Never Give Up Day is 18 August each year. This day is all about motivation. Motiving yourself, others or even your community. It’s also a day to remind us to keep striving, keep excelling and keep chasing our dreams and never give up on them.
The idea of motivation and the effect it has on our behaviour and brain has been studied and researched as far back as ancient Greece. And was an area of study of Plato and Aristotle. This was further built on in the modern renaissance by Rene Descartes.
The idea of motivation and the effect it has on our behaviour and brain has been studied and researched as far back as ancient Greece. And was an area of study of Plato and Aristotle. This was further built on in the modern renaissance by Rene Descartes.
Put simply motivation is defined as what explains why people (and animals) start, continue or stop a certain behaviour at a particular time. And if you think about it this is a very broad subject and one I find fascinating. I have written before about procrastination and how best to avoid it, Maslow hierarchy of needs and how it effects motivation and Brain Chemistry and the effect of Dopamine – the reward chemical. But I want to focus on achieving goals.
How do you feel about your goal? Do you feel obliged to do it? Changing the internal dialog can help. If you need to, or have to, do something that suggests you have no choice. Saying ‘I choose to’ do something means you own the task and are invested in it. When you have completed something, give yourself a small reward. Remember how it feels to have accomplished something – pride, relief, etc.
We all have times when we struggle with life’s challenges, but these times end. Don’t give up and you will get through it. If you know someone who is having a tough time, encourage them. Perhaps give them a call and tell them that they’re not alone.
If you are trying to motivation others, then praise, recognition and feedback are invaluable. As Dwight D. Eisenhower (American General and 34th President) said, “Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it”.
This day is a symbol of hope and a reminder that we all have a warrior inside of us. Remember why you started that something. So, never give up, keep going and achieve your goals.
And now a little treat. There are several songs that come to mind when I think about not giving up. I have chosen a relatively modern song by Sia called Never Give Up. A close second was Tubthumping, (aka I Get Knocked Down) by Chumbawamba. If you don’t know it, then google it. It’s not really a philosophy to live your life by, but inspirational nonetheless.
If you need help with motivation then Hypnotherapy can help. Contact me for more information.