When I'm coaching clients around designing a lifestyle that better fits them, making a career change, up-leveling at work, or managing a personal transition, they inevitably get to the part about motivation.

• What's motivating them to want this change that they're creating

  1. What will motivate them to keep going when there are challenges

  2. What to do if they aren't feeling motivated anymore

  3. How can they motivate others to get on board

In most cases, the answers all lie in the ability to find and harness their natural fuel. When you're building your fuel reserves, you tap into a natural energy source that can pull you forward, increasing your performance, well being and results.

Whether we're talking about life, work or well-being (or all three, as they are usually intimately intertwined), we don't run without fuel.

And that fuel is different for each of us. There is no one-size-fits-all fuel. It's a blend of our unique drivers and makeup. For most of us, becoming more aware of what fuels and drains us can dramatically change how we approach where we're trying to go. It can also make the journey there a bit easier and more fun. Some of us may already know what we're good at, what we like, what truly matters to us. Some of us understand that, but don't necessarily put it into practice. 

If you're not sure -- or if you're not aligning your life and work to provide a good dose of daily fuel -- then it's time to do some serious investigations. Here are six key places to start:

Strengths.

What are you naturally good at? Most of us have an inkling of our talents, the activities and traits that have been called out in us for years by others. Maybe you're the empathetic listener that all your friends call on in a crisis, or the go-to person for technical problem-solving in your office. You might be someone who is a natural rapport builder or the leader who excels at aligning people behind change initiatives. However most of us don't have a fully formed picture of what our portfolio of strengths looks like, or how to use them.

When you're able to fully identify your strengths, you tap into a deeper, more natural fuel. Think beyond the basic mantra of "use your strengths" and think about how you can and do use the ones that are so ingrained that you don't even think about them. Think about the ones that you could develop and use more. And think about about those areas that are not your strength and how you can navigate around them instead of letting them drain you.

Preferences.

Just like you prefer to use your right hand or your left, you also have plenty of personality and work style preferences that are innate to you. Do you lean more introverted or extroverted? Do you feel at home with lots of possibilities or clear facts and figures? Do you prefer to focus on people, data, ideas or things?

Understanding more about your natural preferences and honoring them whenever possible, creates natural fuel because you're tapping into you at your best and most authentic. Instead of trying to change or compensate for your natural preferences, get to know them a bit better. Embrace them. Stop trying to be a square peg in a round hole. You'll have much more fun and energy when you can see the value of deciding you will choose the square hole.

Core values.

We talk a lot about values around here and that's because having a clear sense of what is personally meaningful and important to you is critical to creating fulfillment in your life. Whether we are paying attention or not, they're there (sometimes buried under life's distractions, but they're there). If you never set a goal, what would you still be doing? What are you consistently drawn to over time? What is so much "you" that it underlies everything you do? That's about values. When you spend the time to know your values and actively align yourself with them, your natural fuel skyrockets.

Pleasure.

Simple pleasures get all the attention, and infusing your day with these moments can transform how you experience your daily life. It's a simple way to increase well being and satisfaction, and it often costs little to nothing. These are the so-called "little things" that make us feel rich and nourished.

Pleasure can also be larger than that. What are the big fun things that you would love to do but haven't? Take that overseas trip you've always wanted? Spend an entire day on your own and revel in the peace and quiet? Rent a beach house for your extended family? Take up singing? These are all real-life examples from my clients. In each case, they created a whole lot of pleasure before, during and after they made them happen.

Dreams.

What are the dreams that you've been working on? What are the ones that you've secretly harbored but not invested in, or shared with anyone? The ones it is time to finally move forward on? Whether your dreams are small or large, personal or professional, endorsed by others or not, they are valid, real and yours. Spend some time with them and let them inspire you. And then get busy putting one of them into action, even if just for fifteen minutes a day.

Meeting your needs.

Often we don't think about needs as fuel, if we think about them at all. The truth is, knowing what your needs are and what you need to be at your best is one of the best gifts you can give yourself. It's the first step to ensuring that those needs can be met, and there are few things that will drain your natural fuel like having a lot of unmet needs trying to get your attention. Don't wait around for anyone else to tell you what you need, meet your needs for you, or, worse, intuit what they are and how you want to meet them. Start with yourself first. It may take some digging to figure out what you need to be at your best, but as soon as you know, it's time to start putting strategies in place to be sure that you can be.

As you start to understand what naturally fuels you — and what has the opposite effect — you can more effectively build this into your life and your work.

Over time, your fuel reserves will grow and evolve with you. You'll know how to recognize and prioritize them and that can create a deep foundation for sustainable success.

Your challenge

If one or more of these areas is resonating with you right now, there is most likely natural fuel and energy waiting to be unleashed there. Start there first. Test and try a few things, stick with what feels energizing and you'll see lasting results.