skill and requires specialized knowledge to execute. There is a big difference in results generated from a hobbyist vs. a professional.

Doing your own marketing without professional guidance is like being a FSBO!

Your “motivation override” system

Systems and routines can help override the need for everyday motivation. But how do you maintain that drive for the long run?

There is no simple answer, yet it remains true that nearly every one of us craves joy and meaning. Find the joy and meaning in your tasks, and the motivation will come alongside you. Turn “I don’t feel like it” into “I chose to do this because it is aligned with my goals.”

#WinTheDay

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Mark Johnson is the Chief Executive Officer of JP & Associates, a rapidly growing full-service real estate brokerage. He is focused primarily on productivity and service. He has invested nearly 25 years in understanding the inner workings of high-performing real estate agents, teams, managers, and leaders in major markets across the world. In prior assignments, he served as a Business Coach, in progressive leadership capacities for the 5th largest US-based real estate brokerage firm, in sales and marketing leadership capacities for a major consumer goods company, and served a stint in the US Army, Medical Service Corps. He was recalled to active duty during Desert Storm. Mark is a father of 3, a lifelong learner, Spartan, and an adventure athlete. He earned his MBA from California State University and a Behavioral Change Certification from the National Association of Sports Medicine. Several years ago, he decided to make “One Helluva Move” and not play it safe. Since that decision, he has climbed the world’s tallest free-standing mountain — Kilimanjaro; completed the Spartan trifecta, the LA Marathon, and the world-famous Iowa border to border RABGRAI ride, among other crazy adventures.