Juicy Words

Personal Development & Success - “Creating the Motivation You Need”

Have you ever heard someone say something like, “I haven’t felt motivated lately,” or, “I’ll do it as soon as I feel motivated enough?” I know that I have and, truth be known, am guilty of using these and similar phrases myself. You see, I, like many others, used to believe that action only happens through motivation. That, I must wait around for the so-called “feeling to move me” before I will get anything accomplished.

Well, I was wrong. And I believe that I was wrong for two reasons. First is that I was unable to see the ‘big picture’ - the reason that the ‘thing’ had to be done in the first place and how that ‘thing’ relates to other things that I wanted to accomplish, do, enjoy, etc.

And secondly because, quite frankly, I just didn’t know how I operated. Oh sure, I liked to believe that I was in control of myself, but why then was I not able to motivate myself if I did indeed have so much control?

Motivation is really like creativity, or any other drive or impulse. We can wait around for it to magically appear, which it often does and often at the most inopportune times (remember all the really great ideas you’ve had while driving down the road without a notebook or tape recorder to capture it? Or how about the times we’re motivated to do something cool that our friends or family would really like but everyone else’s schedule doesn’t fit our ‘moment of brilliance.’ Remember?

No, the secret with motivation is to realize that it cannot be relied on to create action. It does, but in no predictable, usable way. Without the unpredictable variable such as luck, coincidence and the like, to rely on an emotional impulse such as motivation to drive us forward is like waiting for food to appear in your cupboards without going to the store to buy it.

How then do we create motivation? The answer, ironically, is in the question itself. How do we create . . .?

To create anything, we take action - we have to ‘do’ something. And actions themselves come in three forms - as thoughts - as speech - and, of course, as physical deeds. It is here that we find the necessary ingredients for ‘creating’ the motivation we need.

How? Let’s take a look at the grocery scenario and ask another question: “What motivates us to go shopping for groceries in the first place?

Most people would answer, “I don’t have any food in the house.” But, a Ninja looking at the bigger picture would ask another question focused on the “why.” Why don’t I have groceries in the house? Because I or someone else ate them. Actions preceding the need for motivation is precisly what ’causes’ the motivation to occur. Once we understand this little secret, we are then free to use the same formula to do it again and again.

Groceries are one thing, you say but, what about my goals. After all, groceries are a necessity, my goals are just dreams, wants, and wishes.

Here-in lies the answer to my first problem. Remember?

Right. The inability to ’see’ (a mental action) how my goal was a necessary part of living the life I wanted to live. Because, once I was able to see how vital it was that I attain my goal - how I could not accomplish other things I wanted to do, I was then endowed with all the motivation I could handle to do what needed to be done.

So, it is true that motivation leads to action, but only, and I mean only, after it is caused into being by a previous action. There must be something in place, a thought or dream, a promise (verbal action), or something that must be handled (like an assailant’s attack) that requires action NOW, before motivation will be the compelling drive for us to move.

Can you imagine using the same excuse for not achieving the goal you want when confronted by an attacker? I really don’t think that “I’m not motivated to do anything right now,” is going to make him or her go away - do you?

Jeffrey M. Miller is the founder and master instructor of Warrior Concepts International. He specializes in teaching the ancient ways of self-protection and personal development lessons in a way that is easily understood and put to use by modern Western students and corporate clients. Through their martial arts training, his students and clients learn proven, time-tested lessons designed to help them create the life they’ve always dreamed of living, and the skills necessary for protecting that life from anything that might threaten it.

To learn more about authentic warriorship training and other subjects related to the martial arts, self-defense, personal development & self-improvement, visit his website at http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com To subscribe to his online newsletter, go to http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com/newsletter.html

Daily Motivation: 7 Methods

Isn’t a lack of daily motivation one of the biggest problems we face when trying to better ourselves? We often know what to do, or at least the first few steps. But we hesitate, something else catches our attention, or we just don’t feel like doing what we need to do.

Want some help? Here are seven ways to get motivated - ways that have worked for others. If you find only one or two here that work for you, you’ll be on your way.

Seven Methods For Daily Motivation

1. Create desire. See the rewards of your effort clearly. This motivates many to sign up for get-rich-quick plans. A good salesman can have you living in your imagined dream home in minutes, and you’ll feel motivated to do anything to make it real. Learn to be your own salesman.

2. Create pain. In Neuro-Linguistic Programming they teach you to link pain with not acting. An imaginary scene of your wife walking out the door with another man, as you sit there silently - that might motivate you to have that talk you’ve been avoiding.

3. Talk about your plans. By the time I tell my wife about the newsletter I’m going to write, I’m out of my slump and back at the keyboard.

4. Have a true interest. No interest at all might mean you need to do something else, but if it’s just a task you dislike, relate it clearly in your mind to the greater goal. I don’t like to drive, but when I remember those mountains I’m going to, I get motivated to drive.

5. Have energy. Caffeine will substitute for health for a while, but one way or another, you need some energy to have daily motivation. Exercise, sleep well, and watch out for sugary foods - the “sugar blues” will kill your motivation.

6. Create the proper mental state. It’s hard to be depressed and motivated. Resolve some of your negative feelings, or at least do your important work when you are in a better mood.

7. Take a small step. Commit to raking up one bag of leaves, and soon you’ll want to finish the yard. Any small step towards your goals feeds your daily motivation.

Now you have seven ways to self-motivation, but you have to actually use them. How do you get motivated to do that? Oh the irony! You’ll have to figure that one out yourself. By the way, here’s a bonus motivation method: Humor. Laughter often breaks up the feeling of being overwhelmed that sucks away motivation.

Steve Gillman writes on many self help topics including boosting brainpower, losing weight, meditation, habits of mind, creative problem solving, learning gratitude, generating luck and anything related to self improvement. You’ll find more at http://www. Self Improvement Now .com

Connect with Your Muse

Lately I’ve been discussing how to thrive as a creative artist by connecting with different things. I thought it might be helpful to begin this article with some distinctions.

Inner Artist - A Part of Ourselves

As I’ve discussed before, the Inner Artist is that part of ourselves that has been untouched by our experiences, trials, tribulations or creative roadblocks. It is infinitely creative and joyful in everything that it does.

Spirit - All Around Us, All of Us, Every One of Us

ANY time we connect, we’re also connected with Spirit. And I use the word Spirit to also refer to God, the Universe, Higher Power, something that connects us all, no matter how unique we are. While our personal definition of Spirit is unique, when we connect with that Spirit it immediately connects us with something outside of ourselves.

Muse - Outside of Ourselves

And that brings us to today’s topic: the Muse, and how to connect with yours.

The word muse stems from the 9 muses of Greek mythology, who were responsible for inspiring creative artists and helping them remember their works (since in those days they didn’t write them down). The Greek muses were also responsible for protecting history by singing about the great heroes and events of the day.

The muse is something that’s outside of yourself, which provides inspiration and helps you get your creative work done.

I like that definition - because with that definition I get to be a muse! And I certainly am honored when I get to fulfill that role for my clients.

To have a connection with your muse you need to be tuned in to your inner voices. This is because a muse (even in the form of a coach) will not dictate, “Draw it this way”, “Use this word”, or “Here’s the winning chord progression”.

So, connecting to your muse is really a three-fold process.

1. Finding a muse (or muses - many artists have several sources of inspiration)

Your muse is unique to you, and so are the ways you can best tune in to it. You might be able to name your muse(s) immediately, or you might need to explore a bit. You might:

• Look through finished (or started) pieces and think back on what sparked them into being. That might be a source you can return to
• Ask other artists about their sources of inspiration
• Sit in stillness for a few moments and reflect on what is inspiring to you
• Experiment with other forms of art, nature walks, meditation, cooking and people who glow

2. Spending time in the presence of that muse

This could be a person you can spend time with, a place you can visit or look at photos of, an activity you can do more of or a personal environment you can create in your creative workspace. If your muse is someone you don’t know personally, like another artist you admire, this could be spending time in the presence of their work.

3. Spending time in creative contemplation and expression

Allow whatever the muse has evoked to be expressed through your creative medium(s). Here’s where tuning back in to your inner voice comes in. Whatever you’ve taken in from your external source of inspiration still needs to be filtered through your unique lens of skills, experiences, opinions, ideas and sensations. Otherwise you’d simply be reproducing exactly what you’ve seen or heard.

PUT IT INTO PLAY

It’s time to make another date with your Inner Artist - only this time you’re in search of your muse. Block off some time for simply noticing what inspires you - if you can’t help but rush home and write, draw, build, photograph, compose or otherwise create something, well, call it a happy bonus of this exercise.

MUSE MINDING FOR THE BUSY CREATIVE ARTIST

What if you don’t have time to go traipsing all over the city to the spots where you find inspiration? What if your creativity has a deadline? What if you have a busy life that involves other people’s schedules?

Here are two possible solutions:

Make sure that your creative workspace evokes your muse. Find objects, words and/or photos that capture the essence of your muse and place them prominently in your creative workspace. Move them around every month or so, so you don’t stop noticing them.

Be open to spontaneous sightings. When you’re rushing around from place to place, worrying about what you did yesterday or dreading what you need to do tomorrow, there’s not much time or space for the muse to get your attention. Experiment with slowing down occasionally and checking in - my muse has been talking to me a lot in the car (as long as I leave the radio off!), and also really likes to chat with me when I’m in the shower (no kidding - and I’ve heard that water evokes inspiration for others - how about you?).

So, what is it about water?

Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong. - Lao-Tzu (600 B.C.)

My muse whispers to me through water, if I yield to it and bend my resistance.

(c) Copyright 2005, Linda Dessau.

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. Feel like your creativity is blocked? Sign-up for your complimentary copy of the popular e-course, “Roadblocks to Creativity” by visiting http://www.genuinecoaching.com