5 TED Talks to Supercharge Your Motivation

By Hannah Wilson: 

My very first class at college was the basic “How to College” course, and my very first professor was obsessed with TED Talks. We spent a majority of the class watching them, and it was then that my love for TED Talks began. What I love most about them is how they cover an array of topics and the diversity of the people who speak on them. We can all learn something from TED Talks, and with there being so many, you’ll never run out of things to learn. Here are five TED Talks to inspire creativity and supercharge your motivation:

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable

In this TED Talk, Luvvie Ajayi talks about doing things without fear. Having a “do it anyway” attitude means facing your fears; even if something scares you, you should pursue it. Things she did to face her fears were ziplining in the Dominican Republic, swimming underwater with dolphins in Mexico and writing a book. She goes on to explain how sometimes you might fail but that it’s important to know you tried and can keep trying. In her own words, “I realized fear has a very concrete power of keeping us from doing and saying the things that are our purpose.” So, do all the things you have always wanted to because you will feel good after doing so.

The puzzle of motivation

With his humor, Dan Pink talks about the science of motivation, overcoming functional fixedness, and incentivizing. He gets deeper into rethinking how we run our businesses and gives examples of building blocks to a new operating system that will increase productivity, satisfaction, and engagement. In his own words, “Think about your own work. Are the problems that you face, or even the problems we’ve been talking about here, do they have a clear set of rules and a single solution? No. The rules are mystifying. The solution, if it exists at all, is surprising and not obvious.” It’s all about doing things because they matter to you and because you want to. You are the director of your own life, and you should keep moving in the direction to get better and better at things that are important to you.

How I climbed a 3,000-foot vertical cliff – without ropes

This is a TED Talk you have to watch, not just listen to. Alex Honnold talks about his experience of climbing El Capitan as the best day of his life. He overcame his fear and came up with a strategy. Even though he says it may not have been the best strategy, he figured it out and made it work. When talking about scaling the cliff, he said with humor, “Staying calm and performing at your best when you know that any mistake could mean death requires a certain kind of mindset.” This is relevant to anyone, not just those climbing mountains. At some point in your life, you’re going to have to overcome fear and be brave. Put in the work needed to accomplish your goals and don’t be afraid to try something you’ve never done before.

Want to change the world? Start by being brave enough to care.

In this TED Talk, Cleo Wade reads a poem she wrote. Often, people feel like they have to do all these huge, amazing things to change the world when really it’s as simple as being kind to people. She says, “We spend so much time thinking we don’t have the power to change the world. We forget that the power to change someone’s life is always in our hands.” Even though you can’t do everything, you can do something. You can start by merely meeting people you don’t know and getting to know them. You don’t have to be a superhero to change the world; you have to be brave enough to care. I couldn’t have said it better than her, “You don’t have to wait on anyone to tell you that you are in this. Start by doing what you can with what you’ve got, where you are, and in your own way.”

My quest to defy gravity and fly

In this TED Talk, Elizabeth Streb talks about her own experience with defying gravity and learning to fly. She started by riding her Honda 350 across the U.S., getting a degree in modern dance, and then began to figure out the art of flight. In her own words, “Once your ground is dragged out from under you, a world of wonder comes rushing in.” People don’t like getting hurt, but that wasn’t a good enough reason for her to stop trying. When talking about fear, she says, “I think fear is complex and personal. I really think it has to do with curiosity and not taking yourself so seriously. We might need to get a little hurt, just not too hurt.” She found that through the effect of flying, people began to smile more, become braver, and boost their self-esteem

These five TED Talks are sure to inspire you to be more creative and do things that lie outside your comfort zone. Whether you’re looking for motivation in the workplace or life in general, all of these talks are worth watching. They will motivate you to work harder, smarter, and achieve success in all aspects of life. At Red Branch, we’re always looking to improve, but in order to do so, we need to be motivated and curious to do so.

Do you have a favorite TED Talk? Tweet us @RedBranch and let us know!

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