"Sometimes, the fruits of our early labors - the title, the carpeted office, the authority, and the prestige - lull us into the false illusion that we no longer need to push and motivate ourselves. We lay aside the real tools of our achievement: our minds, our hands, and our feet. We lose momentum, humility, and the human touch. Perhaps the most important missing link between our present self and the one we used to be is the lack of having someone above us to supply inspiration and motivation. For the first time, we stand alone. But this is no oversight. We are expected to stand alone. We would not have achieved executive stature unless, somewhere along the line, we had exhibited an ability to stand alone.

If At First You Don't Succeed...

This brings us back to our basic question: Who motivates the motivator? Who provides the drive for the executive to whom others look for inspiration and leadership? The answer is obvious: YOU MUST MOTIVATE YOURSELF! You can no longer look to the upper echelon for "outside" inspiration. You are that "upper echelon." Once you realize that the motivation for your continued success must come from yourself, you can proceed with the proper steps to achieve it. You can build a comprehensive program of personal motivation that will keep you moving steadily forward. You can and must "press on." You cannot stand still."

Paul Meyer wasn't one to latch onto a problem and sit on it with an "Ain't it Awful!" attitude.  He took pride in pointing out diagnostic signs and more importantly treatments for the disorder.  He identified five diagnostic indicators:

1. Self-Doubt
2. Procrastination
3. False Symbols
4. Complacency
5. Loss of Purpose

So it's impossible to "motivate your people" and you are failing to successfully motivate yourself.  What are you supposed to do?  Fortunately, Paul Meyer focused his 1960's analytic/pragmatic ability on bringing to the surface unconscious ideas as conscious, organized thoughts and actions.  His recipe for this process became the core of LMI's Effective Personal Leadership Program.  The five "must-have" ingredients in order are:

1. You must crystallize your thinking;
2. You must have a written plan;
3. You must develop a burning desire;
4. You must maintain an unshakable self-confident faith; and
5. You must create a force of iron-willed determination.

Those who know me can vouch for my strong cynical/analytic style and lists like the five items above set off my alarm.  But at this point in my career I've looked at a 50-year log of successes based on these core principles, and I am an empirical convert.  The evidence has taught me that:

• It takes all 5 plus 1 more, PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.
• A void in one area will inevitably lead to more than a one-fifth motivational loss.
• Clarity of thought, attitude and action must be a confluence of personal power.
• All five factors' power is required because of humans' innate and acquired resistance to change.
• When a culture teaches you not to dream, then motivation will lose its enduring reason.

You see, even I can get hooked on the magic number 5.  I'll call my list, "Five Core Pieces of Motivation."