There are few things in life scarier than putting yourself out there for the whole world to see and, even worse, judge. What if you performed in front of a live audience, celebrity judges, and millions of people watching TV. This is what the contestants of The Voice, and other televised talent shows, face every time they go on stage.
Aside from talent and determination, what else do these contestants have in common? They are all clear examples of how being motivated can fuel your dreams. If someone wasn't motivated to become a singer, they wouldn’t bother trying out for the show, especially with the high possibility of being disappointed and embarrassed in front of the whole world. So, what can we learn from The Voice? Although it sounds odd at first, there are a few notable things we can learn about motivation from this popular show.
1) Motivation alone can't make your dreams come true.
Yes, motivation is essential in working towards your dream. Without it, an aspiring singer wouldn’t even audition for the show. However, motivation isn't enough. Neither is pure talent. The singers and winners of The Voice are the results of a combination of talent, hard work, discipline, and motivation. This also applies to real life (not just top-rated TV shows). When you have goals that you want to achieve, it’s not enough that you are motivated to fulfill these dreams. Your motivation has to go hand in hand with your skills and work together with discipline.
Comparing real life to The Voice, the contestants take voice lessons. They undergo vocal coaching even if they already are good singers. It should be the same as anyone who wants to achieve anything - your skills should be honed and improved based on your objectives. Do you want to switch jobs from being a bookkeeper to becoming an IT expert? You probably have the intelligence needed already, but you’ll also need to take classes and courses to change your career. Just being motivated is not enough. Action plus motivation is what gets the job done. Also, the discipline a singer needs to perfect songs or notes is the same for anyone who wants to learn a new skill. Constant and consistent practice is required to perfect anything.
2) Planning ahead is part of staying motivated.
Motivation can come and go. For example, you decided that you want to start working out regularly and start the journey to a healthier you. One day you can be super motivated – attending a spin class, drinking a kale smoothie, and getting 8 hours of sleep. Two days later, you're having a slice of cold pizza for breakfast, cancel on your personal trainer, and binge on Netflix at midnight. Motivation can be hard to maintain. Part of staying motivated is having a plan and doing your best to stick to it. If you want to start making smarter choices in terms of your diet and fitness, it’s helpful to plan it out. For example, decide on a weekly menu and how many times a week, you'll work out. Schedule it in your daily calendar as if it were a work meeting. This will help keep you motivated and on track. When you have a plan, it’s easier to stay motivated and stick to what you want to do.
Let’s compare it to the Voice again – the contestants don’t just decide on a song on the fly and immediately sing it on stage. They practice and plan what song to sing, how they'll sing the notes, and even perform it on stage. It’s hard to stay motivated about singing or anything else in general when you continuously don’t know what will happen next. You’ll probably just end up just winging it. If it works out for the singer, great, but if she bombs, she would probably be very unmotivated to continue after. Having a plan is an essential part of maintaining motivation.
3) The right environment encourages you to keep yourself on track and motivated.
There’s a reason why The Voice has teams and mentors. Not only does it make for great and entertaining TV (hello, Gwen Stefani, and Blake Shelton), but it actually also keeps the contestants motivated. We're sure it's not easy to achieve your dream of being a singer with the whole world watching. Talk about pressure. The Voice creates an environment that is one of competition but with all the support, training, and coaching needed. The aspiring singers have a fantastic opportunity to learn and be mentored by celebrity singers. Despite the hardships they're going through, the environment provided continues to motivate the contestants.
In regular life (meaning your life and not a singing competition broadcasted worldwide), having a good and supportive environment helps keep you motivated as well. Companies work hard to motivate their employees through various rewards, incentives, and programs. Great workplaces have open and supportive company cultures that are successful in encouraging their people. Supportive and loving families have a better chance of helping children stay motivated. Whether at work, at home, or on The Voice, a healthy environment is necessary for motivation.
At first glance, The Voice just seems like another singing competition, albeit with fantastic celebrity judges, talented contestants, and great production. Where else can you get John Legend and Kelly Clarkson together in one stage? More than that, if you take a closer look at the show near and through another perspective, it can give great life lessons on motivation. It shows how singers can stay motivated even in a pressure-filled environment. It can inspire viewers, aspiring singers, or not, on how to maintain motivation. We're sure the show's aim isn't to teach people about motivation, but viewers can learn a thing or two from it, planned or not.