How Do You Find Motivation
by Sandra Bowman
How do you find motivation? Ask yourself WHY you sat down at your computer this morning. The answer is one of your motivators.
Now analyze that answer…is it a ‘reward’ as in email from a friend or a new order that’s hoped for? Or is it a negative statement as in “I’d better get busy or else…”. This is critical.
How do you find motivation? Ask yourself WHY you sat down at your computer this morning. The answer is one of your motivators.
Now analyze that answer…is it a ‘reward’ as in email from a friend or a new order that’s hoped for? Or is it a negative statement as in “I’d better get busy or else…”. This is critical.
Are you operating from a should or a would position? If you would do it just because you wanted to, that’s great. If you’re doing it because you should, you could have a problem.
Should for whose reason? Yours or someone else’s? Think about it. Your answer may surprise you. If it’s yours, all’s well and good. If it’s someone else’s, you need to ask why you’ve acted on their say so instead of your own? If it’s a good, valid, reason for you, then go for it. If, however, you didn’t realize that you were acting out someone else’s scenario and would really rather not, you have a negative motivator and should get rid of it.
Now, discover what you really want: just day dream. Where do your daydreams take you? You might dream of a beach in Tahiti. Someone else might dream of glorying in the limelight at an awards ceremony. Others might dream of visiting friends or relatives they haven’t seen in a long time. Some people just dream of going home. Whatever your dream, get really into it. How? Try these…
Create a collage of all the elements of your daydream scenario. Cut out pictures of the things or people you’d see or do and paste them in a picture frame or on a box that you’ll set on your desktop where you’ll see it frequently.
Tack up flyers and ticket replicas of your chosen destination on your bulletin board. Add anything else that would help make your dream more real…a picture of the house or friends, the convention center where you hope to get your reward, an object associated with your dream, even the first dollar toward your dream. Whatever applies, keep it visible and a constant reminder.
Make a list of the results you’re working toward.
Now make a list of the little things you can do to get you to your goal. Cross them off as you complete each one. Post it in a prominent place or turn it into a graph so you can see your progress as each is done. Don’t hide it away in a drawer! Keep it front and center some place you’ll see it often. Carry a small reminder in your wallet of where you’re headed. Eat, sleep, live, and breathe your dream until it becomes so real to you you can’t imagine not having it come true.
Put yourself on the line: tell friends and family about your goal. Only do this if you enjoy the pressure. If they’re going to scoff at your ideas, consider how you’ll respond to that. If it makes you want to quit, don’t share your dream. If, however, it will make you feel like you want to show them…go for it.
What do I do to get motivated? I look at my hard-working husband and determine to make his life easier (and mine) and apply seat to chair at my desk.
I keep my goals front and center and do most of the things I’ve listed above, plus some. I think about any obstacle I’ve encountered enroute before I go to bed. Oftentimes I dream about the solution and solve the problem.
I post motivational sayings, poems, etc where I’ll see them every day. I take mini-breaks to rest my eyes and envision what I want to happen. I pray for help and guidance. Sometimes I deliberately forget all about it for awhile and immerse myself in something else only to return to pursuit of my goals refreshed and full of new ideas. Whatever works.
When ‘just do it’ doesn’t do it, analyze, criticize, revise…then go for it with renewed enthusiasm.
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You’re invited to visit Sandra (Sandi) Bowman’s site for lots of good cooking tips, recipes, fascinating, informative, ebooks and more. Come to http://www.cookcreatively.com and enjoy!
