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5 Strategies to Become a More Driven Person (and Be Highly Motivated!)

by Ali

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Some people’s goals in life remain a fantasy, whilst other people make their dreams a reality. What’s one of the major differences between these groups of people? Drive! Of course, there are many factors at play here, but fundamentally, our drive is key to all our accomplishments. 

The most inspiring athletes didn’t get to where they are without drive. The greatest minds throughout history used their drive to help them work relentlessly on their theories. Every entrepreneur knows that without drive, they may as well quit what they are doing. Your level of drive can be the difference between average and exceptional. So how do you become a more driven person?

In this article, I’ll show you 5 tips that you can use to become a more driven person.

What does it mean to be driven? 

This definition of what it means to be driven sums it up well. It suggests people who are driven are: “strongly compelled or motivated to achieve a goal”. 

The most successful people you know will likely be the most driven. And by successful, I mean people who have achieved the goals they have set out for themselves. 

Other words associated with people who are driven include: 

  • Hardworking.
  • Ambitious. 
  • Determined. 
  • Focused. 
  • Disciplined
  • Action-oriented. 

People who are driven identify what they want, then do everything in their power to get this. 

What are the benefits of being a driven person? 

I suspect you realize by now that we are more likely to succeed if we are driven. It’s all good and well deciding you want to manage your own multi-million dollar business, or run in the Olympics.

But without drive, this will not happen. 

It’s easy to say you want to lose weight. But without the drive to actually do so, this aspiration will remain a laudable notion. 

Drive gives us the motivation and courage to make a difference in our life. If our drive is powerful enough, we can overcome the fear of something new and other obstacles along the way. 

Drive is what is needed to put our ideas into action. And quite frankly, if you want to do something, there is no point in doing it half-heartedly. There is no room for half measures.

But perhaps the biggest benefit of being a person with drive is longevity. When we are driven, this often spills over into the 4 key health cornerstones of life and we have higher compliance with these key elements: 

  • Taking part in physical activity.
  • Eating a healthy diet.
  • Not smoking.
  • Drinking alcohol in moderation. 

Does it surprise you to learn that driven people can delay their mortality by 11-14 years

5 ways we can be more driven 

Being driven comes with some pretty powerful promises, some of which are greater success in life, a longer life, and a healthier life. With these carrots dangling in front of you, I suspect you may want to know how you can be more driven? 

Let’s look at 5 ways you can start being more driven today. 

1. Identify your why 

We are all different. There is no point in trying to emulate someone else’s life journey. Have a look at these questions. 

  • What motivates you?
  • Why do you do what you do?
  • What excites you?
  • What scares you? 

Get to work and try to really understand yourself and what makes you tick. For instance, are you internally or externally motivated? 

Internal motivation relies on feelings, values, and goals. This type of motivation is explained by how you feel within. It includes the personal enjoyment and satisfaction you get from anything you work towards. 

On the other hand, external motivation relies on factors outside our control, such as deadlines, external feedback, and prescribed challenges. It concerns itself with other people and the external environment. 

Most persons that are fueled by a drive are both internally and externally motivated.

So think for a minute. What is your why? Are you more internally or externally motivated? Once you figure this out, you can adapt the way in which you harness your drive to better suit you. 

2. Create goals

When we set goals, we increase our self-esteem, motivation, and self-confidence

For goals to be effective, they must be SMART. If you are not familiar with SMART goals, this means they must be:

  • Specific. 
  • Measurable. 
  • Achievable. 
  • Relevant.
  • Time-bound.

Let’s use a little example. 

Fred decides to enter a marathon. He doesn’t give himself any time goals. He has never accomplished a marathon before. Once he signs up for the race, he barely thinks anymore of this race. 

James also decides to enter a marathon. He has never run a marathon before either. He sets himself a time goal. James knows his goal is achievable if he trains hard. With his time goal in mind, he sets up a training plan. 

Who do you think is more driven to complete the marathon? 

James has a goal in mind and therefore will be more driven to do everything possible to achieve this goal. Fred may not even start his marathon!

My point is that goal-setting motivates you to become a more driven person! So if you lack a certain drive, then motivate yourself by describing a goal that you’ve always wanted to reach, and then pursue it!

3. Be accountable 

Share your goals with others. But there’s a catch, be careful about who you share them with. Research shows that when we share our goals with people we view as more successful than ourselves, we are more likely to achieve our goals. 

In other words, you can increase your drive by sharing your goals with others.

Another way of holding yourself accountable is to enlist a coach. You may need a running coach, or maybe you need a life coach. Either way, a coach is someone who will help keep you on the road toward your goals. 

Ultimately, you are responsible for your drive. But if you are made to be accountable then you are more likely to be driven. 

4. Get organized 

I’ve heard it said before that if you need something done, ask a busy person to do it. I’ve also experienced this myself. The busier I am in life, the more I achieve. 

I credit this to the essential requirement to be super organized when we are busy. Which means we can actually fit more in.

The busier we are, the more driven we often are. As a result, we get more done and so the cycle continues. It can feel energizing. 

Top tips for building your organization skills include: 

  • Utilize diaries and wall planners.
  • Build realistic to-do lists.
  • Use time blocking for your day. 
  • Schedule time to relax. 
  • Learn to habit stack. 
  • Embrace batch cooking. 
  • Plan your days a week in advance. 

Once you have your daily and weekly plans set out it’s time to commit and execute. 

5. Have faith in yourself

When I say have faith, I am talking about faith in yourself. You need to believe in yourself to achieve great things. Embrace a journey of growing your self-confidence. Because if you don’t believe in yourself the negative thoughts will continuously trip up your drive. 

So recognize your thought patterns. Each time you hear yourself think something like “there is no point in doing this, I’m going to fail anyway.” Or “I’m no good at this.” Or even “I can’t…” Catch yourself. 

If this is an area you feel particularly stuck, check out one of our previous articles which is all about how to believe in yourself. This article suggests a number of ways to increase your own self-belief. I particularly like these suggestions: 

  • Accept compliments. 
  • Acknowledge your wins. 
  • Take care of yourself.
  • Be yourself. 

💡 By the way: If you want to start feeling better and more productive, I’ve condensed the information of 100’s of our articles into a 10-step mental health cheat sheet here. 👇

Cheat Sheet Download Thumbnail Clean

This Cheat Sheet Will Help You Be Happier and More Productive

Thrive under stress and crush your goals with these 10 unique tips for your mental health.

Wrapping up 

Success is very much an individual thing. What I deem as successful in my life, may not be a success in yours. But one thing we have in common is that if we want to achieve success in our life, we must learn how to harness our drive. It’s time to initiate some changes and take accountability. Figure out your why, set out your goals, and then be accountable for your actions. Above all, believe in yourself and great things will happen.

Are you a driven person, or do you know someone who inspires you to be more driven? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Ali Hall AuthorLinkedIn Logo

Kindness is my superpower. Dogs and nature are my oxygen. Psychology with Sports science graduate. Scottish born and bred. I’ve worked and traveled all over the world. Find me running long distances on the hills and trails.

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