| Wednesday, January 13, 2010 |
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If you are, or have ever been, in a position of responsibility within an organisation, you may have had to ask yourself the question: how do I motivate people? Sometimes I even come across forum posts asking: how do I motivate myself? If you have ever thought about this type of question, or contemplated the question yourself, you may have concluded that the subject of motivation , and how to go about to motivating people, is a funny old business.
In the One-Minute Manager, a classic by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson, the authors state that motivation comes from within; and, that, I think, is absolutely true. We are all motivated by something and if you can't find the necessary drive to get off your backside and start putting in the appropriate amount of effort to ensure you to achieve your goals, then no amount of listening to motivation al messages (perhaps, even this is a form of procrastination) will get you going. The bottom line is: if you can't motivate yourself, then nobody else can do it for you.
In the classics of New Thought, the thinking to which many people round here seem to subscribe – Think and Grow Rich, Science of Getting Rich, Master Key System etc – quite a lot is made of the importance of 'desire' in achieving goals. Well, desire, of course, is the root of motivation ...
Desire: 'the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state' Motivation: 'the internal condition that activates behaviour and gives it direction'
You either want something or you don't. If you really want something, you have the necessary 'desire' and that is where the motivation to achieve that goal will come from. You want it badly enough to do 'whatever it takes' in order to achieve it.
Understanding your inner desires is an important key to achievement. |
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posted by The White Dove Partnership @ 8:10 AM   |
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| Sunday, December 20, 2009 |
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The meaning of life is one of those sought after quests that can never truly be answered. There are just too many opinions and personal definitions for any one meaning to be true for everyone.
Also, there are certain topics in life that can simply never be fully described with mere words, such as true love and true self.
Some will say that discovering the meaning behind true love and your true self is the meaning of life. What do you think?
Discovering Your Life-Purpose
While you might feel a bit confused, you can start to find meaning in your life by discovering your true purpose. For some, this comes easily but for others it may take some deep soul searching. Your true purpose is not necessarily a job or something concrete, although it could be. There are no rules to follow, just the rules set out by your heart.
Try some of the following activities when searching for your true purpose:
1. Brainstorm. Find a time and place where you can have some quiet self-reflection. Just start writing down ideas on what you think your true purpose might be. You may not arrive at it at first, but you'll eventually come across something that hits the nail on the head.
2. Activities and hobbies. Reflect on your favorite activities and hobbies. Can you turn any of them into a life's purpose? Some people feel that if they take their hobbies further it'll start to feel like any old job. This won't be the case if you've truly found your purpose.
3. Skills and intelligence. If there are certain skills and abilities that you're good at, perhaps you should try pursuing those, even if you didn't think you wanted to before.
* Also, you might want to look into a theory called Multiple Intelligences by Howard Gardner. Gardner describes how everyone has a type of intelligence and it might not always be what is typically accepted as intelligence, such as a high IQ.
4. Happiness. Ask yourself whether or not you're happy in your current life situation. If you are, p! erhaps y ou've already found your life's purpose or you're on the correct path to it. If you're unhappy, see if you can isolate the reasons why. Once you know why, you can take action to correct the imbalance.
5. Regrets. Make an effort to let go of your regrets. These never serve a positive purpose in your life. However, if you identify your regrets, perhaps you can use them to help you discover your purpose. Perhaps there's something you regret that you can correct. Often times, it's not too late to make a positive change!
* For example, if you're in your 50s and you always wanted to go to college, you shouldn't let anything stand in the way between you and your dream.
6. Religion. If you're a religious person, it's likely that your religion discusses life and meaning. Search through religious books or seek out a spiritual advisor to learn more about the meaning of life.
Follow Your Bliss
To put it quite simply, if you're following your bliss, you're on the road to discovering your true purpose. You'll also be discovering your personal definition for the meaning of life.
Remember, you'll always have outside influences when it comes to finding life's meaning, but following your heart is the only true answer. |
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posted by The White Dove Partnership @ 8:17 AM |
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The planning phase is the most important stage when it comes to reaching your goals. Planning might come easy or hard for you, but one thing's for sure, without planning the end goal may not even exist at all. While it's important to set up your own system that works for you, there are some simple goal setting strategies you can use to make your planning easier.
Consider the following tips for finding clarity in your goals:
1. Decide what you want. Whether your goal is lofty or little, decide exactly what it is that you want. If you want money, how much? If you want to lose weight, how many pounds? If you want success, how do you describe your vision of success?
* Don't be afraid to take your time to figure out what you want. At some point you'll need to eventually sift through your thoughts and take action, but make sure you're acting on what's most important to you!
2. Be specific. Be very detailed as you develop every part of your goal. Instead of a goal like "I want to be better at sports," consider a goal like "I want to perform exceptionally well during spring tryouts so I can become the all-star point guard for my high school basketball team." Just being "better" at sports is too vague. There are too many options and avenues to take that your mind can't focus on any one route to your goal.
3. Write it down. Write down your ideas and decisions. It doesn't matter if you use pencil and paper, a computer, or even a cell phone. What's important is the fact that you can keep track of a large amount of specific information instead of trying to remember everything. After all, goals only seem real when you see them clearly before you.
4. Break down your goal into increments. If you have a lofty goal, it'll become manageable if you break it down into smaller pieces. Smaller pieces will make your goal seem less complex. Plus, it'll be easier for you to achieve your goal if everything is set out for you as mini-goals, instead of just one huge feat.
5. ! Repeat t he process. Once you've found a good system, it's time to repeat the process. Clarify your other goals that you'd like to achieve.
* For example, if you'd like to "spend more time with the family," which is too vague, make a list of specific family activities you'd like to do together, and then make more lists that detail how you can make those goals a reality.
Don't Wait For "Someday"
Some of the reasons why people tend to keep their goals vague is that they're actually afraid of achieving them. It's true!
After all, it's a whole lot easier to put off your goals and do nothing, than to take action to achieve it. But what good is a goal that merely resides on paper?
Once you've decided on a clear goal, it's time to take swift action to make it a reality. Don't wait for someday to achieve your goals. There's no time like the present... so get moving! |
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posted by The White Dove Partnership @ 8:11 AM |
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It's hard to keep regret out of your life. No matter where you find yourself today, there's a chance that you'll have certain things you wish you did differently. When you strive to look at your situation with a different perspective, you'll gain a better understanding about life and you'll learn to live without regret.
While you won't be able to completely eliminate regret in your life, you can take steps to reduce it. Strive to keep your life organized and live your life your way.
Establish Your Priorities
One way to begin living without regret is to sort out your priorities. Ask yourself what ultimate goal you're working towards. Are you happy with where you are and where you're going? If you're living your life according to plan and you're happy, then you have nothing to regret.
If changes need to be made, taking small steps may be of help to you. Once you've made decisions that you're comfortable with, you may feel as if a weight has been lifted from your shoulders. This is regret leaving your life!
Live By the Golden Rule
Everyone can benefit by living his or her life with the golden rule in mind. The golden rule is known in all of the world's religions. It's special because it's a concept that we can all agree on, despite our differences.
Simply stated, the golden rule is: "Treat people the way you'd like to be treated." If you do this, you'll definitely keep your regrets to a minimum. You'll be learning how to treat people with kindness no matter what. You'll be learning how to treat people fairly and you'll gain empathy. When you put yourself in someone else's shoes before you act, you'll be less likely to engage in an act that you'll regret later.
Take Swift Action
The next step is to take swift action in your life. You only have one life and the time is now. If your goals are clear and you know what you want, what are you waiting for? A common regret is not doing the things that are truly important to them. You need to do these! things instead of putting them off until tomorrow!
Have you always wanted to start your own business? Start one! Would you like to get back in touch with your father? Do it! Yes, it's difficult, yet it's also simple once you've made the commitment to act.
Spend Time with Loved Ones
Spend all the time you can with your loved ones. If they live far away, visit when you can and call often.
Make time for your immediate family by scheduling dinners together or family nights out. Delve deep into the relationships you have with your family. A common regret is sticking to surface topics when it comes to your family. Find out the hopes, fears and even regrets of your family members. Sharing your regrets can be another way of coming to a resolution!
Forget Regret
Ultimately, it always comes down to the fact that you can't change the past no matter how hard you try, nor how often you think about it. All you can do is take action now to change what happens in the future.
Regret clouds our current thinking and stands in the way of a happy future. But you have the power to blast through regret and move forward with your life! |
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posted by The White Dove Partnership @ 8:08 AM |
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When you have passion, you have a life energy that allows you to achieve your dreams. Passion helps you get out of bed in the morning and seize the day! But what can you do when you feel like you've lost your passion?
How Passion Benefits You
There are many benefits to being a more passionate person. With an invigorating passion for life, you can enjoy sustainable energy that motivates and inspires you. You'll also enjoy more leisure time, quality relationships, and people will be drawn to you. You'll also enjoy an enthusiasm for life that can last a lifetime. It all starts with this simple thing called passion!
Developing Greater Passion
Everyone has their own unique path to developing greater passion in their lives. Experiment with different strategies to find something that works for you.
Keep the following tips in mind as you seek your passions:
1. Follow your dreams. Following your dreams is not a fairytale; it's what you're supposed to do in life! If you've lost your passion, chances are you've been working towards a goal that's not your true goal. It's time to evaluate your priorities.
* Once you're on a path to your true dreams, you'll find your passion again.
2. Consider religion and spirituality. Maybe it's time to get more in touch with your spiritual side. Many faiths deal with life's tougher questions and they also provide purpose. When you discover your purpose and feel it, you'll also find passion.
3. Develop relationships. It's always a good idea to delve deeper into your relationships with your loved ones. When you keep things fresh and try new things, you may also discover your passion. You'll look forward to new life events when everything is not as mundane.
Get To Know Yourself and Your Values
If you're still confused when it comes to finding your passion, perhaps it'll help to take stock of your true values. Take a moment to write down your values. It might seem like a silly exercise, but when you see ! everythi ng written down on paper it may provide you with some clarity.
Everyone will have a different set of values; it's what makes a person unique. Once you've narrowed down your values, you can begin to see how you can honor them each day.
Add Spice to Your Life
Are you too caught up in preparing for a better future?
When you only care about having a good life in the future, you forget about the now, which is discouraging and burdensome. Your happiness doesn't reside in the future - it's right here, right now!
Even though you may be an extremely busy person, it's important to make yourself a priority. Commit to taking a portion out of each day for yourself. It could be as few as 15 minutes, but it'll make a difference.
Initially, you can use this time to plan out how you can follow interests that you feel passionate about. Build a plan and take action. It can be difficult to get past the planning stages, but following through with your plans is the most important part.
Small Steps to Something Big
Your small chunks of time spent pursuing your passions can result in spectacular results. When you actually see the proof of your dreams realized, it'll feed even more passion into you. Your new goal will be to avoid breaking your successful new pattern. Keep making yourself a priority and you'll re-discover the passion in your life! |
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posted by The White Dove Partnership @ 8:01 AM |
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