![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
What's My Motivation?
Jan. 11th, 2007 09:32 amMore years back than I care to remember, I was stage-managing a production of The Changeling by Thomas Middleton and William Rowley. It was our first real day on the set to try a run through of the play before we really got into the tech rehearsal. The director needed a door closed for the next scene. The actor seems incapable of remembering to close the door. After about 3 times of this the director blew his stack and asked the actor what the problem was. The actor, a young bloke just starting his theatrical career said, "I just don't feel it. What's my motivation for closing the door?" After the director's face turned more colors than I thought possible he responded in a low growl, "What's your motivation? What's your motivation?" The actor leaned in to hear what the director was saying because he was talking softly and then the director let go with a yell that I think they heard on the other side of the campus, "Your bloody f**king paycheck is your motivation at this point just close the G**D*** door!" I think we all jumped about a foot when we heard him. The actor never forgot to close that door again.
There are things that one needs to do in life just because they need to be done. Motivation has to come from within and just get the situation over with. Not all things in life are pleasant and sweet. There are some rather crappy things that have to be dealt with and like a bandage the quicker the better. (Yeah, I am in the pull the thing off as fast a possible camp of bandage adhesive removal). There are things that need to be done every day even though they are rather mundane and boring. I find no excitement or fulfillment in taking a multi-vitamin every day. It is something I do to help my health in the long run. Every thing in life doesn't need to be fulfilling. I really don't know where that idea came from and why it is so prevalent in our society.
Personally I find that motivation that comes from within is more satisfying in the long run than motivation that pushed from the outside. Time can be a great motivator especially if you have a history of procrastination for personal projects. Sometime I find myself setting deadlines just to get my rear in gear before the real deadline shows up on my doorstep knocking with authority. That works in probably 30% of the cases. The percentage goes way up when my bloody paycheck is my motivation or I am doing something for someone else. Projects just for me tend to get the short end of the stick. The outside pressure does get things done but at the expense of peace of mind. I have compared various projects to the sword of Damocles hanging over my head. Always gnawing at my brain when I am awake and invading my dreams in funky ways when I am asleep.
Then there are the time sinks that always seem more interesting than what I really should be doing. The Internet is a big one for me. I can always seem to find a reason to go check something on the Internet rather than work on what I should be doing. I check my mail or various websites. I see what is up on various message boards. I look up information on a future project. I am a champion Googler. I was very well known for my researching abilities at Ballantine. Then there is this web log which I do love so much. It is my connection and conversation to the outside world. This thing does take time. Part of it I do during the day while I am doing other things. Jotting down thoughts and making mental notes of things that either happened or things that I read or hear. Sometimes an off-handed comment on the radio will get a whole thing started in my head. A lot of these go by the way side when it comes to sitting down and writing the actual entry. The ones that stick are written up and tossed out into cyberspace. Sort of like this entry.
I am grateful for all forms of motivation.
There are things that one needs to do in life just because they need to be done. Motivation has to come from within and just get the situation over with. Not all things in life are pleasant and sweet. There are some rather crappy things that have to be dealt with and like a bandage the quicker the better. (Yeah, I am in the pull the thing off as fast a possible camp of bandage adhesive removal). There are things that need to be done every day even though they are rather mundane and boring. I find no excitement or fulfillment in taking a multi-vitamin every day. It is something I do to help my health in the long run. Every thing in life doesn't need to be fulfilling. I really don't know where that idea came from and why it is so prevalent in our society.
Personally I find that motivation that comes from within is more satisfying in the long run than motivation that pushed from the outside. Time can be a great motivator especially if you have a history of procrastination for personal projects. Sometime I find myself setting deadlines just to get my rear in gear before the real deadline shows up on my doorstep knocking with authority. That works in probably 30% of the cases. The percentage goes way up when my bloody paycheck is my motivation or I am doing something for someone else. Projects just for me tend to get the short end of the stick. The outside pressure does get things done but at the expense of peace of mind. I have compared various projects to the sword of Damocles hanging over my head. Always gnawing at my brain when I am awake and invading my dreams in funky ways when I am asleep.
Then there are the time sinks that always seem more interesting than what I really should be doing. The Internet is a big one for me. I can always seem to find a reason to go check something on the Internet rather than work on what I should be doing. I check my mail or various websites. I see what is up on various message boards. I look up information on a future project. I am a champion Googler. I was very well known for my researching abilities at Ballantine. Then there is this web log which I do love so much. It is my connection and conversation to the outside world. This thing does take time. Part of it I do during the day while I am doing other things. Jotting down thoughts and making mental notes of things that either happened or things that I read or hear. Sometimes an off-handed comment on the radio will get a whole thing started in my head. A lot of these go by the way side when it comes to sitting down and writing the actual entry. The ones that stick are written up and tossed out into cyberspace. Sort of like this entry.
I am grateful for all forms of motivation.
