Motivation - Illogical or Logical?

Originally posted by Toughiv
The thing is, it is something I HAVE to do, otherwise my chances of success within this materialistic world drop by a high percentage.

I think right there is the nuts and bolts of the issue.

You are measuring your success not by what is in your heart, but by the world. I think you're trying to swim in an Olympic sized pool when what YOU might really want is a wading pool.

I think we can all make an impact in the world as long as we are willing to be flexible with ourselves. Because, perhaps our particular world is only a handful of people. Maybe just one.

It's an issue I struggle with myself and to make it somewhat harder my own measurement of success has never been about hard and fast materialism. So I'm trying to heed my own advice too.

I'd like to know who told you you HAVE to do it that way? Was it you? I doubt it.
Do you really trust that who more than yourself? how would that who know better than you what is right for you? How in the heck would that be possible?

reply to post by TravelerintheDark


Thank you for your advice. I really appreciate it. What you say is true, I am measuring success on material wealth and that can be disputed (and is being disputed inside myself).

Originally posted by seagrass
I'd like to know who told you you HAVE to do it that way? Was it you? I doubt it.
Do you really trust that who more than yourself? how would that who know better than you what is right for you? How in the heck would that be possible?

Firstly, it has been drummed into me by my parents trying to live vicariously through me as a child, their missed opportunities and so on. Therefore, those who have a good sense of what is good for me.

I completely understand where everyone is coming from, there are other means of success and its all about finding what is right for me. However, I do know from my life and environment around me, I dont want a life where I have to save constantly to get things in life. Therefore, success (partly) would be materialistic wealth. Being completely honest with myself, self realization of my skills, attributes, being a good person are all top of my list, deep down I would say they are higher than my materialistic wants.

However, what im trying to get at is, within my priorities is to have a life where I get what i want when i want. Even if that is below my priority of self realization, i want this (unless i really have been brain washed ). So, how do i motivate myself to get past this procrastination.

I should be stronger in will than my desires. I should be able to overcome my short-comings. See where im going with this?

Thanks Everyone!

Brad

reply to post by Toughiv


It seems to me that you are kind of at a crossroads. You should think long and hard while you are here. Once you choose a path, it becomes very difficult to reverse course and go the other direction. I realize that the main point that you are focusing on is how to build motivation for less desirable things, but you are at a good point where you can make a serious decision about what is really important for you.

Like seagrass said, who is telling you what is important? Are you living for your parents, for your friends approval, for acceptance in general or are you living for yourself? If you really are living for yourself, now is the time to really figure out what is import. Once you start a family, career, buy a house.... you will have little choice left. You will simply be repeating the cycle that your parents laid out for you. Then you will be the one who gets to live vicariously through your children hoping they get to do all of the things that you didn't get a chance to do.

As far as the motivation goes though, have you considered meditation? If you can become adept at that, you should easily be able to muster up the discipline to focus on your finances. You might gain a little personal insight while you are at it.

reply to post by Karlhungis


Meditation. That sounds like a good idea to me, but my damn mind will not shut it!

Anyone got links to good meditation threads?

I think meditation will show me the way forward

Thanks!!

I should be stronger in will than my desires. I should be able to overcome my short-comings. See where im going with this?

I can't get past the shoulds in this. Stronger in will than in desire. Should overcome shortcomings.

The fight here began when you decided you should go against what you feel. Is it possible that your will can overcome your desire? To me they are the same thing. Overcoming a shortcoming is to say that you want to be something other than you are. When in reality you are what you are precisely because that is how you fulfill your will and desires.

But if you truly want to be something, such as successful in a certain way, then the will and desire is already there. The procrastination may be a sign that way in which you are attempting to achieve it is not the right one. Like Karlhungis said, you have an opportunity to think long and hard about it, because the question is blaring you in the face. Meditation as well as imagery is a great way to get in contact with yourself. Imagine the perfect life...as detailed as you can. So that you know what you want.

reply to post by seagrass


Hmm this is all confusing. I guess ill have to try and meditate. However, i doubt that will gain much insight apart from stilling my buzzing mind?

Thanks once again for all your help

reply to post by Toughiv


You might be very surprised at what you can find out by stilling your buzzing brain

Seriously, some of the best and easiest answer in my life have come to me in moments of stillness. I would feel a need to obsess on something, to roll it over and over in my head figuring that if I looked at it every way imaginable the answer would be apparent. And often I would only cause myself more confusion.

When I set the problem and walked away, the answer sometimes came like a whisper, and it all made sense.

I still mull a lot... a whole lot
But I do it with more intent now. I mull to gather as much information as I can and then release the issue to wait for the answer. You might find the same.

Best of everything on your journey.

reply to post by TravelerintheDark


thanks

I think you can only have motivation when the goal is truly something you wish to obtain.

Smoking for instance people will say you need the motivation to quit however until you yourself truly do want too, you will never have that motivation.

So motivation to me all depends on how much you really want something.

reply to post by Somebodyelse7


Yeh but thats what im asking, how do you manipulate what you really want? There must be a way otherwise we would all just be slaves to our desires, that obviously isnt the case. We see meaning behind things, that meaning transcends to a want, then we put that in a heirarchy of needs. How do we manipulate this hierarchy of needs? NLP?

Cheers

Brad

reply to post by Toughiv


Hi Toughiv

Welcome to ATS

I feel you I too ride the Motivation/Procrastination seesaw. (Regularly – sadly)Sometimes I miss being a kid when I was just on autopilot..

Your Life is not about anyone else but you and what you do and how you feel about what you do and say etc is what counts here.

Pick a perception, one that works for you. A positive view obviously. Love yourself enough to make ‘standards’ that you live by and do as part of your culture. Its not about the end reward, its about how you value yourself.

What works for me is reminding myself of my integrity, what integrity means to me and then the discipline kicks in… not always on the first reminder I am only human!! I use this one word, Integrity, to motivate myself to be honourable to myself and do what I have to do to the standard I expect from myself especially if id rather not do whatever it is I’m going to do.

I say to myself, right I can look at this a number of ways, which is going to be the one that works for me positively. EG Say I have a metric fudge tonne of boring housework to do….I look at it like this - I don’t want to let myself down, I don’t want to cause myself to feel guilt or negative things about my own actions… its not very true to myself is it? I either justify my not doing said task because it can be justified without negative repercussions or I do said task because it actually gives me more ‘energy’ to do the ‘right’ thing for myself. I don’t turn off just because no one is looking.

After a while of not doing the righty by yourself, the trust and respect you have for yourself can be damaged and you can start to become lax about ‘life in general’ so to speak, your standards drop, your care factor goes below zero and things become sloppy. Its important to value yourself, have a level of inner honour, respect, loyalty, integrity, benevolence, truth, justice for yourself.

I hope this is helpful, in anyway to you. I totally understand where you are coming and wish you all the best.

Have the best day
themuse

reply to post by Toughiv


Procrastination is more than simply the absence of motivation.

There may be lots of motivation to do something but a huge mental block which results in procrastination.

Typically procrastination is a physical manifestation of denial, at least in myself.

For example, I often have large reports to write, and must do that before I get paid. yet this is exactly the point in the process where I begin to procrastinate.

In hindsight, it has a lot to do with the fact that I really hate writing reports... and by mind and body are strongly repulsed by the idea of sitting down and completing them. I push through though so that I can continue to live... but come next time I will procrastinate again.

I suggest finding something you enjoy doing... This is why Albert Einstein said that classes dull the mind, because they cause you to follow paths you are just not intellectually interested in, and that wears you down to the entire process of education.

reply to post by themuse


Wisdom. Thank you for that. It really hit home with my own belief system. Once again, thank you very much.

reply to post by HunkaHunka


Id like to say, me and you are in a very similar boat. I simply hate revising. However, in order to get money i need to revise. (As for you and writing papers for money).

I know its just a fact of pushing through that denial. What is required to push through it? Motivation? Or strength of character? Thats where themuse has provided me with an answer. Integrity. The wish to be a better person. That is your motivtion, we can all agree we want to be "better".

Thank you all for your advice, greatly appreciated.

reply to post by Toughiv


I'd have to agree.. it is a sense of integrity which drives us.

This is one of the true functions of the Tribal Gods of old... and even today, they inspire us to fight with valor against the forces which stand between us and what we desire.

Welcome to ATS!