Hurricane Motivation
Hurricane Sandy is hundreds of miles from me in Stamford, CT, but the windows of my 100-year old house are rattling like crazy as the wind swirls outside and the trees sway. They say the perfect storm is coming to my area. My husband and I are hunkered down here – he’s working upstairs and I’m working downstairs. Mass transit may be suspended and offices closed, but business still continues.
Storm-mageddon reminded me that we need motivation every day.
A few hours ago when a friend of ours lost power, my husband and I had the startling realization that we could actually lose power today, instead of tomorrow as we originally thought. The storm has kicked us into high gear. The impending hurricane is my motivator to get today’s and tomorrow’s projects done now. It has given me laser-like focus on my goal. We need a perfect storm every day to stay motivated and focused on accomplishing our goals. This is particularly true for the tasks that don’t get us fired us or that aren’t our favorite things to do (hmm…GMAT preparation).
What motivates you?
Some people can have one primary motivator that sustains them day after day – for some it may be their desire to get admitted to business school, while for others it the fear of NOT getting into business school. Day in and day out, their aspirations (or fears) keep them focused on studying for the GMAT, writing essays and working on each aspects of their application. Of course the goals can and should be much bigger than admission to business school so career ambitions may be your motivator.
Maybe it’s my ADD, but what drives me today generally is not enough to keep me focused tomorrow. So each day I have to seek out new motivators or risk wasting hours on Twitter, espn.com and HuffPo. While my motivators change daily, for me, it’s always about people. It fires me up to help people figure out a problem or attain a goal, especially when it’s career-related. Hmm…this makes me think I should probably start my work day with coach calls.
Think about what motivates you to stay on track. Find ways to incorporate those motivators into your daily life to keep you moving.
If you aren’t feeling it today, can someone provide you with needed motivation?
Get by with a little help from your friends! On some days, you need other people to fire you up and get you refocused. I have an accountability partner who lives in DC. We talk once a week and without fail, my productivity increases after our call. I try not to schedule any meetings for several hours after my call with her so I can get things done. Who are your accountability partners? Is it your best friend, your dad, your significant other or maybe someone at your job who can remind you of the work madness and your need to get out of there?
It’s not all about you. Can you motivate someone else?
We all need motivation but today may be the day you need to provide it to someone else. Encourage a friend or colleague or fellow MBA candidate to make a positive step toward their goals. Provide advice or a gentle kick in the butt to take action. This will be a tremendous help to them and just might in turn inspire you to get moving on your projects.
