Saturday, February 22, 2014
Being surrounded
Surrounding yourself with people or establishing your own environment can help motivate the unmotivated. The other day I went to a restaurant by myself, got a drink, put in my headphones, and simply sat and read my textbook. Was this the best reading environment they taught us we should have when we were younger? Probably not. Did people walk past me and wonder why I was reading? Probably. Did people walk past me and thing, well that's a good idea. I hope so. I decided to look past what people might think and put myself in a position that would motivate me to read 3 chapters about how to teach reading. I went somewhere I wanted to be, surrounded by people who may have been where I am, or who might aspire to be doing what I am doing someday. People are our greatest supporters and motivators.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Goals
Goals
When I was in high school I went to and was a counselor at a summer leadership camp. I think it was one of the most influential things in my life. It was a week every summer where I went away, with other kids my age, in the most positive environment you can ever imagine. It was at that camp where I think I found out who I was and who I wanted to be.
My favorite part of this camp was the guest speakers that came year after year to talk about life choices and how our decisions impact everything around us. Ed Gerety, spoke about believing, gratitude, attitude, kindness, respect, responsibility, and goals. He said that is you set a goal and work toward it you are 18 times more likely to accomplish that goal. Not to say that all of my crazy dreams were met in the past 10 years, because who know's what they really want to do with the rest of their life at age 14, but I think Ed was right. I did graduate college with a good gpa, I met lots of great people along the way, and moved half way across the country to see if I could make it on my own. If I didn't have any goals I don't believe I would have been motivated to accomplish all that I have.
Goals motivate me. They give me a direction and steps to meet and accomplish on my way. If you want to make dreams a reality you have to work toward them one step at a time. I'll pass on what Ed Gerety, and the summer leadership camp taught me...if you say "I will" then you are more likely to be motivated to meet your goal.
When I was in high school I went to and was a counselor at a summer leadership camp. I think it was one of the most influential things in my life. It was a week every summer where I went away, with other kids my age, in the most positive environment you can ever imagine. It was at that camp where I think I found out who I was and who I wanted to be.
My favorite part of this camp was the guest speakers that came year after year to talk about life choices and how our decisions impact everything around us. Ed Gerety, spoke about believing, gratitude, attitude, kindness, respect, responsibility, and goals. He said that is you set a goal and work toward it you are 18 times more likely to accomplish that goal. Not to say that all of my crazy dreams were met in the past 10 years, because who know's what they really want to do with the rest of their life at age 14, but I think Ed was right. I did graduate college with a good gpa, I met lots of great people along the way, and moved half way across the country to see if I could make it on my own. If I didn't have any goals I don't believe I would have been motivated to accomplish all that I have.
Goals motivate me. They give me a direction and steps to meet and accomplish on my way. If you want to make dreams a reality you have to work toward them one step at a time. I'll pass on what Ed Gerety, and the summer leadership camp taught me...if you say "I will" then you are more likely to be motivated to meet your goal.
Procrastination
Procrastination
Have you ever had a paper due the next morning and you still haven't started it yet? What about a time you are supposed to be somewhere and you just don't want to go? You just want to lay in bed or do anything besides what you are supposed to be doing? Well, this happens to me all the time. I know I need to do something and it would be easier and less stressful to start it right that second, but I still put it off. This is what I call procrastination.
Another version of procrastination is what I've deemed "productive procrastination." This occurs when you replace the task that really needs to get done with another productive task that could wait until later. For example, deciding to clean the bathroom when you really should be grading papers.
The ultimate question is, what motivates you to complete your homework on time? I'd have to say, sometimes it is the grade, but most of the time it's a voice inside my head saying it needs to get done no matter what. I think it links back to the values my parents instilled in me when I was a child. They set high expectations for me and in return I set them for myself. Procrastination or not, I still get what needs to be done, for the most part, on time. It's funny how I always fought with my parents about who was right, and it turns out they still put that little voice in my head telling me to get things done. What motivates you?
Have you ever had a paper due the next morning and you still haven't started it yet? What about a time you are supposed to be somewhere and you just don't want to go? You just want to lay in bed or do anything besides what you are supposed to be doing? Well, this happens to me all the time. I know I need to do something and it would be easier and less stressful to start it right that second, but I still put it off. This is what I call procrastination.
Another version of procrastination is what I've deemed "productive procrastination." This occurs when you replace the task that really needs to get done with another productive task that could wait until later. For example, deciding to clean the bathroom when you really should be grading papers.
The ultimate question is, what motivates you to complete your homework on time? I'd have to say, sometimes it is the grade, but most of the time it's a voice inside my head saying it needs to get done no matter what. I think it links back to the values my parents instilled in me when I was a child. They set high expectations for me and in return I set them for myself. Procrastination or not, I still get what needs to be done, for the most part, on time. It's funny how I always fought with my parents about who was right, and it turns out they still put that little voice in my head telling me to get things done. What motivates you?
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