Motivation and Decision-Making: Taking Action with Confidence
It's a common misconception that motivation is the driving force behind our motivation and decision-making. In reality, it's much more likely that making decisions to take action will be a greater driver of future action than the decision to act in itself.
In an experiment, participants were divided into two groups, the first group received strong messages about why they should get up and exercise. The other group were given no advice or encouragement at all. Afterwards, one week later when participants were contacted to see if they had exercised during this time period, the success rate was twice as high in the group where people had been encouraged before exercising rather than those who weren't given any support or advice at all (71% vs 39%).
The success rate was higher for the group that was encouraged before exercising, even though they had no more motivation to exercise than the control group. This is because it's only our intentions and decision to get started that motivates us to take action. After this point, it's the decision we've made that keeps us moving forward and accomplishing our goals. Motivation sometimes needs a kick start but once we're in motion it will follow along behind us.
Explaining this concept in a blog post on Psychology Today , Edward L. Deci, Professor of Psychology at the University of Rochester says '…once we have started toward some goal, then motivation will catch up to sustain us. Thus, it is important to realize that motivation is a process that can be influenced – and changed – at any point during the process. This means that it is easier to start new habits than it is to sustain them over time'.
This means that you have more control over your motivation than you think and one of the most important factors is simply deciding to take action in the first place. If you've got a goal or a dream in mind then it's up to you to decide if taking active steps towards achieving it will be enough for your sense of self worth. It doesn't matter whether you've already got some experience in the area, or whether you're an expert in your field of interest, it only matters that you've decided to do it.
To help promote this mindset and ensure that the goal is bigger than us, we'll be taking a look at an article from Dave Chesson . It's one of my favourite writers on success and personal achievement.
This article talks about how our decisions are like votes for our future selves. 'Your future self will thank you!' says Chesson.
Dave explains how our brain will often vote against us, making us feel as though we need to be in a better situation before we start a new project or goal. He states that this is our brain's way of maintaining the status quo, meaning if you're currently happy with life then your brain will try to keep you happy. This includes things like ensuring that your external environment is comfortable and reassuring, and that you aren't taking on too much or putting yourself under unnecessary pressure.
However, if we are aware of this voting process taking place within us then we can remove the blockage by voting for ourselves anyway. 'I'm not gonna vote for myself. I want to be a millionaire' says Chesson, showing how the act of deliberately voting one way or another isn't a vote for anything specific, but rather it's an expression of our own belief and intention.
The message I hope to convey is that it's not enough to just be happy or content with where you are in life. You need to be able to look ahead and decide that you want more than what you currently have. This requires self-belief as well as knowledge about the potential opportunities that are available. Decide that you want to be more than the average person and decide to take action to get there.
What's holding you back? Is it a fear of public speaking? Is it a fear of rejection? Is it the risk that whatever you're about to learn won't be worth your time in the long run? Whatever it is, decide that these fears are no longer powerful enough to stop you taking action. The only thing stopping you is your own decision. Maybe you're not committed enough yet, maybe your resolve will weaken at a later date, but make sure that this time is different. Make sure that this time won't be like the hundreds of times before when everything slowed down and eventually came grinding to a halt.
It's time to decide what you want and it's time to take action for yourself. It's your dream, it's your vote.
Title: Top 10 Productivity Hacks for Writers
Article Start: 7 Top Tips to Beat Procrastination and Get Writing Now [ARTICLE STARTS] I get it — writing is hard work. You have to sit down at the computer, turn on the music, and just… start writing. That sounds incredibly difficult if you have a tendency towards procrastination . But don't let that stop you from writing! There are simple steps you can take to get writing. (See also: 10 Productivity Hacks to Become a More Productive Writer ) 7 Top Tips to Beat Procrastination and Get Writing Now
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brainstorm/201506/why-procrastinators-are-successful
http://www.forbes.com/sites/davechesson/2014/07/14/procrastination-a-solution/#24f7b6eb57fc [ARTICLE ENDS] Here are 7 things that might help you get through those difficult first moments of staring at a blank screen and not knowing where to start: 1.
Conclusion
Even if you're not a writer, it's still important to learn more about personal motivation. Understanding how your sense of self worth is determined by your own actions is crucial if you want to be able to make better decisions about your future.
If you've been procrastinating and not been writing, then the quick fixes are out there! You just need to put in the time and effort and write those first words. Once you have your first sentence on paper, it's easier for other bits to pop into place as you re-write and edit them down to the final version that will make it ready for publication.