Have we met before? If we have, or if you’ve been around here for longer than .002 of a second, you’ll know I love TED Talks. Seriously, I could binge-watch them for days. So when I run out of motivation, the first place I look to is TED Talks of course.
Let’s face it, motivation isn’t always around. And rarely is it free-flowing. It’s something we need to work on and sometimes even actively seek, so having a few tricks and tips up our sleeve to help ourselves out is always going to be a big help.
These are some of my favourite TED Talks that have helped me find my motivation and give me a gentle nudge (or shove) in the right direction.
Keep in mind, these are my favourites and if you have another TED Talk you think should be on the list, please let me know. With around 3000 TED Talks available, I’m always keen to find new and inspiring ones to watch.
1 – How To Change Your Behaviour For The Better – Dan Ariely
What friction do you have in the decisions you make in your life?
Removing friction from your decisions can help you make decisions faster, and hopefully, eliminate the need to make decisions at all in some cases (we make SO MANY decisions each day).
Understanding why and how you make decisions can help you to make decisions for the better, and to use your own motivation to help you live your best life.
Watch this talk here.
2 – How Do You Define Yourself? – Lizzie Velasquez
“What’s wrong with me?” The question, as parents, we hope our children never ask us.
Lizzie was faced with difficult challenges in her life, an extremely rare genetic disorder that affects her ability to gain weight, thus affecting her appearance, but she doesn’t let that define her.
This talk made me sit back and wonder what I let define me, or how I choose to define myself.
Prepare for the tears as she talks about being labelled as ‘the worlds ugliest woman’.
Watch this talk here.
3 – Why It’s So Hard To Make Healthy Decisions – David Asch
We often know what the healthy decisions are, we just don’t (always) make them. Why? Or rather, why not?
So much about motivation comes down to actually understanding ourselves, and our ability to make healthy decisions is no exception.
Watch this talk here.
4 – Getting Stuck In The Negatives (And How To Get Unstuck) – Alison Ledgerwood
I’m so glad I’m not the only person who gets stuck on negatives – it’s such a natural thing to do, especially as a people pleaser. How many times have you experienced this yourself?
My husband and I were discussing the successes we had and how often we quickly adapt to our successes and chase the next one, but we hold on to negatives for so much longer.
You have to work to see the upside. This is such a great talk to shake up how you approach your day and reframe how you talk about things in your life.
Focusing more on the good things than the negatives and making more of an effort to see the upside.
Watch this talk here.
5 – Why We Do What We Do – Tony Robbins
I absolutely love Tony Robbins. I am a massive fan and could listen to what this man has to say and absorb every single word, every single day.
He is captivating and to be honest, one of my favourite points in this talk is where he identifies himself as ‘The Why Guy’. The guy who challenges you to question why you do what you do.
Your why, and your understanding of your why is essential to your self confidence. Knowing not only who you are and what you do – but why you do it makes you more sure of your place in this world.
Find His Book Here – Awaken The Giant Within
Watch this talk here.
6 – Go With Your Gut Feeling – Magnus Walker
This talk seriously makes my heart happy.
In a world where so many people are telling you to ‘start with the end in mind’ and you map out your path to success, Magnus talks about how he followed his gut so many times and that, coupled with a little luck and a leap of faith.
In doing so he created successful businesses that led him to live a life he had never dreamed was possible.
Success is the freedom to do whatever you want to do – love it. And don’t fear when you feel awkward, that’s often a sign you’re on the right track.
Watch this talk here.
7 – How To Stop Screwing Yourself Over – Mel Robbins
1/3 of Americans feel dissatisfied with their life right now. Are you one of them?
What is it you want in your life? Like, REALLY want. Mel talks all about getting what you want… and that it is incredibly simple.
How often have you used the ‘F’ word lately? And it’s not the ‘F’ word you think… it’s the word that helps you move from living a life of not achieving what you want, vs living a life where YOU are in control of your behaviours.
Seriously love the 5 second rule she talks about too!
Watch this talk here.
8 – Try Something New For 30 Days – Matt Cutts
A nice, quick and to the point talk about how Matt decided to start using 30 day challenges to do things he had always wanted to do. He was surprised at how doing these challenges inadvertently resulted in a boost in his own confidence.
When listening to this talk, have a think about what new things you’d like to try and what habits you could form in that time?
Is there something you’re struggling to motivate yourself to change? Perhaps a 30 day challenge could help you kick start it and get that habit happening.
Watch this talk here.
9 – Inside The Mind Of A Master Procrastinator – Tim Urban
Hands up all the procrastinators out there? Yeah, me too. I’ve always been this way, for as long as I can remember.
I wrote all of my high school assignments like this, I write my blog posts like this, and I do everything last minute (just ask my husband, he agrees).
It’s not because I’m lazy, trust me, I’m not. It’s more that it’s literally how my brain works, and it’s good to know I’m not the only one (and neither are you!).
Watch this talk here.
TED Talks are a brilliant source of motivation to get out and actually do what you want and achieve what you want in your life.
But remember, you can watch all the TED Talks in the world, but it’s up to YOU to actually get out and do the things and take the action steps.
