Building a Motivational Team: How to Stay Motivated by Involving Others

A good friend often tells me, “If you want to run fast, run alone. If you want to run far, run with someone else.” I believe this applies to many endeavors in life, including motivation.

Motivation is a team sport, and you’ll do a better job of finding and maintaining motivation if you involve others in your pursuit of motivation. More specifically, there are seven positions on your motivational team that you need to fill. Let’s talk about each one individually.

The role model

A role model is somebody who possesses traits, skills, or experiences that you aspire to have one day. Finding a role model is motivating because it makes your goals more tangible. Looking at someone further down the road than you (and in a position where you would like to be one day) can inspire you to take action.

Identifying your role model is a great first step. If you want to reap the greatest rewards from having a role model, try to connect with this person and learn from their wisdom. If you can sit down with this person, give them plenty of space to talk. Listen well and ask questions when appropriate. Seek their advice based on your current position in life.

The encourager

Have you ever been around somebody who’s a naturally gifted encourager? It’s one of the best feelings in the world. They can identify the potential you don’t yet see in yourself and inspire you to keep moving forward even when you feel discouraged or stuck.

Make sure to surround yourself with multiple encouragers. These people shouldn’t lead you astray or tell you things that aren’t true, but they should remind you of your past wins and your current progress. You’ll feel better after spending time with these people. You’ll be more motivated to keep building on your accomplishments.

The accountability partner

I don’t know about you, but I’m way more likely to take action when I’m accountable to someone else. I started going to the gym because my friends were going and expected me to join them. I wouldn’t have begun coaching without the support and accountability of another coach. If I want to make progress on a goal, I’ll create an artificial deadline for myself by telling a friend what I want to do and when I plan to finish.

Accountability motivates me because I want to avoid a situation where I have to explain to someone else why I didn’t take action or honor my commitment. In many ways, this accountability functions as a commitment device that keeps me on track and ensures I make progress. It also gets my goals out of my head (where I can easily forget them or change my focus to something else).

Chances are good that you’ll be more motivated (and more likely to make progress) if you find someone who can help keep you accountable. When you ask somebody to be your accountability partner, make sure you’re clear about how you would like for them to hold you responsible. Without specific instructions or requests, holding someone accountable can feel like a vague responsibility that people often aren’t sure how to uphold.

The friendly competitor

There are some similarities between the friendly competitor and the role model. Think about it this way - you’re all running the same race, but the role model is several miles ahead of where you are. Meanwhile, the friendly competitor is running in step with you. They may be slightly ahead or behind, but you’re aware of each other’s presence on the track.

These individuals motivate us because they are running the same race, and we don’t want to fall too far behind. It’s the classmate who had the same major as you in college and continues to work in the same field. It’s the former colleague you met at your first job who remains in the same field as you, even though they are now climbing the ladder in a different company. It’s the friend who’s also an entrepreneur working on growing their business and offering new products or services.

Having a friendly competitor isn’t about being better than someone else. I have multiple close competitors, and I cheer for their success as much as I do my own. At the same time, I can’t stand the thought of seeing them progress while I remain stagnant. These relationships motivate me because I want to move forward at the same pace.

These relationships are mutually beneficial. Sometimes, your friendly competitors push you to leave a rut or step outside your comfort zone. Other times, you’ll do the same for them. As the old Proverb says, “As iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another.” Take the sharpening when it comes, and be willing to return the favor to others when necessary.

The collaborator

Some people will do best when working alone. For others, the thought of a primarily individual pursuit sounds like a nightmare. These people will benefit from collaborating with a teammate or partner.

Working with someone else is common throughout many areas of life. When you get married, you co-run your life with your spouse. You may eventually parent children together. Many people identify a partner when they go into business. Even if they work alone, they may find support and community through a local networking group or a Mastermind.

Collaboration takes the pressure off of individuals and limits the impact of our weaknesses and deficiencies. I like to golf in my spare time, and as I think about the benefits of collaboration, I think about the difference between playing a round of golf by myself versus playing with friends in a scramble. In a scramble, each hole starts with each player hitting a ball from the tee box. However, rather than each person hitting their second shot as it lies, they drop next to the best ball. In other words, if you’re playing a scramble with four players and the best shot hits the middle of the fairway 50 yards from the green, all players will hit their second shot from this position.

This example reminds us that we each possess unique strengths and weaknesses. In collaboration, we push ourselves further by allowing ourselves to capitalize on our primary gifts while relying on others in areas where we aren’t as skilled. These partnerships motivate us to push ourselves further and do more than what we could do alone.

The mentor

You could make a Venn diagram of a mentor and a role model and find a lot of similarities. However, I see enough key differences that make both roles unique enough to receive their own section.

Like a role model, a mentor is someone with skills or experiences you admire and hope to emulate one day. Usually, this person is more established or accomplished than you.

However, what makes a mentor and a role model different is your relationship with each person. Sometimes, you may develop a personal connection with your role model, but this doesn’t always happen. Mentors, on the other hand, are people who you’ll meet and work with regularly. They will share their life experiences and what they learned along the way. They may also provide you with feedback or insight based on your current position in life.

Your mentor could be somebody in your field or industry. This familiarity is beneficial if you want to build your professional skills. A mentor can also be somebody with similar values and beliefs as you. Perhaps you want to connect with an older man or woman who can teach you how to be a better spouse, parent, leader, or person of faith based on their experience.

Mentors motivate us by clarifying the road ahead and supporting us on our journey. Life is challenging, especially when we can’t see the future. Mentors have walked the same path that we’re on, and they can help us navigate the uncertainties and avoid some of the most common mistakes.

The coach

As a professional coach certified by the International Coaching Federation, I believe that each person can benefit from working with a coach. Coaches help with motivation by helping clients clarify their goals, understand what motivates them, and create action steps to move closer to their preferred future. In coaching, the power comes from the coaching relationship, not just the coach’s skill or expertise.

This is a hard concept to understand, so allow me to explain. Although I know coaching methodologies and approaches, I still work with a coach. I’ve found that something powerful happens when I have to sit across from another person (either physically or virtually) and articulate my thoughts. The natural accountability that happens from sharing my goals and plans with another person motivates me more than simply writing down my goals on a to-do list.

If you’ve never worked with a coach, I would love to help you experience what it’s like. I’d love to offer you a free 30-minute coaching session on the topic of your choice. Visit my Calendly page to schedule your session today.