Where Did That Come From?
Motivation is not a skill, it’s driven by a need or desire. And that need or desire can come from something functional - like putting dinner on the table for your family, or from an internal driver - like that burst of adrenalin you get to finish the race when you thought you were going to collapse! Self motivation is either intrinsic (internal), a force inside you or extrinsic (external), pressure from outside you.
For example, just imagine that you saw a photo of yourself and you’re horrified to see that you look more like a beach ball! You knew that those extra pounds were slowly finding their way onto your hips and stomach but you didn’t see it so clearly until you saw the absolute proof in the photo! You feel ashamed and disappointed in yourself to the extent that you find yourself waking up at 5.30am the next morning to go to the gym. And the next morning. And the next morning. Your mind isn’t questioning why you need to get up and exercise; there’s an intrinsic desire driving you.
On the other hand, before you saw that horrible photo, you know that you’re putting on weight, that your clothes are starting to get a bit tight and you know that you really need to exercise but you just can’t find the motivation. Maybe you join the gym but then you find you’re too busy or you’re too tired to go. You’ll go tomorrow…
Can you see the difference? It’s that driving force inside you that’s either there or not there. If you’ve got it, you get up every morning and the internal desire fires your motivation without you even thinking about it. That’s the motivation you need to tap into.
In the business world extrinsic motivation is the norm; a pay rise or a bonus is your reward for doing a good job. But increasingly, business is recognizing that intrinsic motivation is much more effective. In this TED video, Dan Pink smashes the well held belief that workers need a carrot or a stick. He claims that there’s a mismatch between what science knows (that internal motivation is more productive for business) and what business does (offers incentives to increase external motivation). Watch the video and I think you’ll find his arguments quite convincing….
So what did you think? Do you agree with Dan, that businesses should allow their employees more freedoms? Or do you disagree? I’d love to hear what you think so please leave a comment below.
Emotions – Curse or Cure?
An excerpt from an article by Dorothy M Neddermeyer PhD
Are Your Emotions Sabotaging Your Life?
Do you often feel uneasy or skittish? The feeling of uneasiness or skittishness makes it difficult to respond consistently to what is going on around you. Your uneasiness or skittishness can prompt you to cry easily or perhaps sometimes seemingly small things could cause you to react irritably or angrily. You could warn those around you that you are feeling temperamental, though they probably already know that this is the case.
Though feelings can be overwhelming and seem insurmountable, the truth is that you can rise above them. Your emotions are in your control, when you know how to manage them, no matter how strong they are. As beings of mind, body and spirit, you have other aspects of your nature that can help you to regain your balance.
Your emotional reaction may be a result of habit or negative thinking, which is also a habit, or it might be some energy you are picking up from elsewhere. By going within to examine your feelings in the light of all your aspects, you can also connect to your higher self and the stillness and peace within. In so doing, you can utilize all that is available to you to achieve balance and well-being in any circumstance.
When you are caught off guard, you may want to remove yourself from the situation for a few moments to express your feelings as they come to you without hurting others in the process. when you express your feelings, then regain your composure. You might need to take deep breaths to rise above your feelings.
When you have difficulty managing your emotional state it will prevent you from achieving your dreams and heart’s desires…
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I found I had differing thoughts when reading this article; on the one hand I do agree that your emotions can control you and make you act in ways you don’t feel comfortable with – a curse. But, on the other hand, I believe that you need to FEEL your emotions, not try to squash them.
Of course there’s always a point where your emotions can get out of control and, in those situations, it is best to remove yourself from that situation. But the word ‘emotion’ has the word ‘motion’ in it; feelings in motion, so your feelings should be moving through you. If you try and put a cork in them they will eventually explode! If you continually try to ‘manage’ your emotions and keep them in check they will eventually spill out at the wrong time. If you let yourself feel what you’re feeling and stop your mind to recognise it, whether it be sad or angry or excited, then just let it flow through you. Let your heart swell up with the emotion (because that’s where they are, in your heart not your head!), cry if you feel sad or even angry, just get the emotion OUT! The more you try to suppress it and tell yourself that you’re NOT sad or NOT angry or NOT excited, the more you fill yourself up pent up feelings and the more pressure you put under the cork.
Have you ever had a significant experience and refer back to it in your mind all the time? Maybe that experience was especially emotional and you didn’t let that emotion flow out? And every time something similar happens or you start to feel that emotion again you run away from it? Well, maybe that’s the problem. Your mind is trying to stop you feeling that way because it was painful. But the emotion is still there, isn’t it? That’s when it starts to control you. You act in certain ways to avoid the situation or the hurt or the pain. So maybe next time you’re feeling that way, you could still your mind and concentrate on what your heart is feeling. Recognise it. Name it. And then let it flow. Get it out! You might just feel a little relief. This is the cure!
So what are your thoughts? Do you think this is true? Please leave me your comment and let me know.
Motivational…Period!
How far can a coach push you? Much further than you can push yourself on your own!
Being believed in is one of the biggest motivations you can have. This video is awesome and I don’t even follow American football!
Watching it made me realise how important it is to have support from the people around me and how much more I can achieve in life if just some of them feel free to give me a kick up the proverbial sometimes!
Personality Tests
Free Personality Tests – Can They Be Trusted?
By Marc Turner
Some are completely bogus. Others are very boring and not much use to you. You have to wonder if it is even possible to find a free personality test you can trust?
What is a free personality test?
Well the chances are that any personality test you use will be based on the work of Carl Jung, who is generally recognized as the father of personality profiling. There are other systems based on the lie detector test and some on the ink blot test. Of course they aren’t “tests”. everyone refers to them as such but it is completely inaccurate. Your personality is not something you can pass or fail. As Popeye would say “you is who ye is”. Jung did not believe in “norms”. He didn’t believe one should strive to fit the “norm” and saw this as a misuse of personality profiling. Yet many people, professionals included, insist on trying to “norm” people. A more constructive use is where you use the report to simplify something as complex as human personality.
Where are Free Personality Tests Used?
The most common use for personality reports is in career development and recruitment. However we are seeing free personality tests used in a diverse array of applications such as dating and relationship development.
Can free personality tests be accurate?
There is a misconception that only a test administered by a psychologist or consultant could be accurate. This is not true. Online tests have become more and more sophisticated and although they may not make the consultants redundant, they change the role the consultant plays. no longer is a consultant required to tell you what your report says as they are more often written in plain English so you can read it for yourself. So some free tests are simply amazing quality and others are really bad. It is not just the psychology you have to complain about its the online interface. Many online tests are developed by non-Internet savvy people so they look terrible and are boring to complete and use.
What should you look for?
Look for a website that is up to date and well designed. Crappy old educational sites should be ignored in the main. It should indicate how long the test will take and provide some background about the company or person who devised it. More questions does not mean more accuracy. Often the opposite is true.
While Personality Tests can provide a guide as to the ‘type’ of person you are or the ‘category’ you fall into, it’s easy to pigeon hole yourself. Humans are complex creatures and no two people are the same. I believe we have tendencies rather than hard coded boxes that we sit in. We may not tidily fit into one personality type. You might have a completely different style at work from how you are at home.
And the environment and experiences of life over the years could change your outlook on life and also change you on the inside. As you get older you do become more self aware, and awareness is the first step to change. It would be interesting to gauge how your personality does actually change over time; from this time last year, from five or even ten years ago. You must admit that you’re not the same person you were in the past. We are in constant flux so it could stand to reason that we would react, we would behave and we would feel differently as we make our way along life’s path.
But much does this change your personality? From a heirarchial point of view, your morals and values shape your personality which, in turn, guides your behaviors. So, you could also argue that your morals and values are relatively static and don’t change all that much throughout your life which could result in minimal change in your personality and behaviors. I’d be interested in what you believe. Is it just your behavior that changes over time or do you think your personality changes as well? I’d love to hear from you so please leave your comments below.