Using positive public pressure to motivate yourself.

As an author and speaker on motivation, I make it a habit to read what other people are writing about motivation. I am currently reading and enjoying a book I recently downloaded, called The Essential Motivation Handbook, by Leo Babauta and Eric Hamm. The book, which is a series of informational and inspiring essays on different facets of motivation, is available at Leo’s web site, zenhabits.net . Leo recommends that you read the book in little bits, and then put them into action. I can see the descriptive table of contents being very helpful when you find yourself unmotivated for a particular reason. Just skim through the table of contents and find the essay that relates to your problem.

When I read writings by other people I like to see how what they write fits into the model for self motivation I created. If it does, it corroborates the validity of my model. If it doesn’t, but I agree with what they have written, it creates some cognitive dissonance, but I invariably learn something new, and become better able to manifest my vision as a teacher of self motivation.

For those of you who are not yet familiar with the model for self motivation, it goes like this:

MOTIVATION = ƒ (VISION, SUCCESSABILITY, ENVIRONMENT).

The model means that any positive impact on any of the three factors to the right of the equals sign will create an increase in your motivation. The more you are in tune with your vision, your purpose for being on this planet, the more motivated you will be. The higher your successability, your confidence in your competence, the higher your motivation will be. The better your environment, both your physical environment (the place where you do your work) and your social environment (the people and organizations that surround you) the greater your motivation.

In The Essential Motivation Handbook, I particularly liked an essay entitled “The Only Two Secrets to Motivating Yourself You’ll Ever Need.” The two secrets are positive public pressure and enjoyment. By positive public pressure, Leo means telling people, family, friends and co-workers exactly what you are going to do, and letting them create gentle, positive pressure on you to carry out your plans. By enjoyment, Leo means making the way you carry out your plans enjoyable. If your plan is to write a blog, for example, make it a blog about something you enjoy writing about, or something you are passionate about.

The two secrets fit very nicely into the model for self motivation. The positive public pressure is elicited from part of your environment, specifically your social environment. The model tells us that increasing the beneficial impact of your social environment is one way to increase your motivation. Leo presents some great strategies for utilizing your social environment to positively impact your motivation.

The second secret, enjoying your work, relates to the vision. I can’t imagine anything giving you more joy than becoming who you were meant to be, living up to your potential. The more personally meaningful and valuable your vision is, the more motivating it will be.

Motivation is what makes the difference between merely having dreams and living your dreams. What dreams do you have that you would like to live?

K9MEVQQHE67D