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We all have goals and dreams we’re chasing after. Maybe you want to get your graduate degree soon, or maybe your goal is to save up for your dream home. Maybe you’ve been working towards a promotion for the last two years, and have been tirelessly taking on extra work and projects to prove your capabilities.
As wonderful as it feels to finally see these hopes and dreams come to fruition, getting there is the hard part, primarily because it’s difficult to get and stay motivated.
When we feel unmotivated and uninspired, we often turn to the experts for advice. After all, wouldn’t someone who’s been in your shoes before have all the answers? While it always helps to have a few resources up your sleeve when you need advice, you may be surprised to hear that listening to others’ seasoned advice isn’t always the best way to stay motivated.
In fact, the best way to stay motivated is to actually give advice, rather than merely listening to it. According to a new study, giving peer advice has been found to be far more effective in bolstering confidence and fueling motivation when compared to simply receiving advice from a trusted source.
This may sound counterintuitive at first, but these findings actually highlight a common misbelief about motivation. Many of us (myself included) all too often fall for the trap in thinking that a lack of motivation results from not having enough knowledge to work with.
Interestingly enough, this research points to a different underlying cause of lacking motivation. Being uninspired or feeling unmotivated isn’t necessarily an issue of not having enough knowledge, but rather an issue of not having enough confidence. In fact, the majority of us most likely already have all the answers we need to move forward, but we simply lack the confidence to take that first step.
By helping others and sharing our own knowledge with them, we remind ourselves of our own capabilities and expertise. Being in this position of guiding others is not only confidence boosting, but also empowering.
So the next time you find yourself in a motivationless rut, rather than turning to others for guidance, be a source of guidance for others. Empower yourself by helping others to reach their own goals. As the saying goes, “As you give so shall you receive.”
Related: 6 Ways to Stay Inspired and Motivated
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