Way I see it in life you are either reacting to things as they happen or acting before they do. The later is a more ‘control’ approach in many sense. Many times in my life I could fall into either camp. As things come up you are forced to react to them, to act upon things then and there or defer – it’s how you deal with the known that impacts how well you can manage the unknown. You need to see some end to things and rewards otherwise life just becomes one drudge of fighting fires and dealing with panics.
Carrot on stick
One way I’ve found to get myself in a more active not reactive approach is to take the reward or ‘carrot on a stick approach’. For me, if there is something to be gained or I can see that gain then I’m more likely to do. The more unclear the gain the less likely it gets done. I’ve found that by assigning gains or at least cementing what the gain is to something (big or small, abstract or real) then I get this done.
More acting less reacting
One goal I’ve been working towards is where things are seen more before they come up and it becomes a more active process than a whacking each thing as it drops in my lap. I’ve got a combination of ways such as to do lists and for larger things breaking them down into chunks that I can see small gains as I go. I find having a generalised vague goal just doesn’t work for me – it has to be x gets y or it ends up with ‘x what x now? really? nah ooo shiny thing’.
Business as personal
For me, having a personal and business approach that varies just doesn’t work. I am lucky enough working for myself to dictate how I run my business to a certain extent and it has to be the same on both counts for me. I’m one of those people that blurs the lines between business and personal probably sometimes to my cost in hours and what I put into my work; that aside I treat both aspects of my life the same in terms of motivation. Perhaps this is because I am lucky enough to work in an industry that I would choose to for pleasure also to a certain respect. I apply the same set of goals and methods to my business as I do to my own life and really I think if you have any variation be it morals or how you ‘get things done’ then maybe one aspect of your life is being over looked. I just don’t get the concept of being organised in one and unorganised in another – before long the lacking one overlaps and takes over even the best laid plans.
Being your own motivation
Motivation comes in many forms. Nothing like a deadline or payment to get most people motivated, but is this really the only methods that work? I’ve found even small things like making a promised to myself of a Frappucino if I get a page of code done works for me. Daily I set rewards for myself like this which spur me on. I’m just like anyone if I don’t see anything in it for me what is the point? Of course rewards are not just material or drinkable. I often find say the reward of seeing a clear to do list really fulfills my need role of a ‘carrot’.
Which method works for you?
Ultimately it’s about finding a method that works for you. We may all work around the basic principles of carrots and sticks, but what sticks and what carrots we use are as varied as we are. My method I’ve worked on for a while and see being refined as I go along. I’ve probably used almost every to do list / project management package now there exists or near to it, before settling on the current solution which has worked for many months now. As I’ve said before your own motivation method and in-fact anything you do should not be set in stone it should be fluid enough to develop as you do. After all just like you hope to be around for a while you should hope your business does or your job. I honestly believe you will end up not getting anywhere fast if you just react as things come. You need to be acting upon plans and laying foundations of organisation not just fighting fires to get any real place in life and work. Days need structure, weeks needs structure and lives need structure. By having a structure you can react effectively if you have to as things of course inevitably ‘crop up’ but if you do not have this action of acting in place you’re just chasing your tail and never getting to a carrot – that just sounds depressing if you ask me.
