Motivation Monday

While Mondays can be really depressing (Ugh, I have to go to work!), I also find that I am my most motivated on Mondays for things like running schedules, new work projects and eating plans.

Yesterday I was able to attend a seminar for work that happened to also throw out some good motivation tips.

My favorite came in the form of four questions. (I sadly do not have the materials in front of me, so cannot quote the source, but will as soon as I get home). These four questions need to be asked in their exact format as they were created in such a way to be motivational and NON-accusatory.

What would you like to have happen?
What needs to happen?
Can you?
Will you?

For example:

Q: WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE HAPPEN? This question puts the desired outcome into specifics, making them easier to achieve.

A: I would like to stick to my running schedule this week.

Q: WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN FOR YOU TO STICK TO YOUR RUNNING SCHEDULE THIS WEEK? This forces the respondent to really think about what specific steps need to be taken by the respondent or by others.

A: I need to make a reasonable schedule, i.e. three days rather than five. I need to make sure I have appropriate gear for the weather. I need to enlist the aid of my running partner, so I won't wuss out.

Q: CAN YOU DO THOSE THINGS? This is a reality check. Are you actually able to do the things that are necessary? If one of the answers had been "I need to run 15 miles on Saturday", that wouldn't actually be possible. The respondent would need to rethink either the outcome or what is needed.

A: Yes.

Q: WILL YOU? Another reality check. Just because you CAN doesn't mean you WILL. The respondent may commit and feel motivated to accomplish the tasks, or may respond with "I'll try", which may require a look over the needed tasks to determine which response will elicit a YES to this question.

A: Yes.


I'm looking forward to trying these questions out in various scenarios. Hope they might help you!