Tag Archive for achieve goals

5 Steps To Boost Your Motivation Skills

September 12, 2022 John Uncategorized No comments

Motivation is like a muscle, and it can get flabby over time. There are ways to deal with this. 

Let these GenuLines pointers be your strength coach and motivator. 

5 Steps To Boost Your Motivation Skills

Life can sometimes feel like nothing more than one struggle after another. This is especially true for anyone set on living a life of fulfillment and achievement.
 
Motivation is the one variable that allows you to push yourself when those around you give up.
 
suggestion to motivation
 
 
Today’s post is worth your attention. Even if you’ve never thought of yourself as driven , but would like to change that.
 
We’ll look at 5 helpful steps, in no particular order, to help boost your motivation and drive.

Know Your Why

When you first set out toward a goal or achievement, your “why” for doing so tends to be pretty clear. But as you work toward your goal, the foundation can become obscured.
 
No matter what you pursue there WILL be days on which you feel less motivated than others. Stay aware of why you started in the first place.
 
It will serve as your second (or third, or fourth) wind to get back up and keep pushing.

Know Your Direction

Extreme motivation has a tendency to cause you to put your head down and work like a maniac. At times this mindset is beneficial.
 
You want to maintain some sense of direction.
 
Big goals rarely consist of point A and point B. Instead, it’s important to have a general outline in mind of each step toward your destination.
 
So yes, keep your nose to the grindstone.
 
But look up every now and then. Adjust and begin the next phase of your blueprint.
 
This is the way to continue heading in the right direction!

Allow Small Victories

Make sure you enjoy small successes in pursuit of the finish line. No matter how much (or little) motivation you have towards your goal.
 
You won’t run out of gas before you get there. Take some time to reward yourself when you do one of the (often many) small steps along the way.
 
And remember: You Versus You, not You Versus Them
 
Keep in mind that your goals are YOUR goals. Letting other people’s pursuits dictate what you strive for is counter-productive.
 
You won’t find the motivation to achieve great things without personal conviction. Whatever it is you want, the only comparison to consider is to the person you were the day before.

Controlled Tunnel Vision

Consider this: whatever you’re after most likely involves only one facet of your life. Career, athletic, personal and other areas won’t stop while you go after it.
 
Balance is always key. Don’t let the rest of your life fall to the wayside while you pursue your dream!
 
JohnK 9-12-2022
                   
Stick figure hears about motivationOverheard: “Hold the vision, trust the process”
                               ~Unknown
 
 
 
 
 
 
disclaimer for motivation
 

The Many Shades And Flavors Of Success

August 16, 2022 John Uncategorized No comments

They say success leaves clues, but for you the trail has run cold. Or has it?

Join GenuLines for this investigation into ways your success might be hiding from you in plain sight.

The Many Shades And Flavors Of Success

Webster’s dictionary defines success as…
top of the world success
 
a: degree or measure of succeeding 
 
b: favorable or desired outcome.
 
also : the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence
 
 
 
Have you ever stopped to think about how successful you are? For some reason we tend to look at success as it pertains to work and money.
 
But what about all the other successes that we achieve throughout our lifetimes?
 
Consider one part of the Webster definition above, favorable or desired outcome. Now realize that you’ve no doubt had lots of little successes that you’ve overlooked.
 
This could be finishing a report at work, or a school paper. Did your husband send you flowers for no special reason?
 
Did your child say she loves you because you’re the best mom? These are all favorable outcomes that result from our own efforts.

Effort And Achievement

Whenever you put effort into something you achieve, consider it a success. We don’t have to build a Bill Gates empire to consider ourselves successful.
 
“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” – Henry David Thoreau
 
How about personal success? Consider for a moment how you live your life.
 
Do you take good care of yourself? If so, you’ve experienced another great success that eludes many people.
 
How many times a day or a week do you actually succeed without even thinking or planning to do so? It’s who you are.
 
You might even say that being who you are makes for success in its own right.
 
For example, a good friend needs help and you drop everything to be there. Color this a success.
 
What’s better than being there for the people we care about?

Acknowledgement

I’ll bet there are achievements in your week that you don’t notice. Why is that?
 
Wouldn’t it boost your emotional and psychological wellness to do so? Sure, it would.
 
Sometimes we miss the big picture. Those every day successes are some of our biggest.
 
It’s time to stand up and take notice of all that you do, every single day that makes you a success. Consider all the different shades and flavors of success in your own life, and celebrate them!

The Many Shades And Flavors Of Success

*Setting and following through on a fitness plan
 
*Being a loving and supportive parent
 
*Raising responsible kids• Eating healthy
 
*Taking good care of your mind, body and spirit
 
*Being a good friend
 
*Looking out for an elderly neighbor
 
*Taking good care of your family
 
*Being a responsible citizen
 
*Being a good friend
 
*Working a full time job and still coming home to cook dinner and do homework with kids
 
*Forgiving someone that wronged you
 
*Introducing a friend to her future husband
 
*Being honest when it’s hard to do so
 
*Saying sorry when it’s hard to do so
 
*Being your real self and living an authentic life
 
*Sticking with goals you set
 
*Giving your time and being of service
 
These are a few examples of the many shades and flavors of success.

Final Thoughts

Next time you consider whether you’ve succeeded in your own life, realize that big dreams and long-term goals are great. But there are many shades and flavors of success, and they all have value and meaning.
 
JohnK 8-15-2022
 
stick man hears about successOverheard: “Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable.”
                                ~John Wooden
 
 
 
 
 
disclaimer for success

Keep Your Eye On The Prize

July 11, 2022 John Uncategorized No comments
Your goal is a prize worth pursuing. But at times staying on course can be frustrating.
 
It’s a process that GenuLines intends to help you with today.
 
Keep Your Eye On The Prize
Catchy statements are often used to help people get motivated. The title of this article is a common one.
 
Of course the prize is whatever goal or task you’re looking to take on.
 
picture of the prize
 
But, to keep an eye on it, you first need to define it. You need a concrete plan that gives you step-by-step directions on what it will take to get the job done.
 
This isn’t easy.
 
Contacts
People aren’t always familiar with what the job entails. If this is the case, try to find someone who has done what you’re trying to do.
 
If you can find someone, set up an interview with them. Be sure to have a list of questions ready before the interview.
 
Some people may want payment for this interview while others may do it free of charge. You could offer other incentives such as bylines on a website or some other mention.
 
You’ll have more weight if you have an outlet that has authority, such as a magazine or website. It will also depend on how popular that outlet is.
 
Stay On Task
Try to keep the questions focused on accomplishing your goal. Ask what kinds of road blocks the person had to overcome and whether it took longer than anticipated.
 
Don’t be afraid to ask tough questions as your aim is not to publish the interview but to gather insight. If they happen to push back, then you can scale it back a bit.
 
Mentors
Another possibility is finding a mentor or a coach who will help you set up your goals for you. Make sure this person has the qualifications in the field or area that you are working in.
 
Coaches who are generalists may not be able to help you with specific situations that come up for you. You want someone who has been through it before.
 
Of course, this all depends on what you’re trying to do. If it’s general in nature, you could choose the generalist.
 
You may also be able to find information online.
 
And it can’t hurt to do an initial search (which you may already have done.) It’s prudent when doing this, to take much of what you find with a grain of salt and fact check as much as you can.
 
JohnK 7-11-2022
 
stick man hears about the prizeOverheard: “Be generous, be delicate, and always pursue the prize”
                               ~Henry James
 
 
 
 
Article image by Ariel on Unsplash
 
 
disclaimer for the prize
 
 
 
 
 

Stick To Your Fitness Resolution

May 24, 2021 John Uncategorized No comments

Every New Year fitness is high on the list of resolutions. You tell yourself that you’re going to hit the gym with a vengeance.

But by midyear that resolution is a mere memory. If this sounds familiar let this GenuLines reminder get you back on track.

Stick To Your Fitness Resolution

runner aims for fitness
 
The majority of New Year’s resolutions fail. Getting fit is one of those frequent failures.
 
If you’ve ever spent much time in a gym, you know the routine. For the entire month of January, there’s often a line at every piece of equipment in the building.
 
The local fitness facility begins to resemble Times Square on New Year’s Eve. Yet the crowds thin out weeks later. .
 
 
 
 
 
Today we offer a few tips that can bring you closer to your fitness goals for the New Year.
 

Keep Things Simple

When you set out on a new fitness journey, it’s easy to become overwhelmed.
 
What workout routine is best? What foods should you eat?
 
Fitness, as well as life in general, is best kept simple.
The best workout routine is the one you’ll stick to.  And your nutrition shouldn’t be rocket science.
 
You know what foods are good for you and what’s junk. The biggest factor in your fitness success is consistency.

Set Reasonable Goals

Advertising does a great job of making drastic body transformations seem like a snap. Even more comical are the timeframes reported by these ads.
 
How many times have you heard, “In just 15 minutes per day, 3 times per week, you’ll finally have those six-pack abs?”
 
This is all nonsense, as physical changes to your physique don’t work this way.
Fitness is about the long game.
 
While you WILL see progress, it doesn’t happen overnight.
 
So instead of going to the gym 7 days a week and eating nothing but celery, set goals that you can stick to. Start small.
 
Hold yourself accountable to 3 workouts per week. And avoiding your favorite late-night junk food.

Develop A Strong “Why”

As we’ve already discussed, fitness is about consistency. The incredible sense of motivation and enthusiasm you feel at the start WILL come and go.
 
If your only inspiration to work out is to “look better,” know there will be a lot of days in which that’s just not enough. Make your “why” unique to you.
 
Find it and use it to push through the hard days!
 
JohnK 5-24-2021
 
Stick figure hears about fitnessOverheard: Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.
                                        ~John F. Kennedy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
disclaimer for fitness

Is Your Money Mindset Setting You Up for Failure?

February 15, 2021 John Uncategorized No comments
You feel you can trust your mindset when you begin a new endeavor. But is there a devil in the details?
 
We’re looking down the road in this GenuLines report on how your money attitude might set you up for a crash. 
 

Is Your Money Mindset Setting You Up for Failure?

dollars for money mindsetYou want to make more money. You see the lavish lifestyles of celebrities and other famous people.
 
You’d like to have some of that for yourself. But, is your drive for money blinding you to the important things in your life?
 
 
 
It’s often said that if you do something you love, the money will follow. That can happen if you approach whatever you love with passion.
 
Then again, if making money is your driving force, how will you do that? You’re likely to chase the dollar from one job to the next or from one opportunity to the next.
 
You’ll get seduced by false offers of riches. Over time, you’ll look back and see how little you accomplished.
 
You may be successful in the short term. You’ll get that extra dollar from a new job or you’ll squeeze a quick buck from your business.
 
But, you’ll keep searching for more money.
 
 
image about money mindset

 

Experience

It’s possible that if you lack the experience at your new job you won’t be able to handle it. In other words, you didn’t give your previous level enough time to develop a foundation.
 
You jumped ahead, and now you’re unclear what to do. It’s a concept known as the Peter Principle, named after the person who came up with the idea, Peter Drucker.
 
Money isn’t as important as a lot of folks believe. For instance, what good is having a high-paying job when you have to work 80-90 hours a week?
 
What kind of life is that?
 
Many people who do this, look back at their lives and wonder why they did it. While they may have a lot of money when they get older, they might end up quite unhappy.
 
Or the workload needed to reach your goal gets you to an early grave. In that case the money they earned is useless.
 
If you are happy with what you are doing, money becomes a secondary priority. People do need money to live, and you shouldn’t settle for working for less than you’re worth.
 
Get to the point where you can balance a decent amount of money with doing something that you enjoy. Then expect to live a more satisfying life.
 
JohnK 2-15-2021
 
Stick figure hears about motneyOverheard: There is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich.
                                ~Marlene Dietrich
 
 
 
 
 
disclaimer for talking about money
 

Find the Source of Your Motivation

February 1, 2021 John Uncategorized No comments

Lack of motivation can throw cold water on the best of plans. So let GenuLines help keep you on the path toward realizing exactly what you want in life. 

(Listen to this article by clicking here)

Find the Source of Your Motivation

You get your work assignment. You know what you have to do.
 
You’ve got to get started – but somehow, you lack the motivation to get off square one.
 
Success won’t be had without motivation.

Where’s the source of your motivation?

man thinking about motivationWhere can you turn for the inspiration that will propel you forward? We’re all different and we’re all motivated by different things.
 
You may get motivated by visualizing completion of the task and reaching the goal. There may be a job promotion in it for you and a bigger paycheck.
 
 
Or you want to finish another chapter in the book you’re writing, or you look to lose five pounds by the end of the week. Seeing the goal in your mind could motivate you toward success.

Visualize completion

Never lose sight of your ultimate goal. Know you’re going to get what you deserve and push forward with renewed motivation.
 
You know that success is not only an option but is a real fact. Keep this in mind and motivation comes easier.
 
Preparation 
Motivation without the skills to achieve your goals is not enough. If you know you’re lacking something to move forward motivation is hard to summon.
 
Knowledge fuels motivation, and to a lesser extent, so does persistence.
 
Change your environment
New surroundings often give you a renewed outlook on your life. It can be something simple.
 
Put a new plant in your home or office, hang a new picture or open the curtains and let in the light.
 
This also includes surrounding yourself with positive people. When you’re around positive and successful friends their attitude rubs off on you.
 
You absorb their energy. But you’ll also absorb the energy of negative people or depressing surroundings.
 
Other methods
Find the source of your motivation and re-evaluate your tasks. Brainstorm and look for new information.
 
You can do this by taking a break. Go for a walk, exercise, work in the yard or relax with an inspirational book.
 
Using your brain in different ways will stimulate it. And stimulation leads to motivation.
 
Do something for others
When we do for others we find motivation within ourselves. Many times the way to achieve your goal is to assist others in reaching theirs.
 
Seek to serve and you’ll become energized and motivated when people rely on you. Disappoint them and you disappoint yourself – and you’re not going to let that happen, are you?
 
Listen
Some find a motivational source by talking or reading aloud to themselves. Keep an inspirational book handy at all times.
 
When you actually hear the positive affirmations they become more effective.
 
Motivation comes from many different sources. Look within and find what works for you.
 
Believe in yourself. Look forward to the good that will come into your life.
 
Do these things and expect motivation to come your way..
 
JohnK 2-1-2021
 
Stick figure hears about motivationOverheard: “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great”
                                    ~Zig Ziglar
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
disclaimer for talking about motivation
 

Is Staying In Your Comfort Zone Holding You Back?

January 25, 2021 John Uncategorized No comments

Your comfort zone has a way of betraying you. I mean, it’s supposed to be a comfortable place, right?

Let GenuLines show you how it might be working against you. 

(Listen to this article by clicking here)

Is Staying In Your Comfort Zone Holding You Back?

We’ve heard a lot about getting out of our comfort zone. But have you ever thought about why you should?
 
After all, it’s a place where we feel safe and in control. 
 
It’s where we can predict what will happen and how we will feel. There won’t be any surprises that we can’t deal with.
 
So why would you feel compelled or even want to get out of your comfort zone? You need to do it because that would be key to your personal growth and happiness.
 

 

 

 

 

The benefits

Stepping out of that zone helps you build up your self-confidence and the way you view yourself.
 
Is being there holding you back from living a fulfilled life and growing in your career? The answer is yes.
 
It can also keep you from realizing and achieving your desires. You avoid challenges and you don’t have to rise to any new levels.
 
Here are 3 ways this is holding you back.
 

1. It’s keeping you from personal growth

When you’re afraid of something, staying in your comfort zone keeps you from facing that fear.
 
Then you suffer from it forever or until you do face it. You sidestep situations that would force you to face the fear as a way of overcoming it.
 
For example, say you have a fear of public speaking. It could keep you from taking a job that requires you to speak in front of others.
 
You hesitate even though it’s a step up on your career ladder.
 

2. Your happiness suffers

You might be prone to struggle with self-confidence and self-esteem issues. These problems can grow unless you begin to address them.
 
Stepping outside your comfort zone helps you build self-confidence. You see yourself in a better light.
 
When you’re confident and have good self-esteem, you’re happier. For example, if you’re not confident in your abilities, you may fear trying something new.
 
This drags down your confidence. You feel less competent and it’s making you unhappy.
 

3. Your comfort zone can make you feel trapped and unhealthy

Often our comfort zone keeps us doing bad habits out of fear. You might want to be more active, run a marathon, feel fewer aches and pains and go on adventures.
 
But to do any of these things means doing something that is outside your comfort zone.
 
For example, you want to run a short marathon. It’s always been a dream of yours, but you procrastinate and make excuses why you can’t.
 
You’re too out of shape. You don’t have time. You’re too old.
 
But the real reason is that you’re afraid to get out of your comfort zone and begin working with a trainer. As a result, you continue to eat unhealthily and you gain weight.
 
You lose muscle tone and put your dream on the back burner. At some point, your health takes a hit.
 
Staying in your comfort zone holds you back from living a life you love, from being happy, and from growing. You end up letting your fears rule.
 
And that’s a recipe for mediocrity.
 
JohnK 1-25-2021
 
Stick figure hears about comfort zoneOverheard: “Dare to learn, to be different, to set your goals, to move out of your comfort zone, to be persistent.”
                                          ~ Unknown
 
 
 
 
disclaimer for talking about comfort zone
 
 

Are You Setting the Right Goals for Yourself?

January 4, 2021 John Uncategorized No comments
The New Year is a great time to set new goals. And GenuLines wants you to make sure those new goals are the right goals. 
 
 

Are You Setting the Right Goals for Yourself?

There is a lot more to goal setting than just picking a goal and moving forward. Yes, this is important.
 
But it’s also important to make sure that you’re setting the right goals at the right time. These questions will help you head in the right direction:
 
Are You Setting Specific and Realistic Goals?
It takes a little research to ensure that a goal is realistic. If you’re not sure if something is actually achievable then you haven’t done enough research.
 
Once you know that the goal is realistic you need to give it a clear description. This will let you work backward to make a schedule of action you’ll need to succeed.
 
Listing goals
 
 
Are Your Goals Multifaceted?
Focusing on only one part of your life is a bad idea. To feel successful people make goals for all areas of their lives.
 
Say you have a wonderful business and career but your personal life suffers. No matter how successful you are, you won’t feel successful.
 
Make sure your goals include something from each aspect of your life.
 
Does Your Scheduling Show Real Need?
For instance, you want to exercise 30 minutes per day. But setting aside only 30 minutes isn’t going to be realistic.
 
You’ll probably need to set aside an hour. This will cover getting ready as well as cooling down or getting cleaned up to go back to work.
 
Are You Learning from Failure?
You might feel like giving up when setting goals and schedules. You put your plan into effect but you notice there are things you’ve forgotten to take into account.
 
Don’t quit. Learn from the failure and change the schedule to be more realistic.
 
You might find that in practice you have to rewrite all your goals and your schedule. This is natural.
 
Failure feels like a negative. But the truth is if you don’t fail sometimes you’re not going to learn much and it’s likely your goals are too easy.
 
Do Your Goals Represent Your Needs and Wants?
A lot of people set goals that represent what someone else wants instead of what they want. This can cause a lot of bad feelings and resentment.
 
And it can derail the best-laid plans.
 
As you set your goals for your life, ask yourself if they’re what you want for yourself or what someone else wants for you. Ask yourself if you’re okay with any goal you make being for someone else before you embark on your journey.
 
Are You Checking in Often to Stay on Track?
To-do lists pale in comparison to a well laid out calendar of tasks and activities that get you from point “A” to point “B”. Make sure that you look at your schedule often.
 
Make note of when you succeed in sticking to your schedule and when you don’t. Noticing a pattern of activity can help in improving your schedule.
 
And it can help you stay realistic about whether you’re sticking to the plan.
 
Do Your Goals Have Positive Focus?
Try writing down a goal and then changing the words to sound more positive to see if it isn’t more motivating. For instance, “losing weight” seems like a good target.
 
But for some people, it might signify deprivation. Instead, frame the goal as “improving my BMI by 10 points” or “improving my cholesterol by 10 percent.”
 
Do You Have Too Many Goals Set at One Time?
Just as setting too few goals can be a problem, so can setting too many. Instead, pick one personal goal, and one other type of goal to focus on until you reach them.
 
Later you can add more as time goes on. You don’t need to do everything today.
 
Slow and steady wins the race is a good motto to hang on to.
 
Setting the right goals for yourself takes some thought and consideration. Don’t try to set them all in one day.
 
It’s better to set some goals in different stages and in different areas of your life. And give a lot of thought to why you’re setting the goals in the first place.
 
JohnK 1-4-2021
 
stick man hears about goalsOverheard: “What the mind can conceive and believe, and the heart desire, you can achieve”
                                ~Norman Vincent Peale
 
 

 

 
 
 
disclaimer for setting goals

How Meditation Can Benefit Your Motivation

November 16, 2020 John Uncategorized No comments
 
Meditation might not be your first thought when your motivation is on the wane. But GenuLines knows that it can be a go-to tool for those times when you lose your spark, 
 
How Meditation Can Benefit Your Motivation

meditation momentThe downward spiral of low motivation can seem like an impossible cycle to break. During those times productivity and accomplishment can seem like unattainable goals. 

 
 
 
 
There is one simple tool you may not have considered before that can get you back on track, and that’s meditation. It’s an exercise that goes well beyond providing relaxation.

Focus and Concentration

Focus and concentration are by-products of meditation. But don’t force the issue.
 
This could have a negative effect on your motivation.

Increased Happiness

More and more of us are being diagnosed with depression. It’s no surprise that happy people tend to have more energy and higher self-confidence.
 
And motivation raises happiness by helping release the brain’s “happiness hormones.” When you’re feeling more positive, you’re likely to have more desire to get things done.

Less Stress

Meditation leads to a more relaxed state. This is due to the way it allows the brain to slow down as it receives sensory input.
 
This relaxation and improved processing leads to reduced feelings of stress and overwhelm. With less stress comes a feeling of more control, which then fuels your motivation.

Positive Thinking

One of the biggest killers of motivation is negative thinking. A pessimistic view can come from many sources.
 
Think depression, poor habits, or general life difficulties.
 
The beauty of meditation is that it “rewires” brain patterns. This process encourages more positive thought patterns.
 
The result is a reset that helps you become more motivated.

Clarified Goals and Purpose

Taking time each day for meditation can give you a great deal of insight. This helps with reassessing what’s most important in your life.
 
When you have a better picture of your priorities, your goals and life’s purpose become clearer. Knowing where you want to go kicks your motivation into high gear.
 
And you’ll feel a greater urgency to take the necessary steps on the path to your dreams.
The benefits of meditation for increased motivation are many. There are various types of meditation.
 
You can begin to research on your own or find a teacher who can help you develop a practice that works for you. What’s most important is that you get started.
 
And maintain consistency in your meditation practice to get the most effective results. Soon you’ll be tackling your to-do list and pursuing the life goals that matter with renewed vigor.
 
JohnK 11-16-2020
 
stick figure man hears about meditationOverheard: “When you own your breath, nobody can steal your peace”
                                               ~Unknown
 
 
 
 
 
disclaimer for meditation

Boost Your Motivation With a Bit of Science

November 9, 2020 John Uncategorized No comments
 
Motivation is a key component of success. Sure, talent, intelligence, and money can play a part.
 
But there’s a science involved as well, and GenuLines wants you to put it to work in your path to success.

Boost Your Motivation With a Bit of Science

suggestion to motivationWe all have lists of things we
“hope” we’ll do. But how do we
put these things into the “done”
column?
 
 
 
 
 
Let’s take a look at the science of motivation and the ways to harness it to your advantage.

An Improved Approach to Motivation

Dan Pink wrote a best-selling book, “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.” He says that there are three components of motivation that push us to get things done.
 
And he scraps the old carrot and stick types of reward systems.
 
Instead, Pink argues that a scientific approach gives us a better view of the subject. This, he says, helps us come up with strategies to power up motivation.
 
Three Elements of Motivation
Pink says research shows that autonomy, value, and competence drive motivation. Autonomy refers to the amount of control or independence we feel over a task or action.
 
He says studies point to a connection between input on a task and better follow through.
 
The second component of motivation is value. This is the amount of personal significance or importance you place on a matter.
 
In other words, if something matters to you on a personal level, you’ll feel more motivated to take it on.
 
Competence comes from a feeling of mastery as it relates to practice and hard work. This doesn’t mean you have to have natural abilities.
 
Spending time developing competence seems to increase chances of reaching the goal.
 

Strategies to Increase Motivation

Now you have an understanding of what matters most with regard to what motivates us. So let’s look at some strategies to increase motivation.
 
With autonomy as a guide, let’s consider ways to add a sense of control or involvement in activities. One way to do this is to take ownership of a chore or add some aspect of self-direction to it.
 
Let’s say you’re having difficulty starting a project such as submitting a paper. It may help to think of all the ways doing this will set you apart as an expert in your field.
 
You’ll see that turning in the paper is a necessary part of sharing your unique views with your colleagues.
 
To add value to your task, you want to make it meaningful or personal. Find a way to add purpose to that item on your to-do list.
 
This involves changing your perspective or the way you look at that item.
 
Doing your taxes is a chore you might dread. Add purpose to it by focusing on the work you’ve done that’s represented by the numbers on the page.
 
Or the contribution you’ve made to your job and community through your efforts. Paying taxes is a symbol of good citizenry.
 
Finally, there’s competence. Feeling mastery over an act requires practice.
 
Try to look at the job at hand as one in which you are working toward an end goal of skillfulness.
 
For instance, you’ll soon see the treadmill as less of an adversary the more workout sessions you endure. As you get fitter you’ll see exercise as a little easier.
 
And, you’ll get a feeling of accomplishment.
 
Motivation is not always easy to come by. But with a little knowledge of science you can be more effective in moving toward your dreams.
 
In time you’ll be mastering your goals. And that will fuel your motivation in the future.
 
JohnK 11-9-2020
 
Stick figure hears about motivatonOverheard: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
                                   ~Nelson Mandela
 
 
 
 
 
disclaimer for motivation
 
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