[VIDEO] Duncan Nugget® #136: Who Is Motivating You?

Before a recent speaking engagement, a superintendent of schools and I had a conversation.

“We’re glad you’re here. These students need some motivation.”

“I’m here to help, but I don’t really motivate people.”

“What do you mean? You get students motivated. That’s why we hired you.”

“Don’t worry. They’ll be motivated. I’ll do what I do best—give them tools to motivate themselves.”

“Oohhh… Well…I guess that’s even better!”

Yup. That is better because the person who is waiting for someone or something else to motivate him will be left behind.

It’s your life. Get motivated. From within. Self-motivation, also known as intrinsic motivation, is a valuable asset on your path to success.

Being self-motivated is one of the top characteristics that employers want in their employees. They want self-starters—people with initiative.

Self-motivation could be part of your competitive advantage.

Million-Dollar Question: 
Are you sitting around waiting for 
somebody else to motivate you?

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Featured Video (Week of 9/1/13)

Duncan Nugget® #60: Present Yourself In High Definition
Click here for activity, discussion questions, and the original post.

[VIDEO] Duncan Nugget® #131: Personal Branding Starts on the Inside

It’s a crazy, competitive world. So, in order to succeed, people are always looking for a competitive advantage. Developing a strong personal brand is a part of that process. Unfortunately, many people think that personal branding is only about working on things like their resume, social media, online reputation, and appearance.

Think about that.

All of those things are external, but personal branding is also internal. It has lot to do with what’s going on inside of you. Only focusing on the external is like a baker only focusing on the icing.

What about the cake?

What about what’s inside?

What about your character?

Get your SELF together first and everything else will begin to fall in place because personal branding starts on the inside.

What’s in your life tends to be a projection of what’s in you.

Million-Dollar Question: 
What does your personal brand look like
on the inside?

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ACTIONS STEPS AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Featured Video (Week of 8/25/13)

Duncan Nugget® #344:Your Strategy for Dealing With Failure
Click here for action steps, discussion questions, and the original post.

[VIDEO] Duncan Nugget® #311: The Amazing Effects of Your Expectations

Which tastes better, Pepsi or Coke?

In a study done at Baylor College of Medicine, most people said they preferred Coke. But the researchers also monitored people’s brains while they tasted Coke and Pepsi.

When people knew what brand they were drinking, their brains lit up more for Coke than for Pepsi. But, the researchers changed things up. They told people they were drinking Coke even when they were drinking Pepsi and guess what? People’s brains lit up more for Pepsi.

Think about that. It wasn’t just the taste. It was an effect of their expectations.

That’s life.

If you are convinced ahead of time that something is going to be bad or good, many times it will be. Not because of the experience, it’s because of the amazing effects of your expectations.

Million-Dollar Question:
How are your expectations
influencing what happens in your life?

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

[ACTIVITY] 7 Questions To Ask Yourself At The Beginning Of The Semester

If you are going to start, make it a good start.

I know… “Duh!” Who doesn’t know that, right? But yet and still many people fail to set themselves up properly. The following questions are ideal for helping students, educators, parents, and other professionals working with young people get off to a great start at the beginning of the school or program year.

You and the group you are working with should answer these questions in writing. They will make for a great group discussion.

1. Why am I here? Why am I going to school, work, or participating in this program?

If your answer is “Because my mom made me,” or “I have to,” I have one word for you: lame.

Your why is your single point of focus. It’s different then a goal, it’s the reason you remain motivated and determined to meet your goals. It’s what drives you to do what you do. The stronger your why, the higher your level of determination and motivation. So, you gotta have a strong answer to this question. It should be your reason, not someone else’s.

Your why could start off like this:

[VIDEO] Duncan Nugget #355: Think. Slowly.

Pop quiz.

A bat and ball costs a dollar and ten cents together. If the bat costs one dollar more than the ball, how much does the ball cost?

Got it?

The ball costs ten cents, right? Wrong.