Whilst running property or public speaking training courses I often have the complimentary title of ‘inspiring’ bestowed upon me by my delegates. It usually comes in the form of a comment such as ‘you’re really inspiring the way you have managed to build a property business whilst working/having kids/ ‘insert any other thing that takes up time’…
Whilst this is a great feeling and a lovely compliment, it is not my aim AT ALL. In fact, if I ‘inspire’ you alone then I have failed in my mission of providing you adequate training.
Now you may be asking yourself ‘why’ or thinking that I’m ungrateful? And those of you who have undertaken any training with me in any capacity will already understand as this is now an additional element I discuss and explain on any trainings I perform.
So let me just clarify….
The Oxford English Dictionary defines inspiration as ‘ the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative’. And whilst this is all well and good, being ‘inspired’ doesn’t actually achieve any of the goals you have set yourself.
Every day I see fit, healthy people jogging whilst I’m in the car on the school run, driving to the shops, driving to meetings, or driving to property viewings or training courses and I often think “ I should go for a run” however I don’t always do it! Being inspired is the mental stimulation to do something, not the drive to achieve it. We have all been guilty of thinking “I should, could or must do X or Y”, however actually getting out there and doing it is a completely different thing!
So when one of my lovely trainees offers me the compliment of being ‘inspired’ by my in some way, I gratefully receive the comment and explain to them that they are one third of the way to where I planned for them to be by the end of the training and my next mission is to couple that ‘inspiration’ with MOTIVATION..
The Oxford English dictionary defines motivation as ‘ A reason or reasons for acting or behaving in a particular way’. So for example, having seen people running and being inspired by them is one thing, however that now being the reason for me putting on my trainers and actually going for a run is transferred into MOTIVATION.
Hopefully this is making a little more sense and now you realise that I’m genuinely not ungrateful to receive the compliment of being ‘inspiring’? Coupling the ‘inspiration’ with the ‘motivation’ or the drive or reason to actually get out there and do whatever the task is that you have initially been inspired to do or the goal you have had the mental stimulation to achieve is the next step.
So what is the third step on this journey?
The genius Thomas Edison is famously quoted as having said “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety nine percent perspiration”
I’m sure you will agree that any man who set up his own chemical lab in the cellar of his home aged 10 and is attributed with many, many great leaps in science through his numerous inventions over his lifetime truly understands what ‘genius’ takes therefore speaks the truth. Thomas Edison continued to work on his inventions, not only creating new items but also continually improving his existing inventions throughout his 83 years on this planet.
This, to me, explains two really important factors:
- You cannot progress on ideas or inspiration alone.
- Once you have achieved your first goal and celebrated, you should then always aim to continually improve.
An element of work or labour will always be required. I would humbly suggest that we take on board the great Thomas Edison’s quote and adapt to suit us. For me this means that we need not only inspiration to create the desires, set the tasks and in turn, the goals, but also the motivation to achieve these through having great reasons to act or behave in the way we do. And finally that there will be an element of perspiration required through the work or labour we undertake in order to achieve the goals and ambitions we were initially inspired to.
My aim, goal or ambition as a trainer is not only to provide inspiration for you to start or move forward within your property or speaking journeys, but also to help you find the motivation to achieve these and make the perspiration element as simple and effective as possible!
For more information on the Property Education and/or Public Speaking Education we provide at Owen Oliver Property, please visit https://www.owenoliver.co.uk/training-services/
