About Me

My photo
Redbanks, South Australia, Australia
Contact me if you'd like to know more about this writing group. My email address is jeebers@aussiebb.com.au

Ananka - one of our Pharaoh Hounds

Ananka - one of our Pharaoh Hounds
Ananka knows how to enjoy life - catch and eat birdies!

Saturday, May 2, 2009

How to Motivate Yourself

People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily. -Zig Ziglar

That's an interesting quote to think about. I found it on this website today, and I've been thinking about it off and on ever since. We often talk about needing to get motivated to do something, or we talk about what motivates us.

But so often people drift through their days, worrying or stressing about the things in their life they've left undone. They think, if they had something to motivate them, they could get things done that need to be done.

On this website
they talk about Seven Rules of Motivation. I found it interesting, that the main thrust of what they were saying was that things that do do that interest you are more likely to get done. Your interest in the subject keeps you motivated to keep working on a project, task and so on.

I particularly liked the idea of breaking a major task down into smaller goals. Achieving small goals can keep you on the path of achieving a major task. I have an ongoing issue with my family dining table. There are three of us in the family, and at the moment, we all have piles of papers on our side of the table.

Actually, I've just looked at the table - the only paper on my son's side of the table is money, and he knows how to deal with that, he's a teenager - he'll spend it!

Anyway, my husband and I are both guilty of storing papers on the table, to be looked at "later". When will "later" be? Well I hope for me, "later" will be tomorrow morning. I'd like to be able to clear lots of the papers away, action them and so on but...

I need motivation, today, tomorrow, and every day, if I am ever going to actually be able to see the dining table under the mess of papers. What could motivate me to do something about it?

I've looked at the Seven Rules of Motivation again - maybe the key to my issue here is breaking the thing down into smaller goals. The idea of clearing the whole table is so daunting, I avoid thinking about it. What I can do though, is make a goal of clearing away one thing, every time I walk past the table.

That doesn't seem difficult, just one little thing cleared away at a time. I think I've found the answer. I'm looking at the table right now, and I can see an item that I can put on the recycle pile right now!

There!! I've done it!!

The next time you have an issue with motivation, think about the seven rules, and don't expect to stay motivated without doing anything to keep yourself motivated - motivation is something you have to do every day, just like bathing, if you want to keep clean of problems

6 comments:

Giovanni said...

I totally agree with you, even if you can see the other side of the coin too:
You can do what you love or.. you can love what you do.
Maybe it sounds a little bit odd, but I think it really works this way. As you say, there are a lot of thing that need to get done and that you can sure get done faster and better if you do them with a positive mindset.
I always say to myself that my likings are not carved in stone (well, except for techno trance music I could never enjoy that thing).
Your mind follows a direction, but the direction is stated by you.
Thanks for the post.
Bye

Carolyn Cordon said...

I have lots of thoughts on that comment. If you do what you love, excellent, as long as it fits into you life in a way you and yours can love too.

If you hate what you do, what are you doing to change it? You can change the thing, you can change your attitude to it. But to continue doing something you hate, numbly scraping and scratching your way through life, you're not doing anyone any favours. Change what you do or change the way you think about it. Your mind can do so much more than you realise. Take control and love what you do.

Giovanni said...

You are right. What I was trying to say is that by loving what you do, you put yourself in a state that can allow you to catch the best opportunities to improve yourself and your life.
Imagine working in a company at the end of the chain. If you do your best at your job with humility and attention, you will be paid for that and chences are you will get a promotion. Other way, being positive, will help you keeping your head high and seek for alternative and better opportuninties. At least you will make good friends.
Sure enough, mumbling and complainig will not help you to take control of your life.

Carolyn Cordon said...

That is so true Giovanni. Thank you for your comment.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Madam Carolyn.. Sometimes i didnt finish what is start.. i become a quiter.. but after i read the website, hopefully i know the reason why im getting lazy these days.. Greetings from Malaysia.. :)

Carolyn Cordon said...

Glad to be of service! Come back again soon.

Waiting for night to come

Waiting for night to come
I love sunsets