Motivation For Dummies

Gillian Burn is the editor of Personal Development All-in-One For Dummies and the Founder and Director of Health Circles Ltd.

Introduction About This Book

Conventions Used in This Book

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organised

Part I: Understanding The Basics of Motivation

Part II: Identifying & Maintaining Change

Part III: Arming yourself with motivational tools

Part IV: Using motivation in different areas of your life

Part V: The Part of Tens

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I: Understanding the Basics of Motivation

Chapter 1: Introducing motivation

A brief definition of motivation

What it is

Knowing how to maintain it

Deciding how motivation will help you

Exploring the benefits

Identifying the barriers

Looking into your brain or body for answers

What it feels like

Looking forward

Chapter 2: Exploring the psychology of motivation

Identifying the stages

Relating yourself to each stage

Exploring how the psychology can help

Getting your mind around motivation

Unravelling the mystery

Taking control of your mind

Knowing why we struggle to summon it

Finding your inner strength

Overcoming the barriers

Chapter 3: Preparing yourself for motivation

Identifying your priorities for motivation

Starting with the end in sight

Highlighting what matters for you

Getting yourself ready

Choosing when you will start

Committing to the first action

Creating a motivational environment

Setting up a supportive network

Changing your environment

Part II Identifying & Maintaining Change

Chapter 4: Summoning the motivation to change

Planning to take action

Taking the first steps

Discovering values that motivate you

Listing your personal values

Knowing what is stopping you

Identifying your demotivators

Acknowledging your excuses

Understanding the positive by-products

Chapter 5: Goal-Setting

Facing your demons

Recognising areas to change (e.g.. losing weight, getting fit, becoming healthier)

Identifying new goals to keep you going

Finding the goals to aim for

Deciding the focus

Dividing goals into achievable chunks

Choosing your new years resolution

Prioritising the goals

Choosing quick wins

Defining your long term goals

Applying the SMART rule

Chapter 6: Maintaining motivation now and beyond

Visualising motivation

Seeing your success

Feeling the benefits

Hearing the praise

Travelling through time

Propelling yourself forward

Praising your successes

Internal and external praising

Steering a clear course

Adjusting to daily challenges

Chapter 7: Dealing with Setbacks

Having contingencies in place

Knowing who to call on for help

Reprioritising the action plan

Overcoming the struggle to maintain motivation

Reminding yourself of the benefits

Refocusing on the rewards

Knowing when fear may be affecting you

Facing the fear

Overcoming fear and taking action

Part III: Arming yourself with motivational tools

Chapter 8: Incentivising motivation (page count 8)

Creating a variety of incentives

Choosing your favourites

Explore different incentives for different situations

One size doesn't fit all

Chapter 9: Quizzing your brain cells

Scoring your personal motivation

Raising the score

Exploring the left and right side

Recognising the differences

Connecting both sides

Motivational exercises

Experiencing the future

Stepping into motivation

Chapter 10: Using NLP as a motivator

Identifying the positive by product of inactivity

Creating the by-product in other ways

Feeling OK with your decision

Defining what makes someone tick

Using the senses

Taking the other person's perspective

Exploring logical levels

Identity

Values

Behaviour

Capability

Environment

Part IV: Using motivation in different areas of your life

Chapter 11: Career and work

Motivating yourself

Realising what's in it for me

Knowing when enough is enough

Prioritising other tasks

Rewarding quick wins

Motivating your team

Exploring team goals

Identifying team barriers

Chapter 12: Money

Defining how money motivates you

Buying choices

Linking financial incentives with goals

Sustaining the motivation long term

Identifying when money is no longer motivating

Understanding what money gives you

Chapter 13: Health and wellbeing

Avoiding illness and disease

Moving towards health

Banishing unhealthy habits

Creating a healthier lifestyle

Deciding your food priorities

Taking time out to relax and recharge

Making exercise fun

Chapter 14: Developing and growing

Managing your emotions

Identifying your feelings

Choosing appropriate responses

Taking leaps forward

Making personal changes

Honouring your values

Experiencing new challenges

Embracing change

Leaving your comfort zone

Chapter 15: Relationships

Personal

Identify what motivates your family

Recognise each person’s own motivator

Ensure family preferences are all met

Professional

Engaging motivational people

Creating a motivating support group Exploring a win/win approach

Finding what motivates other people Acknowledging individuality

Exploring hidden talents

Embracing personal choice

Tuning into their values

Discovering different mindsets

Acknowledging individual preferences

Part V: The part of Tens

Chapter 16: Ten Inspirational Resources

Chapter 17: Ten great motivating people e.g.

David Beckham

Sir Steve Redgrave

Sir Richard Branson

Winston Churchill

Nelson Mandela

Margaret Thatcher

Tiger Woods

Lewis Hamilton

Freddie Flintoff

J K Rowling

Jane Tomlinson

Chapter 18: Ten Motivational Exercises )

Appendix: Resource List

Books