Dictionaries define motivation as something (as a need or desire) that causes a person to act. We can define motivation as a motive for taking action; a reason to act. The word motivation in it's Latin form, "motus" means motion which implies some kind of movement and that motivation is a verb - it is something you DO.

This is critically important when we set about accomplishing a goal. Without motivation no goal can be accomplished. In order to define motivation we need to discover and define the desire that lead us to want the goal in the first place. It is equally important to know that feeling motivated is an emotion that acts as an incitement to action. Without positive constructive action towards the attainment of a goal it remains a desire and a dream.

We can also define motivation as something that inspires us. Weather it be a goal or an ambition, an amazing story, a defeat or a great achievement. The key is to realize what causes us to feel motivated? It is the fact that inspiration gives us reasons or motives within ourselves to pursue a certain goal. Anthony Robbins once said that "Giant Goals produce Giant Motivation." The first step then in pursuing a goal is to know exactly what you are after. The more clarity you have as to exactly what you want, the easier it will be for you to attain it. Clarity as to your specific outcome in itself will motivate you because you will start building a clear image in your mind and imagination. The closer you get to your goal the clearer the image will become.

Knowing what you want is not enough in achieving a goal. The most important aspect is to define motivation for yourself. In other words you need to define your motive, your reason for pursuing the goal. You need to have enough and strong enough reasons as to why you absolutely must attain your goal. If your reasons (motive) are strong enough motivation is automatic and consequently you will keep taking action towards attaining your goal. It is actions that produce the results in our lives and pulls us into the direction we want to go.

If you want to define motivation for yourself in such a way as to unleash an unstoppable force of momentum towards attaining your dreams, then you need to develop passion. Passion is a combination of loves and hates. It is finding reasons why you love to attain your goal and reasons why you hate not having it. Passion is reasons infused with emotion and emotion is the strongest force in determining your destiny. If you feel passionate about something then motivation is automatic. The good news is that passion is not something you are born with or something that you get "some day." It is something you develop and you will soon find out that on the highway to achieving your dreams your reasons keep building on top of each other and becomes stronger along the way.

If you find it hard to define motivation for yourself I would recommend listening to or reading something every day that creates that emotion of motivation within you. Motivational audio books can help to motivate you. There are some brilliant personal development experts that know exactly what it takes to motivate people through an understanding of the human mind. They will help you find lasting reasons within yourself to take action and move towards attaining your dreams and desires. No matter what it takes, make sure you get off your butt and get motivated. It is the only way you will get from where you are to where you want to be.