Fear Based Motivation

Fear can be an effective catalyst for motivation. For example, if your boss tells you to get your project done on time or you will lose your job, you can be sure you’re going to do everything in your power to get that project done. You may resent your boss for doing this, but you are probably going to do as he or she wishes unless you are looking to get fired.

Another situation where fear will motivate you is when something crucial breaks in your home. It could be the furnace giving out in the middle of winter. You are at a point where you have no choice but to call for expensive repairs. If you don’t, you’ll risk the pipes freezing and being uncomfortable.

We all have a certain amount of fear-based motivation. But, is it the best way to get people to do things? In the case of the furnace, you’ll have no choice and have to chalk it up to being a part of life.

But, in the case of your boss harping on to you, is there a better way for him or her to handle the situation? Can you continually work in an environment based on that kind of fear?

It’s questionable whether motivation based on fear is sustainable. If you are an employee and there aren’t many jobs available as alternatives, you may feel like you have no choice but to comply. But, sometimes, this kind of negative working environment gets people more motivated to get out of the situation.

In other words, the motivation tactics may work in the short-term, but eventually, employers may experience a high turnover when those employees recognize there are other choices. The internet is a great equalizer in this regard as more people can choose to freelance on their terms.

There’s an old saying about how you catch more flies with honey. If managers would recognize they would get more loyalty out of people by offering incentives rather than scare tactics to get their employees to do the work, maybe turnover wouldn’t be so high.

Unfortunately, these managers don’t learn this until it’s too late. And even then, will they make any changes? Often, they make the justification that it’s the employee’s fault and they decided to leave.

Think about the impact you have if you are a manager trying to motivate your employees. If you have used fear as a motivator, is it something that has worked for you in the long-term? Or, did you simply set an environment where people couldn’t wait to get away?

Does Time Of Day Matter In Motivation?

Do you find you get more done in the morning? Or are you one of those types of people who like to work during the mid-part of the day? There are also those who are night owls and do their best work in the evening or night.

Is there an optimal time for your motivation or does it vary from day to day? People who claim to be morning people say they love that time because it is serene and gives them time to think. During the early morning hours, before 6:00 AM, for instance, the phones aren’t ringing. The rest of the family is asleep unless there is another morning person in your family. But hey, they get it too! They’ll both leave each other alone.

Others need the hustle and bustle to get motivated. These are high action types that like to get thrown into the situation. They love solving the problems that arise and the challenges they face. These types are often at their best in the afternoon.

The night owls wait for people to go to bed and then they are in their sanctuary. It’s a long wind-down period for them, and in fact, many of them will fire up the coffee to make it last even longer. These are usually the light sleepers who believe they can get by with only three or four hours of sleep.

None of this is scientific. People seem to naturally give their best at the time of day they feel the most comfortable in. But, it seems like there is something to it, science aside. Just think about the people you live with. Which periods do they excel? Ask your co-workers which period they prefer? How about the people that live in their homes?

When companies offer flexible schedules, people will try to get the time slots that fit the time of day they enjoy. They feel they can get the most done. This is why you’ll find people swapping with each other when they don’t get the desired period.

Whether there is statistical evidence to support this is not the point. Most people find the period that works best for them, and they tend to stick with that for a good portion of their lives. This is the one time when going outside your comfort zone may not be a good idea. If the time of day is right for you then just go with it and don’t fight it.

Do You Find Memes To Be Motivational?

People love memes. There all over the web. They are a sort of mini billboards if you will. They can tell a story in one shot with some text thrown it to help the message.

Many of them are created with the intent to motivate. For exercise, they show people in fantastic shape with a message stating, “This could be you,” or something like it. You see the message, and you get excited that it is possible. But, then the phone rings, and you are once again dealing with your routine.

It’s possible for memes to motivate. However, you need to reinforce the message over and over. Seeing a meme once is not likely to produce any changes. Seeing them constantly may get your brain set to take some action.

You have to be careful of the message, though, especially when you are dealing with important subjects. Too many people pass off political memes as fact, and they usually are far from that. No one challenges these messages, and people tend to accept them as is. There have been instances of sayings associated with people who never said the sayings. The practice of not fact checking these memes is quite dangerous and leads to an increase in propaganda. This happens across party lines.

It does depend on the subject. Memes that try to motivate people to work out probably don’t need to be fact checked. They simply give you a vision of what you could look like if you were to exercise.

You also must be aware that many memes are created for marketing. Ultimately, they are trying to get you motivated to buy their products or sign up for their newsletter (which may eventually lead you to buy something). It’s not that there is anything wrong with this nor is it illegal or unethical. It’s just something you should consider when you view the memes.

If you are into marketing yourself, you could use memes to increase your marketing message. The truth is they are effective in getting whatever message you want to get across. The best approach is to give something away when someone clicks through your meme and get them on your newsletter. This has the potential to create long-term customers.

Some people hate memes and want nothing to do with them. They believe they are manipulative and also because of the political reasons described above. These are probably not the people you want to target if you decide to use memes.

As you can appreciate, changing the way you think can have a huge impact on your life, and if you want to know more about developing an inspirational mindset for success, please click on the featured resource below for a free Strong Mindset report; download, read it and take action 😊