Motivation....How do we get some....

[Ggrand]

Hello Everyone..

What is motivation?......Its our general willingness to do something. It is our troubled minds that makes it hard for us to take action..

Nearly all of the stress and anxiety in doing something is at the beginning of starting it...After we start, our motivation, seems to progress more easily ....It’s more easier to finish something than it is to start one ...One of the easiest ways of getting motivated is to write a list for a particular time of day and try to stick with it...hopefully it makes them easy to start, if we have already made that decision earlier on.

Setting a routine or a regular time for ourselves to do something..etc...makes it more likely we will follow through..

Does setting up a routine and sticking to it, help our motivation?..If your like me and struggle with your mental health,..Do you start to procrastinate about doing them or try waiting until you feel inspired or motivated..which isn’t very often...

By doing choirs the same time each morning starts to develop a habit of motivation...We repeat it each day, which makes it easier to do as the days go by....Ex: each day you get up and immediately make your bed, freshen up, have a beverage and breakfast..By doing things this way we have begun a habit of motivation.

The power of habits..develops into a mindless way of motivation..It makes starting to do something easier and following through with them on a regular daily basis much easier..helps us to develop a daily habit doing them..

We need to try and make something to do easy and hopefully it becomes automatic...that’s why setting up a regular time is so important for us, it’s often too much work to figure out where to start or what to do... if we have written out a daily schedule of what and when to do something. it solves the problem of not knowing what to do.

In saying all that....Does it help you to have a list ?....Making a list I still find motivation hard...I will admit that I’m a person, who’s motivation is nearly non existent ... I am still trying to learn...

I thought that I would make this thread in the hope that we can share different strategies that might help to get each other with motivation and maybe together we can find something that can work for us...

Do you have strategies that work for you?....How motivated are you?...let’s try to help each other to find our motivation...

Grandy.....

[ecomama]

Dear Grandy, what a GREAT thread topic!

This is a huge area of exploration for us and I'm sure BBers will provide many different ways of getting / staying / being Motivated!

I've been exploring this subject for decades. It comes within the scope of my career lol.

What I've learnt is that motivation is different for each person. Then also as a person grows, it can change many many times. I follow clients for years, some for decades.

Having a "menu" to choose from has been essential.
When I find what works for that person, I call it "the key that turns the lock".

I prefer to always use the "abundance model" or the "strengths based approach".
Go from a place of what you're already GOOD at!
Be PLEASED with yourself in a very positive self talk way eg "Grandy what a wonderful breakfast you made for yourself! and I like the way you made your bed this morning, wow!"

For my own work I used to employ the 80/20 rule espoused by Stephen Covey.
Write a list, know you may only achieve 80% then put the next 20% onto the next day.
When I worked for the Federal Govt up to 80 hours per week, this became desperately essential lol.
I've changed that in my work now.

For my personal life I think of "clouds" - this is my own strategy.
I visualise a project completed (even if it's dinner for the whole family, 12 coming tonight and dinner's already made lol).
I hold on to that vision, this gives me joy and pleasure as if it's already done.
I make a list in my phone notes section of materials I'll need.
I check if I have materials, buy what I need.
Then look at my diary and think of blocks of time I can do that project in.
Sometimes I put it IN my diary but this is mostly practice of keeping what's in my head as a vision.
Then a moment of inspiration comes, the motivation to get that done and I go with it.

I'm an extremely motivated person.

Looking at my strengths has been the key for me out of depression.

Much love
EM

[tranzcrybe]

Hi Grandy

I believe the essence of motivation is best discovered when doing nothing - absolutely nothing!

In our time poor and constantly distracted world, the state of nothingness can be a rare commodity indeed. Hence we often find ourselves lacking motivation when stressed from tasks we need to have completed as opposed to feeling compelled to achieve (and the difference is quite startling) due to the absence of this vital component of nothingness. Interestingly, worrying, or feeling anxious or depressed, is doing something despite our physical state of inertness.

Under such mind-consuming conditions, we can find ourselves feeling dissatisfied with our accomplishments, so the incentive to repeat the task is diminished further, leading us to avoid, delay, or simply endure under sufferance; thus perpetuating the cycle. This can apply to the workplace or home life, individual pursuits or family relationships.

For me, doing nothing is a productive and necessary stage prior to embarking on any project - the motivation is then free to grow and manifest itself from all angles (purpose, planning, capability, risk, cost, reward). This can occur over several small stages - notably, the objective is not to consciously plan anything but allow ideas to come and go sporadically, allowing the brain to stitch it all together. The one drawback is that time frames for commencement must be flexible and compromise is sometimes inevitable.

I had an uncle who built his own house - yes, actually built it from the ground up (many many years ago before strict building regulations!). Often, he would sit in complete silence (even in company) and when asked he would simply reply, "I'm thinking".

I believe that motivation
is the byproduct of inspiration
which is the result of contemplation

- and we need the space to contemplate many things.

Regards,

t.

[Emmen]

Hello Grandy and everyone,

I've always struggled with being motivated on a consistent basis. I'm someone who'd find motivation for a week or so, and then fall into an unmotivated state for some time after. It works well when you work in jobs that allow you free use of your own time, but not so much for routine office work.

The one thing I've learnt is that motivation is, as Grandy says, about keeping a routine. At first, you force yourself to do that task, even if you really don't feel like doing it. You do it again and again as part of your daily routine until it becomes ingrained. Because it's so ingrained, even when you have no motivation, you'll find it less tiring to do it since it's already a part of your routine. That said, what this helps with is really just the doing part. I don't feel happy doing those tasks when I'm unmotivated.

I've also tried rewarding myself to motivate myself. For instance, I'd tell myself that once I complete a task, I can do something else that I enjoy. This works better for me because it gives me something to look forward to. The only problem with this is that I tend to get irritable when the task takes up the whole day and I don't get enough time to enjoy my preferred activity (and that happens far too often). I still like to reward myself though, it's always good to remind myself that there are activities that I really enjoy instead of focusing on the activities I dislike.

Cheers,
M

[Ggrand]

Hello tranzcrybe, Ecomamma, Emmen, and all..

Thank you all for joining in and sharing what helps you..

I feel motivation does come when you have other people that you want to do things for..Like your dinner party Eco..do you think that’s motivation or maybe something else, like being very kind to the ones you love and care for?... or is it an automatic reaction to feed your family and friends..Did you have to motivate yourself to do that?..When my son used to come down to visit, I always do things with him and cook meals etc without motivation..it’s like I’m doing something naturally without any thoughts..would I be right in saying that my son was my motivation..or an automatic deed because I’m his mum..

I am usually in a state of nothingness, because I have nothing I need to do...I have plenty of inspiration of things in my mind..finding things to do and even see the finished results in my head..but that inspiration disappears as soon I decide to start doing it..My thoughts are usually..who for, what and why am I doing this...no one will see it except me...Living alone seems to stop me from doing anything except housework..I like my home clean..but housework daily takes only an hour or so..then I have the rest of the day to fill in...I have started so many different projects that I’ve seen in my mind, but they really mean nothing to me...so I don’t complete them..

I don’t enjoy doing things for myself...I committed myself to making a scarf for someone..I did do it, forcing myself to complete it...I felt good when I handed it her...but disliked and struggled with myself doing it...

I think we have to do or find something we like to do..before we can motivate ourselves to do it....I’m still looking for that something I like enough to start it and complete it..

Can anyone get motivation enough to do something for themselves only....That only you will see?

My kind thoughts with care..

Grandy..

[Elizabeth CP]

I think we need to look at what is affecting our motivation for a task then adress that.

For example I've been really tired & stressed lately so I need to allow time to stop & rest. This is hard for me because I feel guilty about not doing anything. I have to remind myself that I need the rest to be effective. If I push myself too much I'm likely to make a mistake or injure myself & that just feeds the negative thoughts & lack of motivation.

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed & put off something because it is too hard. In this case breaking the tasks into tiny amounts or working for a set/ short time before stopping for a break helps make it feel more doable. Succeeding for that tiny time helps give more motivation

[tranzcrybe]

Hi Grandy,

I see where you are coming from regarding purpose. I find a freshly mowed lawn and well defined garden beds is personally rewarding as I survey my labours with immodest admiration - in several senses:

1. I have a pleasant space to sit and admire over a well earned coffee
2. My body has benefited (and suffered) from the endeavour to keep active
3. I have interacted at 'grass roots level' with nature and reconnected with reality through muddied hands and moistened brow

Where the benefits justify or even outweigh the labour, my motivation is reinforced. I try to avoid 'chores' in the literal sense as I find that unfulfilling. One attribute in my methodology is spontaneity as I usually haven't decided on anything beyond the sudden urge from my subconscious prompting me to leap into action - it creates a feeling of enjoyment and uncertainty in equal measure.

Have you ever felt the need to embark on something for no perceived purpose only to find it full of wonder and surprise? Could you perhaps be denying yourself the benefits of motivation by focusing on the outcome, namely the completed task?

There are many sensory bonuses along the journey to add meaning in all dimensions - personally gratifying even when the task may not be.

Regards,

t.

[white knight]

Hi Grandy

A great thread here. Thankyou.

I was lucky in 1983 to attend a motivation lectures that changed my life (thread: 30 minutes can change your life).

By far one of my own ideas that has contributed to my motivation is going against my own "easy way out" decision making. This was the topic in the thread "switching mindsets".

The concept is this- you're sitting on the couch vegetarian it seems. Your daily plan is a 20 minute walk but it's easier to remain seated. So, here is the trick- you physically move without thinking about it- you switch your mindset to do physically what your mind is not wanting to do. Sounds hard, I find it easy and do it all the time now.

We've just built our own home and many times my mind wanted to stop climbing the ladder- I'd climb it twice, stop painting the next weatherbiard- I'd paint it plus two more before retiring the day.

Kathy Watt, gold medalist cyclist had a similar theme. She was taught to ordeal her best to get in front, then as she felt she was giving 100%, she would put out 10% extra, then 3 minutes later another 10%, nobody could catch her because she excelled by not accepting physically that she was putting out her maximum effort. She made her body dictate her mind.

TonyWK

[quirkywords]

What an interesting thread Grandy. So many fascinating ideas.

I remember someone tell me if you wait for motivation you will be waiting forever.

Like Tony you just do it. I am not motivated to write but I write a weekly blog and just sit at the type writer and write.Some days I not motivated to get dressed but I do it.

motivation is a luxury I dont have,

[Ggrand]

Hello Elizabeth, tranzcrybe, Tony, Quirky..

Thank you all for your very informative posts..

My lack of motivation comes from I think both depression and no interest in doing things..

I can and do keep my home clean and mostly my lawn mowed..these are not that hard to do...Tony I have at times reversed my thoughts and just jumped up and done the lawn, when I didn’t want to.,that works very well although a bit hard to do that at times..

Its through the day, when everything I do to do is done..lMy concentration is no longer with me...I can do a lot of things..sewing, knitting, crotect, embroidery, etc..pick them up and start to do them..Last only a half hour or so..then my interest and want has gone...Yet I can sit for hours playing internet games....which isn’t giving me any exercise and not using my brain at all....

I like what you said about Kathy Watts, Tony and it’s something I will definitely try...Thank you for sharing that..

Transcrybe, yes I think purpose of doing something is my biggest struggle to get over...Doing anything for others is so easy..doing something just to fill in time, with no purpose or having no use of the finished product..definitely is hard to bypass, thoughts of why, what and who for..

Do you people need to have a reason, or a use for what you do..I mean apart from daily housework, garden work and so on...or can you just do something for yourself, that’s not really needed by you or family members..it’s just something to fill in time, that has no significant value or use to you at all ?..

Sorry if I’m not making sense or I’m hard to understand..I am trying to learn....I like what you’ve all suggested and will try to follow you’re suggestions..

Kind and caring thoughts..

Grandy..