It's so difficult to go on when everything seems to fail, isn't
it? Are there times in your life when you really want to call
it "quits" because you just can't see any good results from all
the hard work you've done?
Hold your horses!
Never ever think of giving up. Winners never quit and quitters
never win. Take all negative words out of your mental dictionary
and focus on the solutions with utmost conviction and patience.
The battle is never lost until you've abandon your vision.
But what if you're really exhausted physically, mentally, and
most of all emotionally? Here are some sources of motivation
to prompt you in reaching the peak of accomplishment.
1) The Overwhelming Feeling of Attaining your Desired End
How would you feel after accomplishing your mission? Of course
you will feel ecstatic. You might be shedding tears of joy. Let
this tremendous feeling sink in and encourage you to persist
despite all odds.
When I was studying for the Board Exams, I used this technique
to motivate me. I would envision the sweetness of folks calling
me a CPA. It would command respect. People will look up to
me as a higher level of authority. And I would have better
chances of finding a good job. I absorbed all these great
perceptions into my inner being in order to achieve my ultimate
goal.
2) The Reward System
How would you feel if you've entered a contest, but there are no
prizes for the winners? It's not very encouraging, isn't it?
The same principles apply to your vision. Reward yourself after
accomplishing a goal. Set a particular incentive for every
objective.
Let's say if you've achieved a particular task, you'll treat
yourself to your favorite restaurant. When you've finished
a bigger task, you'll go on a vacation.
Got the idea?
Just set something gratifying to indulge in after completing
a certain undertaking.
3) The Powerful Force of Humanity
If you want to succeed, surround yourself with the right
kind of people who will support and encourage you all the
way.
Be with people who have the same beliefs and aspirations as
yours. Positive aura is generated by this fusion of
collective energy from people of "like minds."
On the contrary, being with people who oppose your ways of
thinking may trigger a negative, yet very powerful, kind of
motivation.
Has anyone ever said to you that "You'll never get anywhere"
or "You're wasting your time with what you're doing?"
Didn't it made you furious and determined enough to prove to
them how wrong they were? This is what I'm talking about.
When aggravated, you will do anything to make those who are
against you swallow their words. But of course, your main
focus should be on the acccomplishment of your goal and not
for the purpose of revenge. Never let your emotions toward
others alter your main objective.
4) Take Care Of Your Health
Exercise regularly. Fill your brains with enough oxygen to
allow you to do your daily tasks with more vigor and energy.
Take regular breaks if time allows. Having the will power
to continue despite all hardships is extremely important, but
you should still know your limits.
If you don't take enough rest, you will not be able to think
clearly and you will not be able to do your tasks properly.
In the process, you will just get more frustrated.
Take sufficient sleep and recharge yourself after a hard day's
work. Never, ever ignore your health. I've learned my lesson
when I sacrificed my health for the sake of success. I've
worked very long hours everyday and just got minimal sleep.
As a result, I became ill.
It's not worth it. Success won't matter if you don't have
good health to enjoy it.
Fire up your motivation and live life to the fullest!
Michael Lee is the author of "How To Be A Red Hot Persuasion Wizard," an ebook designed to fully improve your relationships, multiply your profits, win negotiations, and help you attain all the desired freedom and power you could ever dream of. Go to http://www.20daypersuasion.com now and grab a sample chapter.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Lee
Monday, July 31, 2006
motivation : Boosting Motivation to Exercise
Getting into a routine of regular exercise isn’t easy. In fact, it can be one of the hardest everyday things in the world to do. The second hardest thing to do is stick to it. We get bored, we get distracted, we get injured, or busy, or sick, or maybe everything’s just too GOOD for us to think about exercise right now.
Fortunately, there are a ton of loud, bossy opinions out there telling us how to get motivated, and stay motivated. Are any of them the golden key to looking like a movie star and living to be 100? Only time can tell. For now, just have a look over the list of things that have worked for other people, and see if you can’t find an idea or two to kick you in the bum:
For starters, find something you love to do. There are endless options when it comes to ways to work out. If you play well with others, join a team. If you want to learn an amazing new skill and get your Zen on, try picking up an art like Karate, Tai Chi, or yoga. Or if you tend to get bored easily, get into outdoor fitness adventures, like hiking, cycling, or climbing.
Pick a good time of day for yourself. If the idea of jumping out of bed in the morning and rushing to the gym makes you want to hide your head in the sand, don’t plan on working out first thing in the morning. Maybe someday you’ll be a morning person, but it’s not today, and developing one challenging new habit at a time is enough.
Make sure you’re doing something convenient, such as taking classes at a gym or studio on the way to or from work. If it’s a pain to get to, you’re not going to do it, so put a treadmill in front of the TV, jog at a nearby park, or throw away your car keys and put your bike in the driveway.
Try new things. The more variety you have in physical activity, the healthier you’ll be. This is because different exercises work out different joints, muscle groups, and organs, which ensures total body fitness. Try a fun new sport, discipline, or exercise every week.
Eliminate opportunities for excuses. Another great thing about doing a variety of activities is that you can switch up between two. Maybe you like to run but today, it’s cold and rainy. Goodbye motivation! On days like this, it’s good to have a weight routine or yoga set to do at home.
Seriously, no excuses! Always keep in mind that every little bit helps. If you miss one day, there’s no reason to throw the whole week out the window. Even five minutes here and there throughout your day is better than nothing.
Remember that fitness happens from the inside out. Many people quit because they don’t see results, but the truth is that all the most important results are invisible. Before you get thin and buff, your organs will be cleansed of fat and toxins, your joints will become supple, and your muscles and immune system will strengthen. Keep in mind that although you can’t see it, an amazing transformation is happening.
Reward your body, not your brain. A reward for getting fit should not be eating a pie or lying around like a slug. Treat yourself to a real body luxury, like a massage, a sauna, a round of golf, or an active day on the slopes or at the beach. This way, you get a long, rich reward with great memories attached to it, as opposed to post-consumption guilt or lazy-day ennui.
Do activities with your friends. Sign up for a yoga class with your best mate or partner. You can motivate each other to go, and push each other to do well. After all, there’s nothing like good old-fashioned social pressure when it comes to doing things you’d rather not.
By applying a magical combination of the above suggestions, every physical activity you do will become an unmitigated delight...just kidding. The truth is that some days will always be hard, but if done properly, working out becomes its own motivation. At first it can be torture, but eventually, it becomes deeply rewarding and satisfying, leaving you feeling energized and content. Motivating factors come and go, but the guarantee that regular exercise can offer you is that one day you will lift your head up from the sweat and sore muscles and realize that you feel better, and look better, than you ever believed possible.
Wayne Mcgregor has written hundreds of articles on effective ways to lose weight. His website provides tons of free weight loss information and help.
http://www.weightlossforall.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wayne_Mcgregor
Fortunately, there are a ton of loud, bossy opinions out there telling us how to get motivated, and stay motivated. Are any of them the golden key to looking like a movie star and living to be 100? Only time can tell. For now, just have a look over the list of things that have worked for other people, and see if you can’t find an idea or two to kick you in the bum:
For starters, find something you love to do. There are endless options when it comes to ways to work out. If you play well with others, join a team. If you want to learn an amazing new skill and get your Zen on, try picking up an art like Karate, Tai Chi, or yoga. Or if you tend to get bored easily, get into outdoor fitness adventures, like hiking, cycling, or climbing.
Pick a good time of day for yourself. If the idea of jumping out of bed in the morning and rushing to the gym makes you want to hide your head in the sand, don’t plan on working out first thing in the morning. Maybe someday you’ll be a morning person, but it’s not today, and developing one challenging new habit at a time is enough.
Make sure you’re doing something convenient, such as taking classes at a gym or studio on the way to or from work. If it’s a pain to get to, you’re not going to do it, so put a treadmill in front of the TV, jog at a nearby park, or throw away your car keys and put your bike in the driveway.
Try new things. The more variety you have in physical activity, the healthier you’ll be. This is because different exercises work out different joints, muscle groups, and organs, which ensures total body fitness. Try a fun new sport, discipline, or exercise every week.
Eliminate opportunities for excuses. Another great thing about doing a variety of activities is that you can switch up between two. Maybe you like to run but today, it’s cold and rainy. Goodbye motivation! On days like this, it’s good to have a weight routine or yoga set to do at home.
Seriously, no excuses! Always keep in mind that every little bit helps. If you miss one day, there’s no reason to throw the whole week out the window. Even five minutes here and there throughout your day is better than nothing.
Remember that fitness happens from the inside out. Many people quit because they don’t see results, but the truth is that all the most important results are invisible. Before you get thin and buff, your organs will be cleansed of fat and toxins, your joints will become supple, and your muscles and immune system will strengthen. Keep in mind that although you can’t see it, an amazing transformation is happening.
Reward your body, not your brain. A reward for getting fit should not be eating a pie or lying around like a slug. Treat yourself to a real body luxury, like a massage, a sauna, a round of golf, or an active day on the slopes or at the beach. This way, you get a long, rich reward with great memories attached to it, as opposed to post-consumption guilt or lazy-day ennui.
Do activities with your friends. Sign up for a yoga class with your best mate or partner. You can motivate each other to go, and push each other to do well. After all, there’s nothing like good old-fashioned social pressure when it comes to doing things you’d rather not.
By applying a magical combination of the above suggestions, every physical activity you do will become an unmitigated delight...just kidding. The truth is that some days will always be hard, but if done properly, working out becomes its own motivation. At first it can be torture, but eventually, it becomes deeply rewarding and satisfying, leaving you feeling energized and content. Motivating factors come and go, but the guarantee that regular exercise can offer you is that one day you will lift your head up from the sweat and sore muscles and realize that you feel better, and look better, than you ever believed possible.
Wayne Mcgregor has written hundreds of articles on effective ways to lose weight. His website provides tons of free weight loss information and help.
http://www.weightlossforall.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wayne_Mcgregor
Thursday, July 27, 2006
motivation : The Easy Way To Lasting Self Motivation
Will power alone will never work over the long term. It is the hardest way possible to get yourself to do anything.
The answer is to discover the secrets of self motivation.
Why?
Because it is like trying to open a tin can with your teeth when there is a can opener in your pocket.
Instead you need to tap into the limitless power of your mind. When you do you can break bad habits, create beneficial new ones and put yourself back on track easily, quickly and with very little effort.
You see...
Making changes to enhance the quality of your life does not need to be slow or difficult. Unfortunately most people are still struggling because they continue to rely on ineffective approaches like will power.
Forget about will power. Become a self motivation expert!
Instead write down one small action you have been putting off and answer the following questions and really put some thought into the answers:
1 What am I missing out on of importance by not doing this?
2 What will I gain most by doing this?
3 Why is it important to me to get this done?
4 How is not doing this inconsistent with who I really am?
And then...
Pretend You Have Already Completed the Task:
Get a pen and paper and take 5 minutes to describe how you feel now that you have already finished the task you have been postponing. i.e. as if you have already succeeded.
e.g. I have already cleaned the yard and I feel fantastic. My family and friends are really impressed and I feel so proud of myself and so delighted that it is finally done.
The yard looks immaculate, so tidy I have even impressed myself. I feel so powerful, energetic and motivated. I feel on top of the world. etc. etc.
Do this quickly and write with as much emotion as you can express. Spend at least 5 minutes on it.
You will be surprised at how well this simple process works.
You may find that you feel a boost in motivation that gets even better each time you use this process. Do it once a day for best results.
Become your own self motivation expert.
Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report, the 5 Step Motivation Report. Apply now because it is available for a limited time only at: http://www.getmotivatedstaymotivated.com/special.htm
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Murphy
The answer is to discover the secrets of self motivation.
Why?
Because it is like trying to open a tin can with your teeth when there is a can opener in your pocket.
Instead you need to tap into the limitless power of your mind. When you do you can break bad habits, create beneficial new ones and put yourself back on track easily, quickly and with very little effort.
You see...
Making changes to enhance the quality of your life does not need to be slow or difficult. Unfortunately most people are still struggling because they continue to rely on ineffective approaches like will power.
Forget about will power. Become a self motivation expert!
Instead write down one small action you have been putting off and answer the following questions and really put some thought into the answers:
1 What am I missing out on of importance by not doing this?
2 What will I gain most by doing this?
3 Why is it important to me to get this done?
4 How is not doing this inconsistent with who I really am?
And then...
Pretend You Have Already Completed the Task:
Get a pen and paper and take 5 minutes to describe how you feel now that you have already finished the task you have been postponing. i.e. as if you have already succeeded.
e.g. I have already cleaned the yard and I feel fantastic. My family and friends are really impressed and I feel so proud of myself and so delighted that it is finally done.
The yard looks immaculate, so tidy I have even impressed myself. I feel so powerful, energetic and motivated. I feel on top of the world. etc. etc.
Do this quickly and write with as much emotion as you can express. Spend at least 5 minutes on it.
You will be surprised at how well this simple process works.
You may find that you feel a boost in motivation that gets even better each time you use this process. Do it once a day for best results.
Become your own self motivation expert.
Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report, the 5 Step Motivation Report. Apply now because it is available for a limited time only at: http://www.getmotivatedstaymotivated.com/special.htm
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Murphy
motivation : Motivation by Listening
Listening skills are a very powerful motivation factor.
Hardly any people are actually good at listening, being more interested in what they are going to say next. When you think about how many people you have met who can remember your name or what you said, you'll find it is very few indeed. That generally seems to be the norm so when you do meet people who you think are good listeners, your feelings towards these particular people are usually more positive.
By that I mean you likely would place more trust and confidence in them. So because most of us find it very hard to listen, we are surprised by somebody who does listen and we tend to endow them with greater capabilities than they may possess.
This is the secret of motivation by listening. If we can learn to listen well, the people we listen to will be motivated and inspired by our attention.
Most salespeople consider themselves to be good talkers instead of listeners. You hear people saying: "He is a born salesman, he's got the gift of the gab". Many people believe that the speaker holds the power and that the listener is meek or docile. Actually you will find that the good listener has much more power in any conversation. The listener is able to gather more information than the talker and armed with information can then produce the desired result.
When two people are conversing, the one who really dominates the conversation is the person who is asking questions and listening carefully to the answers. When we want to motivate somebody to give their best effort, or to follow our direction, we will do so more effectively by listening to their responses to the situation.
Therefore the real job of the salesman is to listen carefully to his customers and understand their needs and concerns. Although they might ask you a few questions first, most successful salespeople will agree with this.
So what steps should you follow to create motivation by listening?
1. Repeat or rephrase so you can clarify the information given
2. Give useful information in return.
3. Listen for the emotions. Selling especially is often based on emotional factors more that objective facts.
4. Look people in the eye and make some reassuring gestures or tones to encourage the speaker.
5. Be careful not to distract the speaker - give them your full attention while they are talking.
6. Show that the discussion is important to you too.
Listening is an essential skill for making and keeping relationships. When you are acknowledged as a good listener people confide in you and trust you; as a manager of people or as a salesperson this is your route to success.
Peter Fisher is one of the UK's leading career coaches. He is also the MD of Career Consulting Limited and is committed to your career success. He has written 100's of articles to magazine, journals and websites. Visit Your Motivation to know more about how you can build your own and other's motivation by listening and other means.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Fisher
Hardly any people are actually good at listening, being more interested in what they are going to say next. When you think about how many people you have met who can remember your name or what you said, you'll find it is very few indeed. That generally seems to be the norm so when you do meet people who you think are good listeners, your feelings towards these particular people are usually more positive.
By that I mean you likely would place more trust and confidence in them. So because most of us find it very hard to listen, we are surprised by somebody who does listen and we tend to endow them with greater capabilities than they may possess.
This is the secret of motivation by listening. If we can learn to listen well, the people we listen to will be motivated and inspired by our attention.
Most salespeople consider themselves to be good talkers instead of listeners. You hear people saying: "He is a born salesman, he's got the gift of the gab". Many people believe that the speaker holds the power and that the listener is meek or docile. Actually you will find that the good listener has much more power in any conversation. The listener is able to gather more information than the talker and armed with information can then produce the desired result.
When two people are conversing, the one who really dominates the conversation is the person who is asking questions and listening carefully to the answers. When we want to motivate somebody to give their best effort, or to follow our direction, we will do so more effectively by listening to their responses to the situation.
Therefore the real job of the salesman is to listen carefully to his customers and understand their needs and concerns. Although they might ask you a few questions first, most successful salespeople will agree with this.
So what steps should you follow to create motivation by listening?
1. Repeat or rephrase so you can clarify the information given
2. Give useful information in return.
3. Listen for the emotions. Selling especially is often based on emotional factors more that objective facts.
4. Look people in the eye and make some reassuring gestures or tones to encourage the speaker.
5. Be careful not to distract the speaker - give them your full attention while they are talking.
6. Show that the discussion is important to you too.
Listening is an essential skill for making and keeping relationships. When you are acknowledged as a good listener people confide in you and trust you; as a manager of people or as a salesperson this is your route to success.
Peter Fisher is one of the UK's leading career coaches. He is also the MD of Career Consulting Limited and is committed to your career success. He has written 100's of articles to magazine, journals and websites. Visit Your Motivation to know more about how you can build your own and other's motivation by listening and other means.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Fisher
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
motivation : Hypnotherapy for Motivation
Motivation is the key to positivity in our lives. If we were not motivated enough, we would just not have the will in us to go about our daily lives. Its motivation that helps us get through the most mundane things – motivation for working harder, motivation to have a healthy relationship, motivation to earn more, motivation to have a happy family. And yet sometimes we find ourselves lacking in motivation; I think we have all had days when getting out of bed to get ready to go to work seemed like a Herculean task. Sometimes lack of motivation can really bring people down, and hinder their efficiency and ability. This may lead to frustrations and further breakdown of communication between people. However, if you intercept this lack of motivation timely, you have help at hand. Go for hypnotherapy for motivation to get the zest in life back.
Hypnotherapy is intrinsically related to the concept of motivation, and can help you in every walk of life. From motivation in sports, to business; from quitting smoking to losing weight, hypnotherapy for motivation could help you out. But here’s the catch: you can think of successfully motivating yourself only once you have your goals identified. Identification of a goal is very necessary before you start motivating yourself. Motivation is all about helping you realize your true potential, sometimes this potential gets thwarted by certain experiences in our lives. Hypnotherapy for motivation works towards removing those mental blockages by connecting with your subconscious.
Hypnotherapy is based on the formula of auto suggestion, and it works on deeper levels than one can imagine. Hypnotherapy for motivation converses with your subconscious mind, and urges it to alter self-perception and self – image. Unknown to us, our subconscious is largely responsible for the way we think and react; if we train it to think on a different line, no doubt the accompanying behavior would change too. It understands the true potential that lies within us, and taps into it. Through gentle affirmations such as “I can do it”, it retrains your mind into believing that nothing is impossible.
In my practice at Oxfordshire, I have helped clients deal with a variety of issues through hypnotherapy for motivation. Some wanted to perform better at work, while others needed motivation to keep a relationship going. Some wanted to perform better at sports, while others at studies. The underlying theory of hypnotherapy is based on motivation, and we need it in every walk of life. However, we need to have our goals clear in our minds for the hypnotherapy to be successful. Hypnotherapy for motivation lets you focus on the particular task at hand, however if the task is undefined, hypnotherapy will be rendered ineffective.
Hypnotherapy for motivation can seem to be too simple a solution for these problems; however you will be surprised at their effectiveness. Once you started this journey of self discovery, you will see the changes in a short time. Through altering self-perception and self-image, hypnotherapy gives you a whole new view of the world. From being a procrastinating person, you can go on to become a self starter. So define your goals now, and dive into the vast sea of your subconscious mind through hypnotherapy. The pearls you will find there will take care of every situation and possibility in life. Happy Self Discovery!
Richard MacKenzie is a name that has become synonymous with Hypnotherapy for Motivation, check out his site and his range of Hypnosis Downloads
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rich_MacKenzie
Hypnotherapy is intrinsically related to the concept of motivation, and can help you in every walk of life. From motivation in sports, to business; from quitting smoking to losing weight, hypnotherapy for motivation could help you out. But here’s the catch: you can think of successfully motivating yourself only once you have your goals identified. Identification of a goal is very necessary before you start motivating yourself. Motivation is all about helping you realize your true potential, sometimes this potential gets thwarted by certain experiences in our lives. Hypnotherapy for motivation works towards removing those mental blockages by connecting with your subconscious.
Hypnotherapy is based on the formula of auto suggestion, and it works on deeper levels than one can imagine. Hypnotherapy for motivation converses with your subconscious mind, and urges it to alter self-perception and self – image. Unknown to us, our subconscious is largely responsible for the way we think and react; if we train it to think on a different line, no doubt the accompanying behavior would change too. It understands the true potential that lies within us, and taps into it. Through gentle affirmations such as “I can do it”, it retrains your mind into believing that nothing is impossible.
In my practice at Oxfordshire, I have helped clients deal with a variety of issues through hypnotherapy for motivation. Some wanted to perform better at work, while others needed motivation to keep a relationship going. Some wanted to perform better at sports, while others at studies. The underlying theory of hypnotherapy is based on motivation, and we need it in every walk of life. However, we need to have our goals clear in our minds for the hypnotherapy to be successful. Hypnotherapy for motivation lets you focus on the particular task at hand, however if the task is undefined, hypnotherapy will be rendered ineffective.
Hypnotherapy for motivation can seem to be too simple a solution for these problems; however you will be surprised at their effectiveness. Once you started this journey of self discovery, you will see the changes in a short time. Through altering self-perception and self-image, hypnotherapy gives you a whole new view of the world. From being a procrastinating person, you can go on to become a self starter. So define your goals now, and dive into the vast sea of your subconscious mind through hypnotherapy. The pearls you will find there will take care of every situation and possibility in life. Happy Self Discovery!
Richard MacKenzie is a name that has become synonymous with Hypnotherapy for Motivation, check out his site and his range of Hypnosis Downloads
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rich_MacKenzie
motivation : What You Need To Know About Motivation
Be it a playground or a company, the formula for success is the same everywhere: motivation. Motivation inspires the amount of effort one puts in his work. It is said that hard work breeds confidence and confidence breeds success, but in all three stages motivation is the driving force. An important motivator for a person in any profession is interest and the desire to learn. One gets success when interest and the desire to learn are linked together.
Psychologists call motivation as a very positive emotion. The famous writer Daniel Goleman, in his book 'Emotional Intelligence', has mentioned the chemical secretions in the brain leading to the positive elevated feelings which help an individual to follow his goals.
Maslow, the great psychoanalyst, has unfolded many secrets of the thought process of motivation. His theory says that to achieve the perfect mature state of motivation one has to pass through two important stages: self-actualization and self-transcendence. In the initial state of self-actualization one achieves the sense of self-fulfillment and realizes his potential. In the second state of self-transcendence one succeeds in going beyond his individual ego and thereby achieves a permanently motivated state of mind.
The 'Challenge' factor also plays a vital role in arousing the feelings of motivation in most people. Many people get motivated by the thought of doing something which they think they can't do. Plunging into the unknown is a purely human tendency, and human history witnesses that the most successful people achieved their desired objectives by taking risks and relying completely on their natural sense of strong motivation. Therefore, it has been universally recognized that the sense of motivation is most important in getting success.
Motivation provides detailed information on Motivation, Daily Motivation, Employee Motivation, Motivation Posters and more. Motivation is affiliated with Christian Motivational Speakers.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Romando
Psychologists call motivation as a very positive emotion. The famous writer Daniel Goleman, in his book 'Emotional Intelligence', has mentioned the chemical secretions in the brain leading to the positive elevated feelings which help an individual to follow his goals.
Maslow, the great psychoanalyst, has unfolded many secrets of the thought process of motivation. His theory says that to achieve the perfect mature state of motivation one has to pass through two important stages: self-actualization and self-transcendence. In the initial state of self-actualization one achieves the sense of self-fulfillment and realizes his potential. In the second state of self-transcendence one succeeds in going beyond his individual ego and thereby achieves a permanently motivated state of mind.
The 'Challenge' factor also plays a vital role in arousing the feelings of motivation in most people. Many people get motivated by the thought of doing something which they think they can't do. Plunging into the unknown is a purely human tendency, and human history witnesses that the most successful people achieved their desired objectives by taking risks and relying completely on their natural sense of strong motivation. Therefore, it has been universally recognized that the sense of motivation is most important in getting success.
Motivation provides detailed information on Motivation, Daily Motivation, Employee Motivation, Motivation Posters and more. Motivation is affiliated with Christian Motivational Speakers.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Romando
Friday, July 21, 2006
motivation : Reticular activating system
The reticular activating system is the name given to part of the brain (the reticular formation and its connections) believed to be the centre of arousal and motivation in animals (including humans). It is situated at the core of the brain stem between the myelencephalon (medulla oblongata) and metencephalon (midbrain).
It is involved with the circadian rhythm; damage can lead to permanent coma. It is thought to be the area affected by many psychotropic drugs. General anaesthetics work through their effect on the reticular formation.
Fibers from the reticular formation are also vital in controlling respiration, cardiac rhythms, and other essential functions.
The reticular activating system has received attention from neuroscientists interested in various pathological conditions affecting behaviour, such as Alzheimer's Disease. More recently, results of research on the area has prompted extrapolations from the data into various areas such as motivational programmes (for example, Getting Things Done) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The reticular activating system is believed to cause ADD and ADHD due to the unbalance in norepinephrine in the cells. This leads to the over arousal and unmotivation associated with these disorders. However, despite the rapid recent increase in knowledge of the structure and function of the brain, assumptions about brain function related to real world events made without specific evidence should be treated with immense caution.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
It is involved with the circadian rhythm; damage can lead to permanent coma. It is thought to be the area affected by many psychotropic drugs. General anaesthetics work through their effect on the reticular formation.
Fibers from the reticular formation are also vital in controlling respiration, cardiac rhythms, and other essential functions.
The reticular activating system has received attention from neuroscientists interested in various pathological conditions affecting behaviour, such as Alzheimer's Disease. More recently, results of research on the area has prompted extrapolations from the data into various areas such as motivational programmes (for example, Getting Things Done) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The reticular activating system is believed to cause ADD and ADHD due to the unbalance in norepinephrine in the cells. This leads to the over arousal and unmotivation associated with these disorders. However, despite the rapid recent increase in knowledge of the structure and function of the brain, assumptions about brain function related to real world events made without specific evidence should be treated with immense caution.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
motivation : Clark Leonard Hull
1884-1952) was an influential American psychologist and behaviorist who sought to explain learning and motivation by scientific laws of behavior. Born in Akron, New York, Hull obtained bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Michigan, and in 1918 a PhD in experimental psychology from the University of Wisconsin. His doctoral research on "Quantitative Aspects of the Evolution of Concepts" was published in Psychological Monographs.
Hull conducted research demonstrating that his theories could predict and control behavior. His most significant works were the Mathematico-Deductive Theory of Rote Learning (1940), and Principles of Behavior (1943), which established his analysis of animal learning and conditioning as the dominant learning theory of its time. Hull is known for his debates with Edward C. Tolman.
In experimental psychology, he created the "hypothetic-deductive" systematic method, after the observation and elaboration of hypotheses. This method brought him precise definitions and conceptualised axioms which helped him develop his theories. He believed that behavior was a set of interactions between an individual and their environment. He analysed behavior from a perspect of biological adaptation, which is an optimization of living conditions through need reduction.
Hull is often credited with having begun the modern study of hypnosis. His work Hypnosis and Suggestibility (1933) was a rigorous study of the phenomenon, using statistical and experimental analysis. Hull's studies emphatically demonstrated once and for all that hypnosis had no connection with sleep ("hypnosis is not sleep, … it has no special relationship to sleep, and the whole concept of sleep when applied to hypnosis obscures the situation"). The main result of Hull's study was to rein in the extravagant claims of hypnotists, especially regarding extraordinary improvements in cognition or the senses under hypnosis. Hull's experiments did show the reality of some classical phenomena such as hypnotic anaesthesia and post-hypnotic amnesia. Hypnosis could also induce moderate increases in certain physical capacities and change the threshold of sensory stimulation; attenuation effects could be especially dramatic.
He died on May 10, 1952, in New Haven, Connecticut.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hull conducted research demonstrating that his theories could predict and control behavior. His most significant works were the Mathematico-Deductive Theory of Rote Learning (1940), and Principles of Behavior (1943), which established his analysis of animal learning and conditioning as the dominant learning theory of its time. Hull is known for his debates with Edward C. Tolman.
In experimental psychology, he created the "hypothetic-deductive" systematic method, after the observation and elaboration of hypotheses. This method brought him precise definitions and conceptualised axioms which helped him develop his theories. He believed that behavior was a set of interactions between an individual and their environment. He analysed behavior from a perspect of biological adaptation, which is an optimization of living conditions through need reduction.
Hull is often credited with having begun the modern study of hypnosis. His work Hypnosis and Suggestibility (1933) was a rigorous study of the phenomenon, using statistical and experimental analysis. Hull's studies emphatically demonstrated once and for all that hypnosis had no connection with sleep ("hypnosis is not sleep, … it has no special relationship to sleep, and the whole concept of sleep when applied to hypnosis obscures the situation"). The main result of Hull's study was to rein in the extravagant claims of hypnotists, especially regarding extraordinary improvements in cognition or the senses under hypnosis. Hull's experiments did show the reality of some classical phenomena such as hypnotic anaesthesia and post-hypnotic amnesia. Hypnosis could also induce moderate increases in certain physical capacities and change the threshold of sensory stimulation; attenuation effects could be especially dramatic.
He died on May 10, 1952, in New Haven, Connecticut.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Friday, July 14, 2006
motivation : Strategies for Success with Distance Learning
distance learning has opened doors for many students, especially for those who cannot afford to pay for the high fees of full-time courses. Although online distance learning courses have many advantages over on-campus degree courses, many factors come into play in order to make this a success for students. Due to the differences in the way that education is being delivered and acquired, adjustments and changes in approaches need to be undertaken.
1. Selecting the right distance learning school
The first element for success is to choose the right distance learning school. There are many unscrupulous "degree mills" around in the market that are only keen to sell their degrees without providing good education and ample student support. As a result, the degrees offered by these institutions may not be recognized, or may sometimes even be regarded as bogus degrees. In order to prevent this, do the proper background check on the institution you are considering with the relevant authorities to verify on their accreditation and authenticity before registering.
2. Cost-benefit analysis
Some students enroll in an online distance learning course without doing a cost benefit analysis of taking the course in the first place. It is a known fact that obtaining an education requires a hefty sum of investment. However, this should be compared with the potential additional income that can be generated from the degree that is earned. Only then can the full rewards be reaped from gaining an online degree.
3. Degree positioning to employers
There have been many cases where employers were wary of the validity of online degrees. With so many online institutions selling degrees, it is justified for employers to exercise caution. Although a distance learning degree may be 100% legitimate, it would help if you provide adequate explanation on the accreditation of the degree in order to avoid misunderstanding. By stressing that the accreditation body which accredited your institution or your program is recognized by the US Department of education as well as CHEA, you can then eliminate any doubts that employers about the validity of your degree. You can read more information on why accreditation is important at http://www.distance-learning-college-guide.com/college-accreditation.html.
4. Exercise discipline, determination and time management
In the actual course of study, many students lack discipline and focus and therefore are unable to keep up with online lessons and assignments. It is very important for distance learning students to have great determination to succeed, as it is very easy to get de-motivated and distracted when you are alone with no peers. Good time management along with communication with other students would make excellent measures for success.
5. Make full use of facilities provided
Many distance learning online courses offer online lectures and email correspondence to facilitate communication with lecturers, tutors and other students. These facilities should be utilized as much as possible as it provides a link back to the education institution. Furthermore, this would be a great source of motivation in order to keep progressing through the course of study.
6. Utilize credit transfers
Most distance learning institutions allow students to transfer their credits from other courses that they had taken from other universities or colleges. This way, students will not have to repeat what they have already learnt. In order to do this, it is important for distance learning students to obtain transcripts and results from their previous schools and send them to their distance learning online university to obtain credit transfers.
7. Good utilization of technology for education
The final element for distance learning success it the ability to make full use of the conveniences that technology has to offer. Many online universities provide students with online research resources that are valuable for completing assignments or producing research papers. The cost of facilities such as virtual libraries and online books has probably been factored into the fees paid and therefore it makes good sense to utilize these facilities to the fullest.
by Rose Musyoka
1. Selecting the right distance learning school
The first element for success is to choose the right distance learning school. There are many unscrupulous "degree mills" around in the market that are only keen to sell their degrees without providing good education and ample student support. As a result, the degrees offered by these institutions may not be recognized, or may sometimes even be regarded as bogus degrees. In order to prevent this, do the proper background check on the institution you are considering with the relevant authorities to verify on their accreditation and authenticity before registering.
2. Cost-benefit analysis
Some students enroll in an online distance learning course without doing a cost benefit analysis of taking the course in the first place. It is a known fact that obtaining an education requires a hefty sum of investment. However, this should be compared with the potential additional income that can be generated from the degree that is earned. Only then can the full rewards be reaped from gaining an online degree.
3. Degree positioning to employers
There have been many cases where employers were wary of the validity of online degrees. With so many online institutions selling degrees, it is justified for employers to exercise caution. Although a distance learning degree may be 100% legitimate, it would help if you provide adequate explanation on the accreditation of the degree in order to avoid misunderstanding. By stressing that the accreditation body which accredited your institution or your program is recognized by the US Department of education as well as CHEA, you can then eliminate any doubts that employers about the validity of your degree. You can read more information on why accreditation is important at http://www.distance-learning-college-guide.com/college-accreditation.html.
4. Exercise discipline, determination and time management
In the actual course of study, many students lack discipline and focus and therefore are unable to keep up with online lessons and assignments. It is very important for distance learning students to have great determination to succeed, as it is very easy to get de-motivated and distracted when you are alone with no peers. Good time management along with communication with other students would make excellent measures for success.
5. Make full use of facilities provided
Many distance learning online courses offer online lectures and email correspondence to facilitate communication with lecturers, tutors and other students. These facilities should be utilized as much as possible as it provides a link back to the education institution. Furthermore, this would be a great source of motivation in order to keep progressing through the course of study.
6. Utilize credit transfers
Most distance learning institutions allow students to transfer their credits from other courses that they had taken from other universities or colleges. This way, students will not have to repeat what they have already learnt. In order to do this, it is important for distance learning students to obtain transcripts and results from their previous schools and send them to their distance learning online university to obtain credit transfers.
7. Good utilization of technology for education
The final element for distance learning success it the ability to make full use of the conveniences that technology has to offer. Many online universities provide students with online research resources that are valuable for completing assignments or producing research papers. The cost of facilities such as virtual libraries and online books has probably been factored into the fees paid and therefore it makes good sense to utilize these facilities to the fullest.
by Rose Musyoka
motivation : 7 Steps To Hire The Best
You can use this step-by-step method to hire applicants who are likely to be "superstar" employees:
highly productive
low-turnover
Important: Focus on hiring applicants you rate positively on all seven prediction methods.
1st Prediction Method = Brief Initial Screening Interview
If an applicant's application looks suitable, then conduct BISI, a customized 15-30 minute over-phone or in-person interview. BISI quickly reveals if an applicant has biographical data similar to your company's "superstar" employees.
For example, at one company, we discovered "superstar" Sales Reps had many similarities before working for this company:
Work: (a) 1 or 2 previous sales jobs, (b) only 1 or 2 jobs before applying at the company, and (c) kept prior jobs 2 – 5 years
Education: (a) earned B.A. from state universities, (b) majored in business or liberal arts, (c) worked part-time throughout college, and (d) college jobs entailed a lot of people contact
Pay: Earned less than likely first year compensation at this company
Vocal Style: Exuded high energy
So, this company's BISI screened-in applicants with similar work, education, pay, and vocal style – and screened-out other applicants.
2nd Prediction Method = Customized Pre-employment Tests
If the applicant did well on 1st Prediction Method – BISI, then you can have applicant take customized pre-employment tests. Use tests specifically designed to screen applicants and predict:
Work Behavior – e.g., interpersonal skills, personality, and motivations
Mental Abilities – e.g., problem-solving, vocabulary, math, grammar, and small detail abilities
Importantly, the test must use customized "benchmark scores" based on scores of your "superstar" employees. With customized "benchmark scores," you quickly see if an applicant scored similar to your company's "superstar" employees.
3rd Prediction Method = In-Depth Interview Using Customized
Interview Guide Form
If you decide the applicant did fine on 1st and 2nd Prediction Methods, then you may conduct an In-Depth Interview. Crucial: Create a customized Interview Guide document for each job, including (a) 6 – 9 key "make-or-brake" job talents, (b) questions to ask, (b) note-taking, and (c) ratings.
Importantly, you must provide seminar training to teach managers how to use your customized Interview Guides to assess applicants. Without superb training, interviewers fail to hire the best.
4th Prediction Method = Role-Play
If the applicant did well on 3rd Prediction Method, then have applicant do Role-Play immediately after In-Depth Interview. The 15 – 30 minute role-play lets you see if the applicant has critical job skills. For example, have a Sales Rep applicant role-play selling. Then, assess the applicant using a customized Role-Play Rating Checklist.
5th Prediction Method = Realistic Job Preview
If you decide applicant did well on 1st – 4th Prediction Methods, then do Realistic Job Preview: For RJP, the applicant spends ½ - 1 day watching an employee doing the job. Benefit: Applicants who received RJP are less likely to (a) accept job offer – but, if they accept, (b) turnover. Reason: The RJP assures they know what they are getting themselves into!
6th Prediction Method = 1 Executive Must Approve All Hiring
If the applicant did well on 1st – 5th Prediction Methods, then one executive at your company reviews Applicant Rating Summary Form. Your company's quick Applicant Summary Rating Form
summarizes ratings – positive, average, or negative – on 1st – 5th Prediction Methods
"forces" managers to actually use your structured hiring steps
Important: If the applicant's ratings on 1st – 5th Prediction Methods include
+ all positive ratings, then executive may approve hiring applicant
- average or negative ratings, then the executive may not allow applicant to be hired
7th Prediction Method = Reference Checks
If your company decides the applicant did well on 1st – 6th Prediction Methods – plus accepts job offer – then you conduct Reference Checks. If they prove
+ positive, then your company keeps applicant as an employee
- negative, then you take appropriate action
How Much Time Do You Need to hire the Best?
Many managers moan they are time-crunched, and ask how much time these seven steps require. Two answers:
If an applicant does well on 1st – 7th Prediction Methods, then you invested 2 – 3 hours to hire the best
Ask yourself: How much time – and money – did you waste when you hired average or below-average applicants? You wasted many hours – plus salary, benefits and low productivity – because you failed to invest only 2 – 3 hours to hire the best!
© Copyright 2005 michael Mercer, Ph.D.
highly productive
low-turnover
Important: Focus on hiring applicants you rate positively on all seven prediction methods.
1st Prediction Method = Brief Initial Screening Interview
If an applicant's application looks suitable, then conduct BISI, a customized 15-30 minute over-phone or in-person interview. BISI quickly reveals if an applicant has biographical data similar to your company's "superstar" employees.
For example, at one company, we discovered "superstar" Sales Reps had many similarities before working for this company:
Work: (a) 1 or 2 previous sales jobs, (b) only 1 or 2 jobs before applying at the company, and (c) kept prior jobs 2 – 5 years
Education: (a) earned B.A. from state universities, (b) majored in business or liberal arts, (c) worked part-time throughout college, and (d) college jobs entailed a lot of people contact
Pay: Earned less than likely first year compensation at this company
Vocal Style: Exuded high energy
So, this company's BISI screened-in applicants with similar work, education, pay, and vocal style – and screened-out other applicants.
2nd Prediction Method = Customized Pre-employment Tests
If the applicant did well on 1st Prediction Method – BISI, then you can have applicant take customized pre-employment tests. Use tests specifically designed to screen applicants and predict:
Work Behavior – e.g., interpersonal skills, personality, and motivations
Mental Abilities – e.g., problem-solving, vocabulary, math, grammar, and small detail abilities
Importantly, the test must use customized "benchmark scores" based on scores of your "superstar" employees. With customized "benchmark scores," you quickly see if an applicant scored similar to your company's "superstar" employees.
3rd Prediction Method = In-Depth Interview Using Customized
Interview Guide Form
If you decide the applicant did fine on 1st and 2nd Prediction Methods, then you may conduct an In-Depth Interview. Crucial: Create a customized Interview Guide document for each job, including (a) 6 – 9 key "make-or-brake" job talents, (b) questions to ask, (b) note-taking, and (c) ratings.
Importantly, you must provide seminar training to teach managers how to use your customized Interview Guides to assess applicants. Without superb training, interviewers fail to hire the best.
4th Prediction Method = Role-Play
If the applicant did well on 3rd Prediction Method, then have applicant do Role-Play immediately after In-Depth Interview. The 15 – 30 minute role-play lets you see if the applicant has critical job skills. For example, have a Sales Rep applicant role-play selling. Then, assess the applicant using a customized Role-Play Rating Checklist.
5th Prediction Method = Realistic Job Preview
If you decide applicant did well on 1st – 4th Prediction Methods, then do Realistic Job Preview: For RJP, the applicant spends ½ - 1 day watching an employee doing the job. Benefit: Applicants who received RJP are less likely to (a) accept job offer – but, if they accept, (b) turnover. Reason: The RJP assures they know what they are getting themselves into!
6th Prediction Method = 1 Executive Must Approve All Hiring
If the applicant did well on 1st – 5th Prediction Methods, then one executive at your company reviews Applicant Rating Summary Form. Your company's quick Applicant Summary Rating Form
summarizes ratings – positive, average, or negative – on 1st – 5th Prediction Methods
"forces" managers to actually use your structured hiring steps
Important: If the applicant's ratings on 1st – 5th Prediction Methods include
+ all positive ratings, then executive may approve hiring applicant
- average or negative ratings, then the executive may not allow applicant to be hired
7th Prediction Method = Reference Checks
If your company decides the applicant did well on 1st – 6th Prediction Methods – plus accepts job offer – then you conduct Reference Checks. If they prove
+ positive, then your company keeps applicant as an employee
- negative, then you take appropriate action
How Much Time Do You Need to hire the Best?
Many managers moan they are time-crunched, and ask how much time these seven steps require. Two answers:
If an applicant does well on 1st – 7th Prediction Methods, then you invested 2 – 3 hours to hire the best
Ask yourself: How much time – and money – did you waste when you hired average or below-average applicants? You wasted many hours – plus salary, benefits and low productivity – because you failed to invest only 2 – 3 hours to hire the best!
© Copyright 2005 michael Mercer, Ph.D.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
motivation : 8 Ways To Motivate Your Team
It's the eternal conundrum, how do leaders get their teams to perform at higher levels and how do they maintain a level of high morale. It always amazes me how leaders point the finger at their people and talk about them as if they are the problem or an entity unto themselves responsible for all failings within the department. It is a brave leader who will look at themselves first and ask some very powerful yet disturbing questions such as:
What have I done in the past that worked?
What's going on with me right now and am I bringing enthusiasm to the workplace?
Am I being realistic in my expectations and have I communicated them to my team?
A team's performance is a direct reflection of the leader who leads them. Ouch!
Think about it….people within a team will only perform to the level that they see rewarded or to the level that their leader brings to the table.
In my training seminars to management leaders I often challenge them to look at how themselves their strengths, weaknesses and how they manage before they look at the problems that their people are challenging them with.
Many leaders are put into their positions with little or no training and they are doomed to fail. The assumption most employees make is that because you are the leader you should know how to manage personalities and motivate. This couldn't be further from the truth. People skills are just that, a skill that is developed through training, application and experience.
I am not saying that we absolve the employees of responsibility, let's face it in a highly functioning team environment there exists a high level of accountability all the way around. What I am saying is that we leaders be willing to look at ourselves and what we have control over. Here are 8 things you can do to motivate your teams:
1. Look in the mirror. Are you waking up with enthusiasm and excitement about your work? Have you set goals for yourself and your team? Or are you just punching a time clock like the rest of them and its all you can do to not fall asleep with boredom or scream out loud with frustration. What do you need to be more excited and enthused?
If you are not excited and energetic it is not fair to expect your team to bring the same to the table.
2. Take a retreat. Step away from the work environment for a day or if possible two.
Go to a 2-day management seminar or retreat and re-fuel, re-group and re-energize so that you can bring a fresh attitude and approach back to your team. Many leaders are suffering burnout and they are not able to be creative with their solutions. Signs of burnout are: lethargy, apathy and negativity just to name a few.
3. Take a pulse. Do an assessment of your team dynamics. List all of your team members on a piece of paper and beside each person's name indicate the level of performance you feel they are currently at, what you feel they are capable of and where the gap in performance exists. Then think about how you have approached this person in the past in regards to performance improvement and what you can do differently this time with them to have them hear you in a new and different way.
4. Tell them what you want. Have a team meeting and tell your team that you want to brainstorm ideas on how to create higher levels of motivation and morale. Be willing to hear all ideas and as a group have them prioritize the ideas and then delegate the action items. Be willing to do something yourself to show your commitment to the goal of higher motivation and morale.
5. Do a 360. It is a brave leader who willingingly has his/her teams assess them as leaders. The 360 degree performance evaluation system does just that. It allows for employees to evaluate their leaders and to provide sound feedback on how their leader can improve. Tell your team you want their opinions and input on how you can be a better leader. Be open and willing to hear the good with the bad and sometimes the ugly.
Then do something with the feedback- communicate back to your team what you are going to do as a result of the feedback.
6. Coach regularly. Statistics show that leaders who have a coaching plan in place for their employees have less absenteeism, higher productivity and overall higher morale. It makes sense doesn't it? Spend quality one on one time with your employees on a regular and rotating basis and they begin to perform at higher levels due to ongoing personal attention and validation. Coaching prevents bad behavior and negative attention methods by employees.
7. Praise in public- criticize in private. There is nothing that replaces pure praise. Employees surveyed stated that they value recognition above pay raises by their leaders. We often undervalue the power of praise and we may even feel that if they are doing a good job they should know that we think they are great. Some leaders feel that giving praise all the time is hard work and that employees requiring it are high maintenance.
The rules of giving effective praise are: praise specific behaviors or results, be sincere, make it timely when the event happens and when possible make it public.
8. Be a psychologist. Adapt to the different personalities of your team. You already know your people to a high level and yet we tend to overlook the unique emotional needs that each individual has. Treat them as they want to be treated and be willing to see things from their perspective. Openly communicate and be willing to share yourself with your team. You can't be everyone's friend however you can be accessible, open and trustworthy. Teams who have an understanding and compassionate leader tend to be more loyal and can weather ongoing change at higher levels.
Often we feel that we just need to throw money or perks towards our teams to keep them happy. This is an erroneous belief and it has been found that truly what people want is to have open communication, straightforward and direct leadership and an easygoing environment to work within. Sounds good doesn't it?
The rewards of leadership are many and we can have greater satisfaction, less stress and a sense of accomplishment when we look at what we can do to improve our team's performance and happiness on the job.
by Sandra Schrift
What have I done in the past that worked?
What's going on with me right now and am I bringing enthusiasm to the workplace?
Am I being realistic in my expectations and have I communicated them to my team?
A team's performance is a direct reflection of the leader who leads them. Ouch!
Think about it….people within a team will only perform to the level that they see rewarded or to the level that their leader brings to the table.
In my training seminars to management leaders I often challenge them to look at how themselves their strengths, weaknesses and how they manage before they look at the problems that their people are challenging them with.
Many leaders are put into their positions with little or no training and they are doomed to fail. The assumption most employees make is that because you are the leader you should know how to manage personalities and motivate. This couldn't be further from the truth. People skills are just that, a skill that is developed through training, application and experience.
I am not saying that we absolve the employees of responsibility, let's face it in a highly functioning team environment there exists a high level of accountability all the way around. What I am saying is that we leaders be willing to look at ourselves and what we have control over. Here are 8 things you can do to motivate your teams:
1. Look in the mirror. Are you waking up with enthusiasm and excitement about your work? Have you set goals for yourself and your team? Or are you just punching a time clock like the rest of them and its all you can do to not fall asleep with boredom or scream out loud with frustration. What do you need to be more excited and enthused?
If you are not excited and energetic it is not fair to expect your team to bring the same to the table.
2. Take a retreat. Step away from the work environment for a day or if possible two.
Go to a 2-day management seminar or retreat and re-fuel, re-group and re-energize so that you can bring a fresh attitude and approach back to your team. Many leaders are suffering burnout and they are not able to be creative with their solutions. Signs of burnout are: lethargy, apathy and negativity just to name a few.
3. Take a pulse. Do an assessment of your team dynamics. List all of your team members on a piece of paper and beside each person's name indicate the level of performance you feel they are currently at, what you feel they are capable of and where the gap in performance exists. Then think about how you have approached this person in the past in regards to performance improvement and what you can do differently this time with them to have them hear you in a new and different way.
4. Tell them what you want. Have a team meeting and tell your team that you want to brainstorm ideas on how to create higher levels of motivation and morale. Be willing to hear all ideas and as a group have them prioritize the ideas and then delegate the action items. Be willing to do something yourself to show your commitment to the goal of higher motivation and morale.
5. Do a 360. It is a brave leader who willingingly has his/her teams assess them as leaders. The 360 degree performance evaluation system does just that. It allows for employees to evaluate their leaders and to provide sound feedback on how their leader can improve. Tell your team you want their opinions and input on how you can be a better leader. Be open and willing to hear the good with the bad and sometimes the ugly.
Then do something with the feedback- communicate back to your team what you are going to do as a result of the feedback.
6. Coach regularly. Statistics show that leaders who have a coaching plan in place for their employees have less absenteeism, higher productivity and overall higher morale. It makes sense doesn't it? Spend quality one on one time with your employees on a regular and rotating basis and they begin to perform at higher levels due to ongoing personal attention and validation. Coaching prevents bad behavior and negative attention methods by employees.
7. Praise in public- criticize in private. There is nothing that replaces pure praise. Employees surveyed stated that they value recognition above pay raises by their leaders. We often undervalue the power of praise and we may even feel that if they are doing a good job they should know that we think they are great. Some leaders feel that giving praise all the time is hard work and that employees requiring it are high maintenance.
The rules of giving effective praise are: praise specific behaviors or results, be sincere, make it timely when the event happens and when possible make it public.
8. Be a psychologist. Adapt to the different personalities of your team. You already know your people to a high level and yet we tend to overlook the unique emotional needs that each individual has. Treat them as they want to be treated and be willing to see things from their perspective. Openly communicate and be willing to share yourself with your team. You can't be everyone's friend however you can be accessible, open and trustworthy. Teams who have an understanding and compassionate leader tend to be more loyal and can weather ongoing change at higher levels.
Often we feel that we just need to throw money or perks towards our teams to keep them happy. This is an erroneous belief and it has been found that truly what people want is to have open communication, straightforward and direct leadership and an easygoing environment to work within. Sounds good doesn't it?
The rewards of leadership are many and we can have greater satisfaction, less stress and a sense of accomplishment when we look at what we can do to improve our team's performance and happiness on the job.
by Sandra Schrift
motivation : 5 Tips To Supercharge Your Motivation
motivation is the driving force behind life-enhancing change. It comes from knowing exactly what you want to do and having an insatiable, burning desire to do what's necessary to get it. It keeps your dream on track as it is the power of motivation that keeps you going when the going gets tough.
Here's 5 top tips to help you supercharge your motivation:
1. Create a picture board and fill it with images of your desired goals. The car you want to own, the house you want to live in, the area where you want to live yes, they're the obvious ones. Others could be pictures of holiday destinations, trophies, first-class travel tickets, clothes you want to buy, fine restaurants you want to frequent – whatever you can think of that gets your pulse racing.
2. GET ANGRY. If you want to change your life for the better then get angry about where you're at now. Having a blasé attitude towards change isn't what's needed and it won't create a strong desire within you. So ask: "Why do I want to change?" Is it because you're FED UP with debts? Does your job DRIVE YOU CRAZY? Is your life DULL AND PRECITABLE? Are you SICK AND TIRED of doing the same thing week in week out? Are you BORED BEYOND BELIEF by the dull, uninspiring, unhappy people you associate with? THEN GET ANGRY ABOUT IT. And I mean REAL ANGRY. Write it all down, all of the frustrating, unrewarding, miserable lot of it that makes every day a dull slog until your final days. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?
3. Speaking of your final days, start to appreciate the value of time. Time is one of the most precious resources you have and it is also a NON RENEWABLE resource. You can either use it fully or squander it. If you want to create change you're going to have to invest a lot of time to make it happen. Start to reduce the time you waste on irrelevancies: Television, newspapers, lie-ins, weekends spent shopping, partying, dining out, visiting an endless line of relatives and friends – these won't help you get what you want and all of them will rob time from you. Valuable time that you can use much more effectively by investing it in YOU. Remember this: You have a finite amount of time here on Earth. You don't know how much time you have – no one does. But it's how you use the time you have that counts. So make your time count and that means starting from right NOW.
4. Conformity. Are you a mindless little sheep who's way too timid to pursue your own way? Do you have to follow where everyone else goes, doing exactly what everyone else does and therefore, who gets the same levels of happiness as all the other little sheep? Seriously, does this describe YOU? Are you too frightened to be different than all of the other sheep because they wouldn't like it if you decided to follow a different path? So you dutifully trot along following all the other sheep because if they're doing it then that's how it is right? But if you do what everyone else does you'll just get what everyone else gets. Do you want to be a mindless, timid little sheep who blindly follows all the other sheep? Or do you want to be a leader, a warrior who possesses the courage to be uniquely you and to do what you want to do and make your dreams happen? If so then this means you have to be more like a tiger than a sheep. Do you really want to be a sheep? I mean, haven't we got enough sheep already?
5. Fear your fear. Fear is the force that is determined to stop you in your tracks and rob your dreams from you. But it can only do this if you let it. Are you going to let this cruel destructive charlatan trample on your dreams, steal your happiness and crush your spirit? Imagine this thought haunting your final days: "I didn't do the things I wanted because I was too frightened to live". And by then, it'll be far too late to conquer fear. Refuse to let fear spoil your life and start taking action – now!
The world is waiting for your unique gifts. Why keep it waiting any longer?
by Christopher Green
Here's 5 top tips to help you supercharge your motivation:
1. Create a picture board and fill it with images of your desired goals. The car you want to own, the house you want to live in, the area where you want to live yes, they're the obvious ones. Others could be pictures of holiday destinations, trophies, first-class travel tickets, clothes you want to buy, fine restaurants you want to frequent – whatever you can think of that gets your pulse racing.
2. GET ANGRY. If you want to change your life for the better then get angry about where you're at now. Having a blasé attitude towards change isn't what's needed and it won't create a strong desire within you. So ask: "Why do I want to change?" Is it because you're FED UP with debts? Does your job DRIVE YOU CRAZY? Is your life DULL AND PRECITABLE? Are you SICK AND TIRED of doing the same thing week in week out? Are you BORED BEYOND BELIEF by the dull, uninspiring, unhappy people you associate with? THEN GET ANGRY ABOUT IT. And I mean REAL ANGRY. Write it all down, all of the frustrating, unrewarding, miserable lot of it that makes every day a dull slog until your final days. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?
3. Speaking of your final days, start to appreciate the value of time. Time is one of the most precious resources you have and it is also a NON RENEWABLE resource. You can either use it fully or squander it. If you want to create change you're going to have to invest a lot of time to make it happen. Start to reduce the time you waste on irrelevancies: Television, newspapers, lie-ins, weekends spent shopping, partying, dining out, visiting an endless line of relatives and friends – these won't help you get what you want and all of them will rob time from you. Valuable time that you can use much more effectively by investing it in YOU. Remember this: You have a finite amount of time here on Earth. You don't know how much time you have – no one does. But it's how you use the time you have that counts. So make your time count and that means starting from right NOW.
4. Conformity. Are you a mindless little sheep who's way too timid to pursue your own way? Do you have to follow where everyone else goes, doing exactly what everyone else does and therefore, who gets the same levels of happiness as all the other little sheep? Seriously, does this describe YOU? Are you too frightened to be different than all of the other sheep because they wouldn't like it if you decided to follow a different path? So you dutifully trot along following all the other sheep because if they're doing it then that's how it is right? But if you do what everyone else does you'll just get what everyone else gets. Do you want to be a mindless, timid little sheep who blindly follows all the other sheep? Or do you want to be a leader, a warrior who possesses the courage to be uniquely you and to do what you want to do and make your dreams happen? If so then this means you have to be more like a tiger than a sheep. Do you really want to be a sheep? I mean, haven't we got enough sheep already?
5. Fear your fear. Fear is the force that is determined to stop you in your tracks and rob your dreams from you. But it can only do this if you let it. Are you going to let this cruel destructive charlatan trample on your dreams, steal your happiness and crush your spirit? Imagine this thought haunting your final days: "I didn't do the things I wanted because I was too frightened to live". And by then, it'll be far too late to conquer fear. Refuse to let fear spoil your life and start taking action – now!
The world is waiting for your unique gifts. Why keep it waiting any longer?
by Christopher Green
Sunday, July 09, 2006
motivation : Theories of motivation
Many of the theories of motivation address issues introduced previously in these materials. The following provides a brief overview to any terms or concepts that have not been previously discussed.
Behavioral
Each of the major theoretical approaches in behavioral learning theory posits a primary factor in motivation. Classical conditioning states that biological responses to associated stimuli energize and direct behavior. Operant learning states the primary factor is consequences: the application of reinforcers provides incentives to increase behavior; the application of punishers provides disincentives that result in a decrease in behavior.
Cognitive
There are several motivational theories that trace their roots to the information processing approach to learning. These approaches focus on the categories and labels people use help to identify thoughts, emotions, dispositions, and behaviors.
The first is cognitive dissonance theory which is in some respects similar to disequilibrium in Piaget's theory of cognitive development. This theory was developed by Leon Festinger (1957) and states that when there is a discrepancy between two beliefs, two actions, or between a belief and an action, we will act to resolve conflict and discrepancies. The implication is that if we can create the appropriate amount of disequilibrium, this will in turn lead to the individual changing his or her behavior which in turn will lead to a change in thought patterns which in turn leads to more change in behavior.
A second cognitive approach is attribution theory (Heider, 1958; Weiner, 1974). This theory proposes that every individual tries to explain success or failure of self and others by offering certain "attributions." These attributions are either internal or external and are either under control or not under control. The following chart shows the four attributions that result from a combination of internal or external locus of control and whether or not control is possible.
Internal External
No Control Ability Luck
Control Effort Task Difficulty
In a teaching/learning environment, it is important to assist the learner to develop a self-attribution explanation of effort (internal, control). If the person has an attribution of ability (internal, no control) as soon as the individual experiences some difficulties in the learning process, he or she will decrease appropriate learning behavior (e.g., I'm not good at this). If the person has an external attribution, then nothing the person can do will help that individual in a learning situation (i.e., responsibility for demonstrating what has been learned is completely outside the person). In this case, there is nothing to be done by the individual when learning problems occur.
A third cognitive approach is expectancy theory (Vroom, 1964) which proposes the following equation:
Motivation = Perceived Probability of Success (Expectancy) *
Connection of Success and Reward (Instrumentality) *
Value of Obtaining Goal (Valance, Value)
Since this formula states that the three factors of Expectancy, Instrumentality, and Valance or Value are to be multiplied by each other, a low value in one will result in a low value of motivation. Therefore, all three must be present in order for motivation to occur. That is, if an individual doesn't believe he or she can be successful at a task OR the individual does not see a connection between his or her activity and success OR the individual does not value the results of success, then the probability is lowered that the individual will engage in the required learning activity. From the perspective of this theory, all three variables must be high in order for motivation and the resulting behavior to be high.
Summary
To summarize the cognitive approaches, cognitive dissonance theory suggests that we will seek balance or homeostasis in our lives and will resist influences or expectations to change. How, then, does change or growth occur. One source, according to Piaget, is biological development. As we mature cognitively we will rework our thinking and organizations of knowledge (e.g., schemas, paradigms, explanations) to more accurately reflect our understanding of the world. One of those organizations involves our explanations or attributions of success or failure. After puberty, when biological change slows down considerably, it is very difficult to change these attributions. It requires a long-term program where constant feedback is given about how one's behavior is responsible for one's success.
Notice the relationship between William James' formula for self-esteem (Self-esteem = Success / Pretensions) and the attribution and expectancy theories of motivation. If a person has an external attribution of success, self-concept is not likely to change as a result of success or failure because the person will attribute it to external factors. Likewise, if the person has an Internal/Ability explanation, his or her self-concept will be tied to learning to do a new activity quickly and easily (I do well because I'm naturally good at it). If failure or difficulty occurs, the person must quickly lower expectations in order to maintain self-esteem. However, if the person has a Internal/Effort explanation and high expectations for success, the person will persevere (i.e., stay motivated) in spite of temporary setbacks because one's self-esteem is not tied to immediate success.
http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/motivation/motivate.html
Behavioral
Each of the major theoretical approaches in behavioral learning theory posits a primary factor in motivation. Classical conditioning states that biological responses to associated stimuli energize and direct behavior. Operant learning states the primary factor is consequences: the application of reinforcers provides incentives to increase behavior; the application of punishers provides disincentives that result in a decrease in behavior.
Cognitive
There are several motivational theories that trace their roots to the information processing approach to learning. These approaches focus on the categories and labels people use help to identify thoughts, emotions, dispositions, and behaviors.
The first is cognitive dissonance theory which is in some respects similar to disequilibrium in Piaget's theory of cognitive development. This theory was developed by Leon Festinger (1957) and states that when there is a discrepancy between two beliefs, two actions, or between a belief and an action, we will act to resolve conflict and discrepancies. The implication is that if we can create the appropriate amount of disequilibrium, this will in turn lead to the individual changing his or her behavior which in turn will lead to a change in thought patterns which in turn leads to more change in behavior.
A second cognitive approach is attribution theory (Heider, 1958; Weiner, 1974). This theory proposes that every individual tries to explain success or failure of self and others by offering certain "attributions." These attributions are either internal or external and are either under control or not under control. The following chart shows the four attributions that result from a combination of internal or external locus of control and whether or not control is possible.
Internal External
No Control Ability Luck
Control Effort Task Difficulty
In a teaching/learning environment, it is important to assist the learner to develop a self-attribution explanation of effort (internal, control). If the person has an attribution of ability (internal, no control) as soon as the individual experiences some difficulties in the learning process, he or she will decrease appropriate learning behavior (e.g., I'm not good at this). If the person has an external attribution, then nothing the person can do will help that individual in a learning situation (i.e., responsibility for demonstrating what has been learned is completely outside the person). In this case, there is nothing to be done by the individual when learning problems occur.
A third cognitive approach is expectancy theory (Vroom, 1964) which proposes the following equation:
Motivation = Perceived Probability of Success (Expectancy) *
Connection of Success and Reward (Instrumentality) *
Value of Obtaining Goal (Valance, Value)
Since this formula states that the three factors of Expectancy, Instrumentality, and Valance or Value are to be multiplied by each other, a low value in one will result in a low value of motivation. Therefore, all three must be present in order for motivation to occur. That is, if an individual doesn't believe he or she can be successful at a task OR the individual does not see a connection between his or her activity and success OR the individual does not value the results of success, then the probability is lowered that the individual will engage in the required learning activity. From the perspective of this theory, all three variables must be high in order for motivation and the resulting behavior to be high.
Summary
To summarize the cognitive approaches, cognitive dissonance theory suggests that we will seek balance or homeostasis in our lives and will resist influences or expectations to change. How, then, does change or growth occur. One source, according to Piaget, is biological development. As we mature cognitively we will rework our thinking and organizations of knowledge (e.g., schemas, paradigms, explanations) to more accurately reflect our understanding of the world. One of those organizations involves our explanations or attributions of success or failure. After puberty, when biological change slows down considerably, it is very difficult to change these attributions. It requires a long-term program where constant feedback is given about how one's behavior is responsible for one's success.
Notice the relationship between William James' formula for self-esteem (Self-esteem = Success / Pretensions) and the attribution and expectancy theories of motivation. If a person has an external attribution of success, self-concept is not likely to change as a result of success or failure because the person will attribute it to external factors. Likewise, if the person has an Internal/Ability explanation, his or her self-concept will be tied to learning to do a new activity quickly and easily (I do well because I'm naturally good at it). If failure or difficulty occurs, the person must quickly lower expectations in order to maintain self-esteem. However, if the person has a Internal/Effort explanation and high expectations for success, the person will persevere (i.e., stay motivated) in spite of temporary setbacks because one's self-esteem is not tied to immediate success.
http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/motivation/motivate.html
motivation : Motivation to Learn: An Overview
Definition
The following definitions of motivation were gleaned from a variety of psychology textbooks and reflect the general consensus that motivation is an internal state or condition (sometimes described as a need, desire, or want) that serves to activate or energize behavior and give it direction (see Kleinginna and Kleinginna, 1981a).
internal state or condition that activates behavior and gives it direction;
desire or want that energizes and directs goal-oriented behavior;
influence of needs and desires on the intensity and direction of behavior.
Franken (1994) provides an additional component in his definition:
the arousal, direction, and persistence of behavior.
While still not widespread in terms of introductory psychology textbooks, many researchers are now beginning to acknowledge that the factors that energize behavior are likely different from the factors that provide for its persistence.
Importance of motivation
Most motivation theorists assume that motivation is involved in the performance of all learned responses; that is, a learned behavior will not occur unless it is energized. The major question among psychologists, in general, is whether motivation is a primary or secondary influence on behavior. That is, are changes in behavior better explained by principles of environmental/ecological influences, perception, memory, cognitive development, emotion, explanatory style, or personality or are concepts unique to motivation more pertinent.
For example, we know that people respond to increasingly complex or novel events (or stimuli) in the environment up to a point and then responses decrease. This inverted-U-shaped curve of behavior is well-known and widely acknowledged (e.g., Yerkes & Dodson, 1908). However, the major issue is one of explaining this phenomenon. Is this a conditioning (is the individual behaving because of past classical or operant conditioning), a motivational process (from an internal state of arousal), or is there some better explanation?
The relationship of motivation and emotion
Emotion (an indefinite subjective sensation experienced as a state of arousal) is different from motivation in that there is not necessarily a goal orientation affiliated with it. Emotions occur as a result of an interaction between perception of environmental stimuli, neural/hormonal responses to these perceptions (often labeled feelings), and subjective cognitive labeling of these feelings (Kleinginna and Kleinginna, 1981b). Evidence suggests there is a small core of core emotions (perhaps 6 or 8) that are uniquely associated with a specific facial expression (Izard, 1990). This implies that there are a small number of unique biological responses that are genetically hard-wired to specific facial expressions. A further implication is that the process works in reverse: if you want to change your feelings (i.e., your physiological functioning), you can do so by changing your facial expression. That is, if you are motivated to change how you feel and your feeling is associated with a specific facial expression, you can change that feeling by purposively changing your facial expression. Since most of us would rather feel happy than otherwise, the most appropriate facial expression would be a smile.
Explanations of influences/causes of arousal and direction may be different from explanations of persistence
In general, explanations regarding the source(s) of motivation can be categorized as either extrinsic (outside the person) or intrinsic (internal to the person). Intrinsic sources and corresponding theories can be further subcategorized as either body/physical, mind/mental (i.e., cognitive, affective, conative) or transpersonal/spiritual.
http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/motivation/motivate.html
The following definitions of motivation were gleaned from a variety of psychology textbooks and reflect the general consensus that motivation is an internal state or condition (sometimes described as a need, desire, or want) that serves to activate or energize behavior and give it direction (see Kleinginna and Kleinginna, 1981a).
internal state or condition that activates behavior and gives it direction;
desire or want that energizes and directs goal-oriented behavior;
influence of needs and desires on the intensity and direction of behavior.
Franken (1994) provides an additional component in his definition:
the arousal, direction, and persistence of behavior.
While still not widespread in terms of introductory psychology textbooks, many researchers are now beginning to acknowledge that the factors that energize behavior are likely different from the factors that provide for its persistence.
Importance of motivation
Most motivation theorists assume that motivation is involved in the performance of all learned responses; that is, a learned behavior will not occur unless it is energized. The major question among psychologists, in general, is whether motivation is a primary or secondary influence on behavior. That is, are changes in behavior better explained by principles of environmental/ecological influences, perception, memory, cognitive development, emotion, explanatory style, or personality or are concepts unique to motivation more pertinent.
For example, we know that people respond to increasingly complex or novel events (or stimuli) in the environment up to a point and then responses decrease. This inverted-U-shaped curve of behavior is well-known and widely acknowledged (e.g., Yerkes & Dodson, 1908). However, the major issue is one of explaining this phenomenon. Is this a conditioning (is the individual behaving because of past classical or operant conditioning), a motivational process (from an internal state of arousal), or is there some better explanation?
The relationship of motivation and emotion
Emotion (an indefinite subjective sensation experienced as a state of arousal) is different from motivation in that there is not necessarily a goal orientation affiliated with it. Emotions occur as a result of an interaction between perception of environmental stimuli, neural/hormonal responses to these perceptions (often labeled feelings), and subjective cognitive labeling of these feelings (Kleinginna and Kleinginna, 1981b). Evidence suggests there is a small core of core emotions (perhaps 6 or 8) that are uniquely associated with a specific facial expression (Izard, 1990). This implies that there are a small number of unique biological responses that are genetically hard-wired to specific facial expressions. A further implication is that the process works in reverse: if you want to change your feelings (i.e., your physiological functioning), you can do so by changing your facial expression. That is, if you are motivated to change how you feel and your feeling is associated with a specific facial expression, you can change that feeling by purposively changing your facial expression. Since most of us would rather feel happy than otherwise, the most appropriate facial expression would be a smile.
Explanations of influences/causes of arousal and direction may be different from explanations of persistence
In general, explanations regarding the source(s) of motivation can be categorized as either extrinsic (outside the person) or intrinsic (internal to the person). Intrinsic sources and corresponding theories can be further subcategorized as either body/physical, mind/mental (i.e., cognitive, affective, conative) or transpersonal/spiritual.
http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/motivation/motivate.html
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
motivation : 5 Ways To Stay Motivated
Do you remember the day you first joined your gym? Wasn't it a great feeling, knowing that you had finally taken that first step towards living a healthier life? Making a conscious, positive decision to improve is rewarding, and hopefully we've all kept that promise to ourselves. But try as we might, it seems that there's always a handy excuse to not exercise.
While gym attendance peaks around January, it slacks off every March/April as people forget about their New Year Resolutions. Summer BBQ's and vacations tend to make people stay away from the gym, and six months later holiday parties and planning to the same thing. Finally, we can all relate to those days when we simply don't want to work out!
The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, a trade association serving the health and fitness club industry, reports that the average health club member in the United States spends only about 90 days at the gym per year.
Our goal at Pick Up The Pace (www.letspickupthepace.com) is to help you STAY MOTIVATED to exercise! We don't just want to help you with the 'how' of exercise – we want to help you with the 'why' too!
That's why we regularly bring new music into the gym, offer games and contests, provide fitness education materials, weigh and measure monthly, provide a fun environment, make it easy to get to the gym with expanded hours, and basically just do what we can to help you stay motivated. We want you to look forward to exercising!
So what can you do to stay motivated? Here are five great ideas to help us all keep that inner fire burning…..
1) Find an exercise buddy! When we know that someone else is going to meet us at the gym at a certain time, we will automatically be much more likely to show up ourselves. After all, who wants to abandon their friend? Don't have a friend at the gym? Invite one along! She will appreciate the invitation, and will be much healthier for it!
2) Get to know people in the gym! One of the many reasons why women enjoy Pick Up The Pace so much is that it's part exercise facility and part social club! Visiting with friends and family while we're exercising makes the time go by so fast it hardly even seems like we're doing something good for us. It's great to get out of the house or office and just have some fun with other ladies!
3) Talk with your doctor! We all know that exercise is good for us. From helping to prevent cancer to lowering our blood pressure to helping us fit into that swimming suit, exercise is the best thing we can do for ourselves. Even with that knowledge, it's sometimes encouraging to hear about our progress from our doctor. Here's a hot motivation tip: ask your gym for a copy of your fitness records (monthly body fat analysis and measurements) and then share that information with your doctor. He or she will be so happy that you're exercising, and will encourage you to continue!
4) Chart your progress! The CEO of a Fortune 500 company once said "What gets measured gets done", and that advice is as good for us as it was for that business. Take the time to keep a food journal, an exercise log, or simply write down your fitness goals. Post it where you will see it every single day (on the 'fridge, in the car, on the mirror, etc.). Life is just so busy these days, a constant visual reminder of our goals may be just the motivational push we need.
5) Give yourself a reward! Sometimes the 'big picture' can be too intimidating. For example, if you have 80 pounds to lose it's tempting to think "It's too much! I shouldn't even try." That's one of the biggest motivation-killers out there, so combat those discouraging thoughts by rewarding yourself for smaller accomplishments. Treat yourself to a manicure when you lose that first five pounds. Buy a new outfit when you've lost ten pounds. Take a mini-vacation when you're halfway to your goal. Give yourself small rewards for achieving smaller goals, and guess what.....many small steps make up a long journey! Before you know it, you'll have accomplished your overall goal!
There are many other ways to give yourself the motivation to succeed. Try some of these tips today – the only thing you have to lose is the fat!
by Pete Johanson
While gym attendance peaks around January, it slacks off every March/April as people forget about their New Year Resolutions. Summer BBQ's and vacations tend to make people stay away from the gym, and six months later holiday parties and planning to the same thing. Finally, we can all relate to those days when we simply don't want to work out!
The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, a trade association serving the health and fitness club industry, reports that the average health club member in the United States spends only about 90 days at the gym per year.
Our goal at Pick Up The Pace (www.letspickupthepace.com) is to help you STAY MOTIVATED to exercise! We don't just want to help you with the 'how' of exercise – we want to help you with the 'why' too!
That's why we regularly bring new music into the gym, offer games and contests, provide fitness education materials, weigh and measure monthly, provide a fun environment, make it easy to get to the gym with expanded hours, and basically just do what we can to help you stay motivated. We want you to look forward to exercising!
So what can you do to stay motivated? Here are five great ideas to help us all keep that inner fire burning…..
1) Find an exercise buddy! When we know that someone else is going to meet us at the gym at a certain time, we will automatically be much more likely to show up ourselves. After all, who wants to abandon their friend? Don't have a friend at the gym? Invite one along! She will appreciate the invitation, and will be much healthier for it!
2) Get to know people in the gym! One of the many reasons why women enjoy Pick Up The Pace so much is that it's part exercise facility and part social club! Visiting with friends and family while we're exercising makes the time go by so fast it hardly even seems like we're doing something good for us. It's great to get out of the house or office and just have some fun with other ladies!
3) Talk with your doctor! We all know that exercise is good for us. From helping to prevent cancer to lowering our blood pressure to helping us fit into that swimming suit, exercise is the best thing we can do for ourselves. Even with that knowledge, it's sometimes encouraging to hear about our progress from our doctor. Here's a hot motivation tip: ask your gym for a copy of your fitness records (monthly body fat analysis and measurements) and then share that information with your doctor. He or she will be so happy that you're exercising, and will encourage you to continue!
4) Chart your progress! The CEO of a Fortune 500 company once said "What gets measured gets done", and that advice is as good for us as it was for that business. Take the time to keep a food journal, an exercise log, or simply write down your fitness goals. Post it where you will see it every single day (on the 'fridge, in the car, on the mirror, etc.). Life is just so busy these days, a constant visual reminder of our goals may be just the motivational push we need.
5) Give yourself a reward! Sometimes the 'big picture' can be too intimidating. For example, if you have 80 pounds to lose it's tempting to think "It's too much! I shouldn't even try." That's one of the biggest motivation-killers out there, so combat those discouraging thoughts by rewarding yourself for smaller accomplishments. Treat yourself to a manicure when you lose that first five pounds. Buy a new outfit when you've lost ten pounds. Take a mini-vacation when you're halfway to your goal. Give yourself small rewards for achieving smaller goals, and guess what.....many small steps make up a long journey! Before you know it, you'll have accomplished your overall goal!
There are many other ways to give yourself the motivation to succeed. Try some of these tips today – the only thing you have to lose is the fat!
by Pete Johanson
motivation : 10 Secrets to Motivating Yourself to Great Accomplishments
10 Secrets to Motivating Yourself to Great Accomplishments
by Ed Sykes ©2004
1. Positive Affirmations
Our subconscious mind is a wonderful tool for success or failure. It will do what we tell it to do. It all depends on what thoughts we feed it. So why not feed your inner mind with only positive thoughts. The following are some examples of positive affirmations you can feed your inner mind for success:
* "Today, I will win because I have faith, courage and enthusiasm."
* "I see failure only as a signpost on my road to success."
* "When I feel stress, I will relax and release my stress before I take on my next task."
* "I always write down my priorities, thinking of my responsibilities. I may not get everything done, but I will do the most productive thing possible at every given moment."
* "I am a winner, I work for a winning organization, and because of my contribution and cooperation we will keep on winning."
* "Today, I will see opportunity in every challenge offered to me."
2. Positive Language
Recent research has come out that 75% of daily conversation is negative. Whether it is the words we use or the body language, we need to communicate in a positive manner all the time.
The following are some examples of how you can turn negative words into positive communication:
* Instead of saying "problem," call it "opportunity."
* Instead of an action being a "failure," describe it as a "learning experience."
* Instead of "I have to," say "I choose to." This gives control for your actions back to you.
* Instead of saying, "There's nothing I can do," say, "Let's look at our alternatives."
* Instead of saying, "That's just the way I am," say, "I choose a different approach."
* Instead of saying, "He makes me so mad," say, "I control my own feelings."
If you notice, by using the positive response, you have control over your actions and life.
3. Exercise
A Gallup survey found the following among men and women who have taken up exercise recently:
* 66 percent report a more relaxed life
* 62 percent a new surge of energy
* 55 percent less stress
* 51 percent better looks
* 46 percent more confidence
* 45 percent better love life
* 44 percent greater job satisfaction
* 37 percent more creative on their jobs
These are great motivators to exercise! Next time you feel demotivated, give your body a workout. Recent research reports that as little as fifteen minutes three times a week has profound effects. Get moving. Get motivated.
4. Take Risks
We all live our lives in comforts zones, avoiding risky situations, avoiding the potential to fail. It's real safe for us. But in order to get ahead of your competition and master the ongoing change in your life, you must go out of your comfort zone. Start one step at a time. Try that little new thing, that different approach. It could be as simple as taking different routes to and from work. Once in a while I like to "take the road less traveled" to stir up my creative juices. Then, keep stepping out of your zone. It may seem uncomfortable at first. But the more you do it, the more it will seem natural and you will see an increase in your creative juices and opportunities you never thought about before.
5. Positive Reading
Read about the lives of successful people. Make sure you read only those people that embrace the timeless values that make them truly successful through the ages. Not the "success today, scandal tomorrow" success stories that we are experiencing today. People like Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines, Fred Smith of Federal Express, Mary Kay Ash of Mary Kay, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are good examples. These are people who overcame enormous challenges, created real value for others, or changed other people's lives for the better.
6. Positive Visualizations
Condition yourself to paint your vision for success. One of the best ways to do this is the following:
* Go to a quiet place in your home or elsewhere. Turn off all radios, televisions, etc.
* Find a comfortable chair and get into a relaxed state of mind.
* Start thinking about one goal you want to accomplish. Remember, visualize as if you are already accomplishing this goal.
* Visualize taking all the necessary steps to successfully complete these goals. The better your visualization, where you can actually see, feel, hear, and touch your vision, the more real it is to you.
* Visualize any challenges to your successful completion of this goal and how you will eliminate this challenges.
* Visualize how good it feels to complete this goal. Visualize what benefits it will bring to you, your family, friends, co-workers, etc. Enjoy the moment!
Important: If you don't take time to see it, it won't happen!
7. Think Big
See the big picture in everything we do. So much of our time is wasted dealing with the unimportant things in our lives (what that person said or did, the driver who cut us off this morning, and activities which don't add value to our lives, etc.) that we forget about the big picture. We were put on this earth to make a difference. We make a difference for our families, our communities, our organizations, and for ourselves. All of our actions must be put into action with this concept in mind. Think a little bigger today than yesterday, and you'll create a better future tomorrow. Thinking big leads to great actions. Thinking small leads to small results. So Think BIG!
8. Set Goals
The fastest way to fail in life is to not set clear goals. Set goals in the financial, family, health, spiritual, and career areas. Your goals must incorporate the SMART techniques or else it's just a "conversation in the park."
* S for specific
* M for measurable
* A for attainable
* R for realistic
* T for time-based
For example, you might have a goal of achieving $2 million for retirement in twenty years. After doing your research, a SMART goal would be the following:
"I will acquire $2 million dollars for retirement by 2024. I will do this by contributing $20K, or $1667 per month, to my various retirement funds each year. Of the $20k each year, $2k will go to my IRA, and $18K will go into my organization's retirement program."
Remember the most detail you can add, the more realistic your goal becomes.
9. Positive Appearance
Super achievers are very careful about their appearance and their movements. They know that looking good translates into feeling good. Billy Crystal, of Saturday Night Live and movie fame, once played a character that was known for saying, "It is better to look good than to feel good." What he was really implying was the "fake it until you make it" concept. In other words, if we are feeling down, then think positively and your mind will tell your body to follow suit and act positively. Also always dress the part of an achiever. Model the dress, actions, and behaviors of someone who is successful and embraces the long term values of successful people. This will also tell your mind that I am an achiever.
Don't let that be the deciding factor on being motivated. You can easily distinguish those who are motivated from those who are not motivated just by looking at their appearance and their movements. The motivated move forward, onward and upward with confidence.
10. Helping Others
Develop an obsession to help others. Share your special talents without expecting a reward, payment, or commendation. And above all else, keep your good deed a secret.
You know what, it you apply the helping techniques to others, it will automatically come back to you tenfold in a number of ways. First, the enjoyment of knowing that a special talent you had made someone else's life better. Second, because you didn't seek it, word will spread about you and your deeds. This will be translated into unexpected riches and opportunities. Third, you will gain a new level of confidence in knowing that you can make a difference. Super achievers find motivation and meaning by helping others.
by Dan Auito
by Ed Sykes ©2004
1. Positive Affirmations
Our subconscious mind is a wonderful tool for success or failure. It will do what we tell it to do. It all depends on what thoughts we feed it. So why not feed your inner mind with only positive thoughts. The following are some examples of positive affirmations you can feed your inner mind for success:
* "Today, I will win because I have faith, courage and enthusiasm."
* "I see failure only as a signpost on my road to success."
* "When I feel stress, I will relax and release my stress before I take on my next task."
* "I always write down my priorities, thinking of my responsibilities. I may not get everything done, but I will do the most productive thing possible at every given moment."
* "I am a winner, I work for a winning organization, and because of my contribution and cooperation we will keep on winning."
* "Today, I will see opportunity in every challenge offered to me."
2. Positive Language
Recent research has come out that 75% of daily conversation is negative. Whether it is the words we use or the body language, we need to communicate in a positive manner all the time.
The following are some examples of how you can turn negative words into positive communication:
* Instead of saying "problem," call it "opportunity."
* Instead of an action being a "failure," describe it as a "learning experience."
* Instead of "I have to," say "I choose to." This gives control for your actions back to you.
* Instead of saying, "There's nothing I can do," say, "Let's look at our alternatives."
* Instead of saying, "That's just the way I am," say, "I choose a different approach."
* Instead of saying, "He makes me so mad," say, "I control my own feelings."
If you notice, by using the positive response, you have control over your actions and life.
3. Exercise
A Gallup survey found the following among men and women who have taken up exercise recently:
* 66 percent report a more relaxed life
* 62 percent a new surge of energy
* 55 percent less stress
* 51 percent better looks
* 46 percent more confidence
* 45 percent better love life
* 44 percent greater job satisfaction
* 37 percent more creative on their jobs
These are great motivators to exercise! Next time you feel demotivated, give your body a workout. Recent research reports that as little as fifteen minutes three times a week has profound effects. Get moving. Get motivated.
4. Take Risks
We all live our lives in comforts zones, avoiding risky situations, avoiding the potential to fail. It's real safe for us. But in order to get ahead of your competition and master the ongoing change in your life, you must go out of your comfort zone. Start one step at a time. Try that little new thing, that different approach. It could be as simple as taking different routes to and from work. Once in a while I like to "take the road less traveled" to stir up my creative juices. Then, keep stepping out of your zone. It may seem uncomfortable at first. But the more you do it, the more it will seem natural and you will see an increase in your creative juices and opportunities you never thought about before.
5. Positive Reading
Read about the lives of successful people. Make sure you read only those people that embrace the timeless values that make them truly successful through the ages. Not the "success today, scandal tomorrow" success stories that we are experiencing today. People like Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines, Fred Smith of Federal Express, Mary Kay Ash of Mary Kay, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are good examples. These are people who overcame enormous challenges, created real value for others, or changed other people's lives for the better.
6. Positive Visualizations
Condition yourself to paint your vision for success. One of the best ways to do this is the following:
* Go to a quiet place in your home or elsewhere. Turn off all radios, televisions, etc.
* Find a comfortable chair and get into a relaxed state of mind.
* Start thinking about one goal you want to accomplish. Remember, visualize as if you are already accomplishing this goal.
* Visualize taking all the necessary steps to successfully complete these goals. The better your visualization, where you can actually see, feel, hear, and touch your vision, the more real it is to you.
* Visualize any challenges to your successful completion of this goal and how you will eliminate this challenges.
* Visualize how good it feels to complete this goal. Visualize what benefits it will bring to you, your family, friends, co-workers, etc. Enjoy the moment!
Important: If you don't take time to see it, it won't happen!
7. Think Big
See the big picture in everything we do. So much of our time is wasted dealing with the unimportant things in our lives (what that person said or did, the driver who cut us off this morning, and activities which don't add value to our lives, etc.) that we forget about the big picture. We were put on this earth to make a difference. We make a difference for our families, our communities, our organizations, and for ourselves. All of our actions must be put into action with this concept in mind. Think a little bigger today than yesterday, and you'll create a better future tomorrow. Thinking big leads to great actions. Thinking small leads to small results. So Think BIG!
8. Set Goals
The fastest way to fail in life is to not set clear goals. Set goals in the financial, family, health, spiritual, and career areas. Your goals must incorporate the SMART techniques or else it's just a "conversation in the park."
* S for specific
* M for measurable
* A for attainable
* R for realistic
* T for time-based
For example, you might have a goal of achieving $2 million for retirement in twenty years. After doing your research, a SMART goal would be the following:
"I will acquire $2 million dollars for retirement by 2024. I will do this by contributing $20K, or $1667 per month, to my various retirement funds each year. Of the $20k each year, $2k will go to my IRA, and $18K will go into my organization's retirement program."
Remember the most detail you can add, the more realistic your goal becomes.
9. Positive Appearance
Super achievers are very careful about their appearance and their movements. They know that looking good translates into feeling good. Billy Crystal, of Saturday Night Live and movie fame, once played a character that was known for saying, "It is better to look good than to feel good." What he was really implying was the "fake it until you make it" concept. In other words, if we are feeling down, then think positively and your mind will tell your body to follow suit and act positively. Also always dress the part of an achiever. Model the dress, actions, and behaviors of someone who is successful and embraces the long term values of successful people. This will also tell your mind that I am an achiever.
Don't let that be the deciding factor on being motivated. You can easily distinguish those who are motivated from those who are not motivated just by looking at their appearance and their movements. The motivated move forward, onward and upward with confidence.
10. Helping Others
Develop an obsession to help others. Share your special talents without expecting a reward, payment, or commendation. And above all else, keep your good deed a secret.
You know what, it you apply the helping techniques to others, it will automatically come back to you tenfold in a number of ways. First, the enjoyment of knowing that a special talent you had made someone else's life better. Second, because you didn't seek it, word will spread about you and your deeds. This will be translated into unexpected riches and opportunities. Third, you will gain a new level of confidence in knowing that you can make a difference. Super achievers find motivation and meaning by helping others.
by Dan Auito
Sunday, July 02, 2006
motivation : Social and self regulation
The self-control of motivation is increasingly understood as a subset of emotional intelligence; a person may be highly intelligent according to a more conservative definition (as measured by many intelligence tests), yet unmotivated to dedicate this intelligence to certain tasks. Victor Vroom's "expectancy theory" provides an account of when people will decide whether to exert self control to pursue a particular goal. Self control is often contrasted with automatic processes of stimulus-response, as in the behaviorist's paradigm of B.F. Skinner.
Drives and desires can be described as a deficiency or need that activates behaviour that is aimed at a goal or an incentive. These are thought to originate within the individual and may not require external stimuli to encouarge the behaviour. Basic drives could be sparked by deficiencies such as hunger, which motivates a person to seek food; whereas more subtle drives might be the desire for praise and approval, which motivates a person to behave in a manner pleasing to others.
By contrast, the role of extrinsic rewards and stimuli can be seen in the example of training animals by giving them treats when they perform a trick correctly. The treat motivates the animals to perform the trick consistently, even later when the treat is removed from the process.
Maslow's Theory
Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of human needs theory is the most widely discussed theories of motivation.
The theory can be summarized as thus:
Human beings have wants and desires which influence their behaviour, only unsatisfied needs can influence behaviour, satisfied needs cannot.
Since needs are many, they are arranged in order of importance, from the basic to the complex.
The person advances to the next level of needs only after the lower level need is at least minimally satisfied.
The further the progress up the hierarchy, the more individuality, humanness and psychological health a person will show.
The needs, listed from basic (lowest, earliest) to most complex (highest, latest) are as follows:
Physiological
Safety and security
Love
Self esteem
Self actualization
[edit]
Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory
Frederick Herzberg's two factor theory, concludes that certain factors in the workplace result in job satisfaction, while others lead to dissatisfaction.
He distinguished between: motivation and hygiene
Motivators; (e.g. challenging work, recognition, responsibility) which give positive satisfaction, and
Hygiene factors; (e.g. status, job security, salary and fringe benefits) which do not give positive satisfaction, although dissatisfaction results from their absence.
The theory is sometimes called the Motivator-Hygiene Theory.
Alderfer’s ERG Theory
Created by Clayton Alderfer, Maslow's hierarchy of needs was expanded, leading to his ERG theory (Existence, Relatedness and Growth). Physiological and safety, the lower order needs, were placed in the Existence category. Love and self esteem needs were placed in the Relatedness category. The Growth category contained the self actualization and self esteem needs.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Drives and desires can be described as a deficiency or need that activates behaviour that is aimed at a goal or an incentive. These are thought to originate within the individual and may not require external stimuli to encouarge the behaviour. Basic drives could be sparked by deficiencies such as hunger, which motivates a person to seek food; whereas more subtle drives might be the desire for praise and approval, which motivates a person to behave in a manner pleasing to others.
By contrast, the role of extrinsic rewards and stimuli can be seen in the example of training animals by giving them treats when they perform a trick correctly. The treat motivates the animals to perform the trick consistently, even later when the treat is removed from the process.
Maslow's Theory
Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of human needs theory is the most widely discussed theories of motivation.
The theory can be summarized as thus:
Human beings have wants and desires which influence their behaviour, only unsatisfied needs can influence behaviour, satisfied needs cannot.
Since needs are many, they are arranged in order of importance, from the basic to the complex.
The person advances to the next level of needs only after the lower level need is at least minimally satisfied.
The further the progress up the hierarchy, the more individuality, humanness and psychological health a person will show.
The needs, listed from basic (lowest, earliest) to most complex (highest, latest) are as follows:
Physiological
Safety and security
Love
Self esteem
Self actualization
[edit]
Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory
Frederick Herzberg's two factor theory, concludes that certain factors in the workplace result in job satisfaction, while others lead to dissatisfaction.
He distinguished between: motivation and hygiene
Motivators; (e.g. challenging work, recognition, responsibility) which give positive satisfaction, and
Hygiene factors; (e.g. status, job security, salary and fringe benefits) which do not give positive satisfaction, although dissatisfaction results from their absence.
The theory is sometimes called the Motivator-Hygiene Theory.
Alderfer’s ERG Theory
Created by Clayton Alderfer, Maslow's hierarchy of needs was expanded, leading to his ERG theory (Existence, Relatedness and Growth). Physiological and safety, the lower order needs, were placed in the Existence category. Love and self esteem needs were placed in the Relatedness category. The Growth category contained the self actualization and self esteem needs.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
motivation : Psychology motivation
In psychology, motivation refers to the initiation, direction, intensity and persistence of behavior (Geen, 1995). Motivation is a temporal and dynamic state that should not be confused with personality or emotion. Motivation is having the encouragement to do something. A motivated person can be reaching for a long-term goal such as becoming a professional writer or a more short-term goal like learning how to spell a particular word. Personality invariably refers to more or less permanent characteristics of an individual's state of being (e.g., shy, extrovert, conscientious). As opposed to motivation, emotion refers to temporal states that do not immediately link to behavior (e.g., anger, grief, happiness).
At the next level are motivations that have an obvious biological basis but are not required for the immediate survival of the organism. These include the powerful motivations for sex, parenting and aggression: again, the physiological bases of these are similar in humans and other animals, but the social complexities are greater in humans (or perhaps we just understand them better in our own species). In these areas insights from behavioral ecology and sociobiology have offered new analyses of both animal and human behaviour in the last decades of the twentieth century, though the extension of sociobiological analyses to humans remains highly controversial. Perhaps similar, but perhaps at a rather different level, is the motivation for new stimulation - variously called exploration, curiosity, or arousal-seeking. A crucial issue in the analysis of such motivations is whether they have a homeostatic component, so that they build up over time if not discharged; this idea was a key component of early twentieth century analyses of sex and aggression by, for example, Freud and Konrad Lorenz, and is a feature of much popular psychology of motivation. The biological analyses of recent decades, however, imply that such motivations are situational, arising when they are (or seem to be) needed to ensure an animal's fitness, and subsiding without consequences when the occasion for them passes.
Secondary goals
These important biological needs tend to generate more powerful emotions and thus more powerful motivation than secondary goals. This is described in models like Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs. A distinction can also be made between direct and indirect motivation: In direct motivation, the action satisfies the need, in indirect motivation, the action satisfies an intermediate goal, which can in turn lead to the satisfaction of a need. In work environments, money is typically viewed as a powerful indirect motivation, whereas job satisfaction and a pleasant social environment are more direct motivations. However, this example highlights well that an indirect motivational factor (money) towards an important goal (having food, clothes etc.) may well be more powerful than the direct motivation provided by an enjoyable workplace.
Coercion
The most obvious form of motivation is coercion, where the avoidance of pain or other negative consequences has an immediate effect. When such coercion is permanent, it is considered slavery. While coercion is considered morally reprehensible in many philosophies, it is widely practiced on prisoners, students in mandatory schooling, and in the form of conscription. Critics of modern capitalism charge that without social safety networks, wage slavery is inevitable. However many capitalists such as Ayn Rand have been very vocal against coercion. Successful coercion sometimes can take priority over other types of motivation.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
At the next level are motivations that have an obvious biological basis but are not required for the immediate survival of the organism. These include the powerful motivations for sex, parenting and aggression: again, the physiological bases of these are similar in humans and other animals, but the social complexities are greater in humans (or perhaps we just understand them better in our own species). In these areas insights from behavioral ecology and sociobiology have offered new analyses of both animal and human behaviour in the last decades of the twentieth century, though the extension of sociobiological analyses to humans remains highly controversial. Perhaps similar, but perhaps at a rather different level, is the motivation for new stimulation - variously called exploration, curiosity, or arousal-seeking. A crucial issue in the analysis of such motivations is whether they have a homeostatic component, so that they build up over time if not discharged; this idea was a key component of early twentieth century analyses of sex and aggression by, for example, Freud and Konrad Lorenz, and is a feature of much popular psychology of motivation. The biological analyses of recent decades, however, imply that such motivations are situational, arising when they are (or seem to be) needed to ensure an animal's fitness, and subsiding without consequences when the occasion for them passes.
Secondary goals
These important biological needs tend to generate more powerful emotions and thus more powerful motivation than secondary goals. This is described in models like Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs. A distinction can also be made between direct and indirect motivation: In direct motivation, the action satisfies the need, in indirect motivation, the action satisfies an intermediate goal, which can in turn lead to the satisfaction of a need. In work environments, money is typically viewed as a powerful indirect motivation, whereas job satisfaction and a pleasant social environment are more direct motivations. However, this example highlights well that an indirect motivational factor (money) towards an important goal (having food, clothes etc.) may well be more powerful than the direct motivation provided by an enjoyable workplace.
Coercion
The most obvious form of motivation is coercion, where the avoidance of pain or other negative consequences has an immediate effect. When such coercion is permanent, it is considered slavery. While coercion is considered morally reprehensible in many philosophies, it is widely practiced on prisoners, students in mandatory schooling, and in the form of conscription. Critics of modern capitalism charge that without social safety networks, wage slavery is inevitable. However many capitalists such as Ayn Rand have been very vocal against coercion. Successful coercion sometimes can take priority over other types of motivation.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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