Friday, February 18, 2011

Finding Your Motivation

What do I think about those 12+ hours a week when I am out running alone? Part of it is finding my motivation. This article may be somewhat haphazardly organized because I thought of most of it while I was running.

Some people get their motivation from "things". From physical things such as owning a really nice car, a house, land, a big bank account, a "man's" room (like a garage or shed or something), and other physical things. Some people get their motivation from the experience. I am in the motivated-by-experience group. I can not think of any "thing" that I would like to have so much that I would quit working for any of my goals. No matter how much you pay me or what I have, if I can't run at the olympic marathon trials or work toward any of my other running goals I won't be satisfied in that area. There will come a day when I am physically getting slower and I have thought about the possibility that I do not accomplish any of my three running goals. The truth is, if my running ended today, I would be fine with that. I have done so much that I consider that aspect of my life a success already. However, since I can still run there is quite a bit more I want to do.

This relates to the question, "why do people do what they do?" "Why?" is a terrible question. There is nothing as ambiguous as the question, "why?"A better way to investigate someone's motivation is a question like, "What is the purpose of that?" or "How is that process and/or that accomplishment going to make your life better?" or "When do you plan to do that?" or "Who is involved in that plan of yours?"

I think I am a little different than most people. I know what I want to do. I wrote down a list and it was in the single digits of things I really want to do. I think most people have trouble condensing their life ambitions into a short list or even knowing what their life ambitions are!

Another way to look at the motivation question is to ask yourself, "who do I want to be?" That verb, be or is, has an enormous amount of power. I am _____. He is _____. She will be _____.

I'm not sure this post was helpful in any way, but I spend a lot of time running thinking about myself and things that motivate me, and I am happy to share that with others. As for the question you might be thinking, because I sure thought this, "why does he spend so much time thinking about himself?" Simple, after years of being single I don't have a girlfriend to think about, my relationships are generally pretty simple, I don't listen to music when I run, and it is a great time to dream of greatness as I am out there chasing greatness.

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