Friday, March 31, 2017

Self-Motivation

For years, each morning I find the time to take a few moments (some days more moments than others) to meditate and get my positive mantra of the day going for my own self-motivation. When I worked in a wonderful school setting, I shared with the staff these positive mantras weekly on little notes and titled them, "Milestones." I received positive feedback so I then started posting them on my Facebook page. 

Again, I would like to say that these help to motivate me, myself and I. If it strikes a chord with anyone else then great. It makes me happy to share. If someone feels like scrolling on past, that is fine and good. There have been some times that people I know have told me that they look forward to them daily, yet never have clicked like, love, etc. There is no need to. It really has to ring a bell with me for me to post it so I most definitely get it when others don't connect to it or just don't usually write on FB for any reason.

Today, was a day that I needed a bit of a shove to get myself motivated. I am not going to write from the poor, pitiful me aspect of what I was feeling. We all go through the ups and the downs of life. Just lately Steve and I have had our share. What is most important is that we do what we need to do to move past this time. So my FB mantra that I posted today was one from Ralph Marston. "What you do today can improve all your tomorrows." I can take that quote in many different ways. Find what I can do to NOT feel deflated is how I am taking it today. It is not a feeling that I am comfortable with nor have very often, thank goodness. I also posted that it will never be perfect. Just make it work.

Quite a bit had happened today before I was ready to sit and have my quiet meditation. An article was in my e mail that touched me tremendously. It was exactly what I needed to hear for me. Maybe you too? At the end of the article, the author, Sheba Leung said that if you loved this article then share it with your friends on Facebook. I decided share a summary of what I am using for myself in order to not feel deflated.

The article was about self-motivation and how it can be easier when you know what you want. This covers in your work place, home life, social life, health and a multitude of other 'resolutions' per say. For example if you set a goal to lose 25 pounds and after one week you have lost the motivation, does this mean you are just too weak to stay motivated? It depends.

Remember that it has to be all about YOU! It is your goal. If you are trying to fill an obligation or expectation imposed by others, you will never be able to stick to it. Things don't happen like magic. Usually the magic needs a little help or boost along the way. You must be ready and you just can't let it be. So I asked myself if this is how I want to feel and there was a BOOMING answer back. "NEVER!"

In self-motivation there are two kinds:  intrinsic and extrinsic. If you are setting a goal to achieve, just your very own personal satisfaction is enough to keep you motivated to go for the gusto. This is the intrinsic side of motivation. If on the other hand you feel that you need to have a type of reward once your goal is reached then by all means write it down and go for it. If you lose the 25 pounds, then you deserve some small rewards along the way and a big one, such as a whole new outfit once the pounds have disappeared.  
I personally have a few goals that I am working on for myself. Weight is only one of them. Keeping up the physical therapy on my left knee is the other one. I will reward myself with some form of clothing for the weight. That is my extrinsic reward, yet the personal satisfaction will be there also. As far as my left knee, my extrinsic is to be able to go on walks with our new puppy. It also will be an intrinsic motivation. I believe that it takes both kinds of motivation to get in the groove of self-motivation. Then today's goal of not feeling deflated is to make changes to what was making me feel that way. This would be mentally thinking differently and physically working on the physical therapy with all my might in order to improve movement.

This article ended recommending for the readers to watch TED with Scott Geller's 4-C Model of Motivation. To break it down in very basic terms they are Competence:
 Do we believe we can do it and will it work?

      Consequences:
 Is it worth it?
      Choice:
  We have a sense of autonomy-we are in control
      Community:
   We all need people to perceive a sense of        connection with other people in order to feel    motivated and happy

There also was a book that was recommended for reading to help us quiet any negative inner voice that inhibits your self-motivation. The book is by Andro Donovan and is titled, Motivate Yourself.

Some days we all need a swift kick or a gentle reminder of how to stay on the right track in order to achieve what we truly want and need. If you find me like the character depicted above, please first try the gentle reminder and if I do not respond you then have my permission to give me the swift kick. 

   


No comments:

Post a Comment