Motivation can be defined in a variety of ways:
by synonyms (like inspiration, direction, persistence)
by various dictionaries
the act, process, or condition of being motivated (this is cheating!)
the need/reason for doing/accomplishing something
by most psychologists as a desire/drive/willingness/enthusiasm to act in some way(s) to achieve a goal
by my husband as one’s reason for being (I told the dog I was not motivated to play with him, to which my husband said “You’re just not her reason for being, Tucker.”)
Education has sought to teach students of every age how to be motivated to learn and to do something with what they’ve learned. A large and lucrative business has evolved to assist members at every level of the workforce to develop or improve degrees of motivation.
Throughout my life, I’ve been exposed to every possible attempt by others to learn how to be motivated. I was a student for the better part of 20 years from nursery school through two graduate degrees. I’ve also been in positions of being that person who teaches about motivation: how to be a better learner, how to be a better doer, how to teach others to be motivated. In fact, if I were to define motivation off the top of my head, maybe I could be accused of plagiarism, because my definition would very likely contain words that someone else has used and maybe copyrighted in some educational book or in some training syllabus. I’d have to go through 50+ years of education, teaching, and professional occupation to find the possible sources of the words in my head. (Actually, I couldn’t find those sources, because this spring I threw almost all of that stuff away!)
Now, though, I have trouble every single day with my get up and go. I struggle every morning to figure out what I want to do that day. All that stuff I learned and taught to others is of no help at all. Why?
My husband’s definition of motivation is probably at the most intrinsic level of what it means to be motivated. At the moment, it’s really hard to figure out my reason for being. I’m sure HE would have plenty to say about the why of me; so would my children and grandchildren and most of my friends. And, truthfully, I’m much better motivated when I’m doing something with or for one of them.
It's that alarm that sings out from my phone at 7AM that sets me to thinking about what I need to or want to do once I get out of bed. This morning, I started to look at the internet newsfeed, but threw the phone onto the bed, rolled over, and went back to sleep. My first thought, when I awakened at 8:30AM, was “oh, no!” -- but then I thought “really, what difference does it make?” I got up, though, went to the other room, patted the dog and played with him as he tried to keep me from making my way over to greet my husband, then went back to take a shower because I still felt salty from all the weeding I did yesterday. I had been motivated to improve the condition of the garden, but can’t help being dismayed because I’ll have to pull the same weeds when they grow back again.
I guess, that may be the crux of my difficulty with get up and go. Dismay over the need to do the same things over and over again. Boredom with my current state of being. Ennui.
OK -- maybe I know why, but how to dig out of this hole and combat ennui (synonyms on MS Word: boredom, languor, world-weariness, tedium, weariness, dissatisfaction)???
In a previous blog (No Routine, Nov. 14, 2019), I addressed the notion of needing to follow an established routine. I set up specific days to devote to the things I like (or need) to do: art, update my website/blog, complete work projects, attend exercise classes, and volunteer at the Library. That was sort of effective, but didn’t continue, for a variety of important reasons (like the pandemic that sent me back to work full-time and then some). I’m obviously in the same boat again, but three years older, and now I also have a retired husband to contend with. Not sure I can get him (motivate him?) to establish a concrete routine. I think, though, that it’s the only thing that will work for me, and he’s just going to have to live with it.
Comentarios