MOTIVATION

• Introduction
  • Introduction
  • Definition
  • Delegation

Topics

• Personality traits
  • Myers-Briggs
  • Myers-Briggs uses
  • FIRO B
  • OPQ
  • Pathology

• Performance
  • Performance part 1
  • Performance part 2
  • Empowerment
  • Improving relations
  • Identifying people needs

• Motivational issues
  • General part 1
  • General part 2
  • General part 3
  • Frederick Herzberg
  • Douglas McGregor X and Y theory part 1
  • Douglas McGregor X and Y theory part 2
  • Abraham Maslow part 1
  • Abraham Maslow part 2
  • Key problems part 1
  • Key problems part 2

• People
  • People part 1
  • People part 2
  • People part 3
  • Integrity and trust
  • New may not be good
  • Common sense
  • Giving orders
  • People issues
  • Limited by attitude part 1
  • Limited by attitude part 2
  • Labelling part 1
  • Labelling part 2

• Behaviour
  • Consequences part 1
  • Consequences part 2
  • Model behaviour
  • Negative reinforcement part 1
  • Negative reinforcement part 2
  • Positive reinforcement part 1
  • Positive reinforcement part 2
  • Decreasing behaviour
  • Behaviour results orientated

• Measurement
  • Measuring performance
  • Counting and judgement
  • Feedback part 1
  • Feedback part 2
  • Simple approach
  • Goal setting part 1
  • Goal setting part 2
  • Goal setting part 3

• Reward
  • Quality part 1
  • Quality part 2
  • Demotivators
  • Downsizing and rightsizing
  • Reward systems part 1
  • Reward systems part 2
  • Appraisals part 1
  • Appraisals part 2
  • Heirarchy

• Learning
  • The pace of learning part 1
  • The pace of learning part 2
  • Creativity part 1
  • Creativity part 2
  • Creativity part 3

• Communication
  • Communication part 1
  • Communication part 2
  • Behaviour failure
  • Feedback

• Coaching and resolution
  • Coaching steps part 1
  • Coaching steps part 2
  • Coaching steps part 3
  • Coaching steps part 4
  • Stepwise discussion part 1
  • Stepwise discussion part 2
  • Stepwise discussion part 3

• Teamwork
  • Teams part 1
  • Teams part 2
  • Teams part 3
  • Teams part 4
  • Teams part 5
  • Teams part 6
  • Teams leadership

• Self motivation
  • Self motivation part 1
  • Self motivation part 2
  • Self motivation part 3
  • Self motivation part 4
  • Self motivation part 5
  • Self motivation part 6
  • Self motivation part 7
  • Self motivation part 8
  • Self motivation part 9
  • Self motivation part 10
  • Self motivation part 11
  • Self motivation part 12

• The stage
  • The stage general
  • Personal impact part 1
  • Personal impact part 2
  • Personal impact part 3
  • Personal skills part 1
  • Personal skills part 2

• General issues
  • Generating ideas
  • Setbacks part 1
  • Setbacks part 2
  • Mentors

• Other areas
  • Insight, intuition and foresight
  • Personal insight
  • Inspiration
  • Influence
  • Make it fun
  • Human capacity
  • Summary thinking

Whilst these are under the title of ‘self motivation’ most of them are equally applicable when trying to enthuse others.

No regrets

What happens as you get near to the end of your life?
It’s quite natural to mull over events throughout your life and think about how you would have ‘done this and that’ differently.
Why wait until you are in this position?

You can use a specific visualisation technique by imagining you are actually near death and you need to review what areas in life you may wish to change. In your own mind you can make this as realistic as you wish.
You can just address yourself or arrange to talk to others within this fictional scenario.

If you knew you were going to die within one week your focus on life and its priorities would change dramatically.
We all assume that there is always plenty of time to do that item we have been putting off for so long.

Focus

We all know that if you draw a line 10 metres long and 30 cm wide on the floor we could walk along this all day without falling off of the line.
It would probably be very easy if it were only 15 cm wide. We could walk, run or hop along without too much trouble.

However, you place the same line 50 metres in the air and it becomes a whole new ball game.
It’s still the same line but becomes much more difficult as the fear of falling starts to dominate our thinking.
This would be the same even if you assumed there was no wind and no tendency to try an focus on distant objects which can destabilise you.
What was once easy has become difficult because of lack of focus.

Even if it wasn’t you on the line but your son or daughter your fear would be just as intense if the line was 50 metres up.
If you continuously think about peripheral things you may lose track of what you really need to do.

Relativity

One man’s meat is another man’s poison.
No matter how hard the task at hand seems to you there is always another equally or more difficult task.
What you find hard another will find easy and vice versa.
We all have issues with doing particular things.

To face some of these challenges (apart from the visualisation technique) it’s a good idea to try something you imagine to be harder.
Once you have achieved this the actual task will seem a lot easier. You will be less apprehensive and more able to focus on the task in hand.

Simplicity

Think about time management techniques (see The Complete Time Management package).
If you can organise and simplify your life many stresses will be reduced and additional tasks will be approached with greater motivation.
Try to delegate as much as possible.

Eliminate as many tasks as you can that do not contribute to your goals.
Many tasks can be combined when you have the time to fit them in.

In many areas simplicity is the watchword.
Coaches in many sports will advocate keeping it simple.

Reflection

We tend to see the world in a similar light to how we feel.
When we are moody or angry everything else seems grim and grey.
If we’re in a good mood the world is suddenly a sunnier place and people appear more friendly.

If you can recognise these issues then you may be able to put a positive light on events.

Personalise

Everybody is different. What motivates you may not be a motivation to others.

If you can maintain some sort of log of what things raise your enthusiasm then you may be able to call on these when needed.
For example, special music and videos, a particular food, a poem etc.

If you keep a list of the key ones, it can be very helpful when you lack the energy for a task, you can then draw on them.
Those that tap into key positive memories can be particularly useful.

If possible to try to associate with others that have a positive outlook on life.
Being around negative thinking can affect your own performance.

Break it down

One particular problem for many people is having the enthusiasm to begin a task but never completing it.
Starting a lot of tasks and not finishing them can leave you feeling low. Time runs out and things are in a mess.
The problem is that the whole task is seen as too daunting and you never begin.

If you suffer from this problem you will need to carry out less tasks and also break them down.
Obviously taking on less tasks will help you reach completion.
Breaking the tasks down into smaller milestones gives you greater opportunities for success.
Once you have started slowly the momentum of success will keep you going and motivation to carry on will rise.

Once you begin to achieve in smaller steps your confidence will rise and you will feel a lot happier at the end of the day.

If you have a long term goal write it down.
Then consider what you will need to do in the next month (milestone) to achieve this goal.
What do you need to do today to keep this on track?
Break this down further into tasks you might want to do before and after lunch for example.