Abstract: What’s in it for me? Unlock the secrets to getting things done.
How good are you at getting things done? Are you a procrastinator? Or maybe you have trouble seeing projects through – like learning a new language, for example? Or doing your taxes?
self-motivation is the key to moving forward.
*self-referencing Post
Takeaways:
1. To reach the finish line, set compelling, specific goals and have fun!
- Demands, distractions, worries – they’re all part of life. And when they kick in, your motivation (and goals) often get kicked to the curb.
- So how do you motivate yourself to pursue your dreams and desires when life is in full swing? It all starts with choosing the right goal.
- When framed correctly, goals can be powerful motivational tools. To set a goal that’ll pull you to the finish line, keep these three things in mind.
- First, frame it as the end in itself rather than a means to another goal. For example, say your goal is “finding a job” rather than “applying for a job.” You want your goals to be exciting – not a chore.
- Second, keep your goals abstract. Be careful not to be too vague, though. For example, “Improve my mental health” is better than “be happy” because it points you toward your next step: in this case, perhaps, starting therapy.
- Third, focus on “do” versus “don’t” goals. That is, set goals in terms of something you wish to approach – like good health or success – rather than avoid, like sickness or failure.
- Goals, like recipes, tend to work best when they’re quantified. Setting a target that’s challenging, measurable, and actionable will pull you toward your goal and enable you to monitor your progress. Just make sure, you’re the one to set the target rather than someone else. Because that’s going to help you be more committed.
- And try not to pick targets that are overly optimistic. We all love an optimist like Ted Lasso, but when you’re too optimistic, that can lead to a bunch of fantasizing, rather than you put in the actual work.
- There are two types of numerical targets you need to take into account: how much (so, for example, you want to save $10,000) and how soon (within one year? six months? two years?).
- Another item you should have in your self-motivation arsenal? Incentives. A foundational element of behavioral science dating back all the way to Pavlov’s salivating dogs. Incentives are basically forms of rewards and punishments.
- Rewards and punishments motivate action by creating immediate mini-goals to your main goal. Let’s go and grab a coffee at your favorite coffee spot for this little example. How much is your latte these days, or your flat white or whatever else you like? Does your inside voice tell you: this is too much?
- Expensive coffees have been demonized as the reason people aren’t saving enough money. Some joke that lattes and avocado toast are the reasons millennials can’t buy houses, and yet: here we are buying our flat whites and lattes. You know why? Because they feel like a reward, whether it’s for the sometimes arduous task of getting out of bed or for having a productive morning of work. I’m sure we can always find a good reason.
- To get the most out of your incentives, make sure that you end up rewarding the right action.
- To stay on track, you need to be clear on an important distinction: Does your incentive actually lead to progress toward your goal, or is it just a useless target that’s easy to measure?
- But we want to keep things exciting. And to do that, try to embrace uncertainty and hit pause on your incentives now and then. I’m just saying: take a break. Breathe. It’s not a sprint. It’s a marathon. Hitting pause will also help confirm that you’re pursuing your goal for your goal’s sake– and that you’re not doing it for the incentive alone.
- The final, crucial ingredient to goal-setting is fun. I know. I just basically talked you through a bunch of homework you should do to get stuff done. And now I’m telling you to have fun.
- “Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and that play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.” That is basically another way of definingintrinsic motivation.
- Intrinsic motivation is the best predictor of engagement in any activity.
- When you set a goal for yourself – especially if it’s one you don’t necessarily think is super fun to begin with, like work or exercise or vacuuming – you need to make sure you can find some fun aspect in it. Because if you’re having fun, then you’re intrinsically motivated, which in turn leads to success.
- The strategy here is simple: make your goals fun! One way to do this is through temptation bundling. That means, you could put on your favorite show while you work out. This is most effective if you only allow yourself that little temptation while you’re pursuing your goal.
- Another thing you can do is to try and notice any feelings of fun and joy that you already have. If you’re trying to get into running in the mornings, for example, you could try and notice that short feeling of euphoria right after your run. Or that feeling of your heart and skin warming up when you’ve got the sun shining and the wind blowing through your hair. When your breath starts getting into a rhythm. When the world in the morning is calm and still. Breathe that in. Focus on that.
2. Maintain momentum by monitoring your progress and tackling the “middle problem.”
- one of the most effective ways to stay motivated while you get from A to B is by keeping track of your progress.
- Tracking progress increases your motivation because it intensifies the commitment to your goal in two ways.
- One, it boosts your confidence in believing that you can achieve your goal. You’ve made it this far, right!?
- And two, you confirm to yourself that your goal is worth it, simply because of the sheer amount of time and effort you put in.
- While making progress is important, how you monitor it also matters. The question is: Should you focus on how much you’ve already done, or how much you still have left to do? The short answer is: both.
- Refer coffee loyalty points card. This is called the “goal gradient effect” in motivation science. It just means that the more progress you’ve made, the more excited you are to continue. Basically, the glass-half-full motivator.
- But the glass-half-empty point of view can actually help you, too.
- Neither strategy is necessarily better or worse – but it is useful to be able to know when to implement one over the other.
- If you’re new to or uncertain about a commitment, try to stay motivated looking at it with a glass-half-full mindset.
- But if you’re an expert or you already know that you’ve committed to a goal, it’s actually the glass-half-empty mentality that may push you over the finish line.
- In any of these scenarios, tuning into how you feel will let you know how best to track your progress. When you feel good, you’ll know you’re progressing on your goal. And when you feel bad, you’ll know you’re lagging.
- At the beginning, it’s all easy and fun and I’m motivated and can’t stop talking about it. And a month later, it’s like it never happened.
- The reason that’s the case is that there are special, clearly marked points in time. It’s when you start doing something for longer that it becomes harder to maintain that enthusiasm. This is called the “middle problem.”
- The middle problem can be explained by the small-area principle.
To stay motivated toward your goal, you’ll likely compare your next action to whichever is smaller: the progress you already made or the progress that you have yet to make. In other words, at the beginning, you’ll look back at what you’ve done. And past the midpoint, you’ll look ahead at what’s still missing. And every time you look, you’re motivated. But when you’re in the thick of it – in the middle – it seems that either way looks just as long. Whether you look back or ahead, no area looks smaller than the other. And that means there’s little motivation to get the goal done, or to do it right.
- This may just be my biggest challenge, to be honest. So how can we avoid getting stuck? The solution is pretty simple: keep the middle short. Let’s say we’ve got some sporty goal. It’s best to have a weekly exercise goal rather than a monthly one. Or if we’re talking about a huge work project with a deadline that’s far away, then you could try and break it down into small weekly assignments. Here’s another hack: try framing the present as a beginning or an end. That means, for example: If you think of lunch to be something that happens at the beginning of the afternoon, rather than the middle of the day, you may just eat more healthily.
- Finally, think about times that you’ve been successful and unsuccessful in achieving your past goals.
- Famous playwright Samuel Beckett once wrote, “Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” And Serena Williams, who many think is the world’s best tennis player said, “I’ve grown most not from victories, but setbacks.” They both are pointing out something really important: whatever you’re trying to achieve, whatever goal you have, there is no way to guarantee your success or failure. But the one thing that is guaranteed is that you’ll learn from it.
- The best way to learn from failure is to practice cultivating a growth mindset. That means: try to really internalize the fact that your abilities, your intelligence and skills, can grow and improve. That you can always get smarter through focus, dedication, and perseverance. It’s proven that if you have a growth mindset, you’ll increase your resilience when you face challenges or frustrations. When you master that, negative feedback will stop feeling like a personal attack. Indeed, you may start to think of it as a way to learn what you need to work on.
- One last strategy to stay motivated even when you’re failing is this: give advice. Even if you don't think you’re qualified to dole out tips regarding something you haven’t mastered yet – for example, controlling your temper or saving money. But when you give advice, you’re tapping into what you’ve learned to do (or not to do) when trying to reach your goal. And when you dish out advice, you may be reminded of just how knowledgeable you actually are.
3. Use – and help – those around you to achieve personal and shared goals.
- But not only could you be the one giving advice, you could also start to look for a possible role model – someone you could emulate on your way to achieving your goal. It could be anyone really – a friend, parent, teacher, or colleague. But your role model should know you exist. Why? Because a great role model is someone who doesn’t only set an example; they help set expectations for you.
- Physically being surrounded by others can also boost your motivation. A 1898 study found that cyclists who raced against each other were faster than those who just raced against the clock. This phenomenon – wanting to work harder when others are watching – is called “social facilitation.”
- You could use it to your advantage, by, say, working in a public place like a café. And if you’re a bit of a hermit with lots of aspirations, there’s still hope. Because even a proxy for another’s presence, like a picture of a loved one or (this one’s a little bit creepy) of staring eyes, can help you put in the extra effort and inspire you to be your best self.
Bibliography
Ayelet Fishbach. (2022, June 06). Book Source. Personal. Get It Done.
Note
These are all personal notes and reviews for self-referencing; The self interpretations are not meant for any profit or marketing.
Suggestion to readers
Please read the entire book. Suggested.
--------------------------------------Thank you, Gratitude, Love and Light-----------------------------------
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