czwartek, 18 listopada 2010

Motivation

 Slow two days. A lot I planned, not a lot I pulled through.

 Motivation is a bitch. Or rather, the lack of it.

 On the one hand, I got it all figured out, so it seems. I know exactly what to do to get what I want. Only thing is, I still need to force myself to actually do it. And it makes me wonder.

 I've read recently that the only two motivating forces in a human being are: first to avoid pain, and second to get pleasure. You can argue over the details, or put forth Maslows, and similar theories, but that's what it boils down to. And the stronger of the two is the drive to avoid pain.

 To think about it- every time I procrastinate about doing something its actually my mind avoiding greater pain in the moment, becouse it cant feel the inconvenience/trouble/whatever caused by inaction in the future, or the rewards of taking action. Or so the theory goes. Thats why even reminding oneself of all the goodies you'll get for doing something in the future does not always work to break through procrastination, if the action involved is, for example, fucking mindnumbingly boring (yay my school years!).

 That gets me to a question I've been wondering about. Is there a way to trick the system? Can you somehow convince your lazy, illogical, emotional mind that what you try to do is not, in fact, an excruciating experience in self- abasement, but a GOOD, interesting and enjoyable thing? I've tried the force approach, the "exercise of strong will" and it just doesn't work, at least not for long. Affirmations also just don't cut it. Self hypnosis? Worked for smoking cessation, but almost nothing else, so it could be just a correlation.

 Don't get me wrong, I can get things done. I just wonder if there is a way of convincing yourelf, your mind, your psyche, whatever you want to call it, to do things WILLINGLY, without the constant struggle.

 Somehow I sense a shitload of reading ahead.

12 komentarzy:

  1. positive thinking = positive outcomes. only you can believe in yourself.

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  2. i for myself make really big goals that i want to reach...and when i need motivation for small thinks i just think back about his big things and that i should get up my ass to get this lack of a problem/goal fixed or achieved

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  3. Think about long term happiness and if the goal will bring that.

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  4. motivation is a bitch!
    we have to slap the bitch right in the face :D

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  5. great writing you are very talented at this

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  6. Ugh, I know exactly what you mean. I'm such a procrastinator.

    Sometimes I can convince myself (temporarily) that what I'm doing is pleasureful instead of painful. "Oh my gosh, it's so exciting to find out all about X paper topic!" or "Man, flipping these burgers is awesome! This repeated flipping motion is so much fun!"

    Our brains are pretty stupid.

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  7. always thin positive, don't matter what ur doing!!

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  8. your karma is with you :) positive thinking!

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