There are many definitions for the ABC of motivation. Here is one:
A = autonomy: I decide and I am in control of this.
B = belonging: This is who I am/we are. I/We do it like this (congruence).
C = competence: I can learn this. I am skilled and capable for this.
To increase level of motivation, figure out a situation today where you can say each sentence in your mind or out loud. This creates awareness of motivation that directs your behavior positively.
To attend: To be present at; to pay attention to; to look after
Attentivism is the ethics of the present moment. At the core of attentivism is situational and systemic awareness. Attentivism is seeking positive paths through attention to meaningful aspects of the present moment and social systems the person currently attends.
In a sense, attentivism is theoretical form of the practical wisdom that is accumulated while partaking in social systems, answering the question “What should be done?”.
Why this concept? Every concept is formed to help pay more attention to different aspects of reality, and share and discuss that information. With attentivism we pay attention to the attention process itself that runs in the mind, and look into its ethics.
A goal: publicly or privately expressed narrative about the desired state and outputs of a system
A lot has been written about goals, how you define them, go after them and measure them. In this text my goal is to offer more philosophical and at the same time concrete view that clears up the mysticism and magic around goal-setting that to many is difficult to grasp.
My desire with this text is that you, the reader, become more aware of how you understand, express and reflect on your goals (the desired state of the you-system).
The narratives in the present moment reflect the system state (outputs), but with goal narratives we effectively direct the development (typically expressed as direction) of the system.
Why this clarification?
To set effective goals, we need to understand what we want to change, develop or improve upon. When we have a clear analysis and understanding of the current state of the system (say, of our personal life), we can set good, effective goals that take the system to another state.
There is lot of guidance on setting SMART goals in an organizational setting, but my personal finding is that they, as expressed system states, rarely work in our own life. I think this is because they make everyday life feel like organizational development project. Maybe a goal reminds us of our ex-boss asking how we will measure and time-bind this or that goal, and we’re very much out in the land of negatives.
However, the point in SMART goals in everyday life can rather be in developing the process of and orientation into regular, publicly expressed goal setting. (Even if just in the private family setting.) Developing that process can be very valuable even though the outputs (goals) can’t always be attained. Another point is to learn, through this process, to set and express realistic goals.
Example questions when setting and expressing goals:
Hopefully I was able to reach the goal that I stated in the first chapter of this blog post. Personally, the process of writing this post clarified my views on goal-setting, so I measure the writing process as successful.
Saving and serving as words have a lot of historical and mythological baggage that coaching does not have. Understanding these concepts more clearly can help us relate to coaching in a more useful manner. Here’s a short breakdown of these concepts and what kind of relationship they build:
| Verb | Typical phrase | Economic relationship | Attitude |
| to save | “When ___, then ___.” | unnecessary consumption constant dependence | helplessness occasionally manipulative |
| to serve | “Do what I pay you for.” “I do what I’m paid to do.” | purchase of product or service as needed paid employment regular customer | be useful honesty and respecting contracts |
| to coach | “What are the best steps forward?” “How do you want me to hold you responsible?” | coaching relationship for a few months creating capacity and independence | create time, space and responsibility Reflection and self-awareness |
In my opinion, the most important resources of the human mind (besides food, nutrients and omega-3) are:
When you want to become more resourceful or create new approaches to a life’s problem, it’s good to understand this triangle and how the angles feed or hinder the growth of the whole.
It’s not a one-day fix, but a good start is to pay attention (ha!) to the current weakest link and strengthen that process and its quality with daily practice, e.g.:
When you have done these for ten years, do ten more years, and ten after that.
Labeling stuff as a journey is a typical way to elevate a process.
However, the real beauty in all relationships is when you learn to communicate without, or with awareness to clichés.
Be less obvious. Be you. You don’t need to be everything to all people.
If it doesn’t feel like a journey – then proudly make it about something else.
Or lose the grandiose label altogether and tell your complex story and situation instead.
Kun katsot tätä hetkeä kymmenen tai 25 vuoden kuluttua, ja jos jotain kadut, mitä se todennäköisimmin on?
Tästä perspektiivistä:
Kiirehtiessä menee helposti putkinäkömoodiin, vaihtoehdot jäävät kartoittamatta ja teemme turhaa työtä väärien asioiden parissa.
Tässä joitakin kysymyksiä kysyttäväksi kiireen tunnussa:
Kirjaa vastaukset ylös muistikirjaan ja palaa aiheeseen seuraavana päivänä. Todennäköisesti olet saanut uuden näkökulman kiireen tuntuusi.
Usein asioista käyttämämme sanat (esim. adjektiivit) voivat olla muutoksen este. Jos asiat ovat isoja ongelmia pienten esteiden tai hetkittäisten kuoppien sijaan, optimismi on tuolloin haastavaa.
Siksi on hyödyksi kirjoittaa ylös mietteitään vaikka päivä- tai muistikirjaan. Kun luet ylöskirjaamasi ajatuksen seuraavana päivänä tai viikon kuluttua, suurella todennäköisyydellä olet saanut merkittävän objektiivisen kulman aiemmin haastavaan tilanteeseesi.
Olemme valmiita vasta kun olemme kuolleet. Valmiuksia kuitenkin kannattaa kehittää päivittäin. Se pitää mielenkin terävänä. ~~
Valmius tarkoittaa taitavaa vastaan tulevien haastavien tilanteiden kohtaamista. Taidokkuus tarkoittaa tässä kyseisen tilanteen edellyttämiä erityistaitoja, ketteryyttä tilanteen ehdoilla ja nopeaa sopeutumista.
Englannin kielellä voisi tehdä seuraavanlaista erottelua ja visuaalista hahmotusta:
