Let's try this topic: motivation.
[First, you may want to look at my note about procrastination on the thread, "The Irony of It All. . ." Procrastination and motivation are somewhat interrelated in an inverse fashion.]
We've had more than a few comments about pragmatism on this board, so I won't apologize for keeping with that theme and not providing too much "theory." I'm not the right person for theory, anyway.
I've got 2 books in front of me, both of which I've read several times, but years ago: "In Search of the Miraculous," by P. D. Ouspensky and "Time Power," by Charles R. Hobbs. These are very different books, but bear with me. I'll try to be coherent.
In my little homily on procrastination, I referred to a technique that Hobbs suggests. In fact, it's a central theme of his, the Theory of Accessbility. "The theory of accessibility tells us that a goal that is directly, continually, and meaningfully accessible is more likely to be acted on and accomplished." In a nutshell, his formula is this: form a goal and write it down, then keep it in front of you. Eliminate distractions, avoid preoccupation, and concentrate on your goals every day. Get into the habit of exceptional performance.
He's got a lot of good practical ideas that you might find helpful, but unfortunately it appears the book is out of print, so I won't push it. Just remember, when you want to do something, phrase it in the form of a positive goal (an action statement) like, "I'll photoread at least 8 books today." Then, write it down and keep the note handy (stick it to your monitor, on the fridge, or wrap it around the TV remote). Refer to it often, and remind yourself that it's a decision you've already taken.
But how do you get that far? How do you establish meaningful, reasonable goals that will get you where you want to be in life? I think Scheele's touched on this, but it's not his concept uniquely: visualization. If you're a performer, see yourself taking bows to a thunderous applause. Actually stand up in your own bedroom or living room and bow as you would to an audience wildly shouting, "Encore! Bravo! Way to go!" If you're a salesperson, open your checkbook and actually imagine a few extra zeros between those significant digits and the decimal point. Fill them in using your finger as a pen.
If you're a student, imagine that A+ on your essay or your incredible climbing grade point average, or your acceptance letter from a school that hopes you'll take their scholarship offer as well. If you're a writer, imagine the thrill of seeing your words in print, and of reading those rave reviews. If you're a teacher or a coach, see your star pupil accepting a top award and saying they "owe it all" to you.
Silly? Maybe, but I'm being pragmatic here. Look up some success stories and you'll see what I mean.
Success doesn't sneak up on you just because you're working hard. Instead, success comes to those who've invited it by expecting it, by planning for it; to those who've coaxed and nurtured it, and won't settle for less. The primary mechanism for this is dynamic visual imagery. Any number of self-help books will tell you this, the classic being, "Think and Grow Rich," by Napoleon Hill. Another is "Psycho-Cybernetics" by Maxwell Maltz (although I'm told the term was coined by his ghost writer, Lin Carter).
So, Motivation--Step One: Visualize Success. See it, hear it, taste it (Bam!) and let your "other than conscious" mind know what you want.
Step Two? Start setting goals. I couple of Thanksgivings ago, I drove cross-country from San Diego to Maryland, up to Chicago, and then back to California. 6600 miles in 13 days and I did all of the driving. It was fun. But I didn't set out for Baltimore when I pulled out of San Diego. I set my sights on Flagstaff. And I got there easily that first day. The next day? Santa Fe. And so on. After you visualize success, analyze your current position and the steps you'll need to take to get there. Set your first (achievable) goal and follow the technique outlined above. As you progress toward your first goal, plan your next step.
Don't forget to look back and congratulate yourself on how far you've gotten. But keep your (mental) eye on your next goal. You'll get there, even if it takes a while.
Step Three? Take credit for your progress. Nothing feeds motivation like recognition. Be generous with yourself.
I'll stop here, because I'm sure other people have some comments and because I want to write a brief paragraph or two about Ouspensky.
Peter Demianovich Ouspensky died the year I was born. Among other things, he wrote about his encounters with a Russian mystic, Georges Gurdjieff, over an 8-year period in the early 1900's. It's a fascinating book ("In Search of the Miraculous--Fragments of an Unknown Teaching"), but--for the purposes of this discussion--let me just dig into one concept: the Multiplicity of I's. Quoting Ouspensky quoting Gurdjieff:
"Man has no individuality. He has no single I, big I. Man is divided into a multiplicity of small I's
"And each separate small I is able to call itself by the name of the Whole, to act in the name of the Whole, to agree or disagree, to give promises, to make decisions, with which another I or the Whole will have to deal. This explains why people so often make decisions and so seldom carry them out. A man decides to get up early beginning from the following day. One I, or group of I's, decide this. But getting up is the business of another I who entirely disagrees with the decision and may even know absolutely nothing about it. Of course the man will again go on sleeping in the morning and in the evening he will again decide to get up early."
In summary, perhaps we fail because somebody else is doing the driving. Somebody different is sitting behind your eyeballs at the controls at a particular time. Schizophrenic? Perhaps. Take the theory or leave it; it's your choice.
One last thing: if you choose to track down Ouspensky and read the book--try this. Read it all the way through, and then go back and read the first chapter again. I think you'll experience a real paradigm shift and, reading the chapter again, you will see it take on new meaning and emphasis. It's quite a book, in my opinion. Lots of metaphor and irony.
--George
[This message has been edited by GeorgeA (edited March 23, 2001).]
[This message has been edited by GeorgeA (edited March 24, 2001).]
