Linear and Staggered Motivation

I've thought about this multiple times in the past few weeks, but it entered the forefront of my mind again when someone on my Facebook mentioned it in one of their statuses. Something that a lot of people struggle with when it comes to reaching one's goals or simply doing something they don't feel like doing, is motivation. I'm not here, this time, to distinguish the difference in motivation between doing something you enjoy doing and something you do not enjoy doing, but rather, a style of hierarchical view on motivation.

This person, from Facebook, mentioned that we have a finite amount of motivation with which to accomplish tasks and we should be discriminant in our choosing of what to allocate motivational resources...

> Re-read the Facebook post by this person, and they actually talk about "Discipline" rather than Motivation, but as my mind has been wired recently toward the latter, I will continue the discussion as if there were no discrepancy.

...While I agree that people, generally, have a certain reservoir of motivational "juice" with which to power their endeavors, I also feel there are different styles of understanding and maximizing one's motivation. First off, understanding the general difference between long term and short term motivation is imperative. A person with great short term motivation can fall short in their long term goals, but a long term motivatee proves that they have the ability to reach many short term goals to complete the reality of their long term goal (think of check points [short term] before reaching a destination [long term]). However, I feel that a linear path of motivation (similar to my brief thoughts on Success) is sub-optimal as what I try to instill in myself. I see people taking on one objective and following a "checkpoint" pattern of smaller, "chewable" chunks to that long term objective. While this is effective if the person can keep their "eye on the prize" and delay gratification, I feel that there are better ways of maximizing one's motivation - and in some way, make one's motivation almost unlimited depending on the number of objectives that need/want to be fulfilled.

So, to illustrate:

Typical Motivational Pattern:

ST Objective 1A ---> ST Objective 1B ---> ST Objective 1C = LT Objective 1

So, as stated, this works, if that person has enough restraint, will, and ability to see these short term goals fulfilled to have that long term goal put together. Now, this implies that ST Objectives aren't gratifying, which, in most cases, they tend not to be, but rather, they are simply a means to the "real" prize (LT Objective).

Meanwhile, I see motivation as far more dynamic, self sustaining, and efficient.

ST Objective 1A ---> ST Objective 1B ---> ST Objective 1C = LT Objective 1

ST Objective 2A ---> ST Objective 2B = LT Objective 2

Now, you'll see that there are two motivation paths, but that's all I illustrated - there can be more, depending on numbers of LT objectives, difficulty, and the individual themselves. The idea is that although you are motivating yourself to finish one long term objective, it is possible, and favorably so, to take on more long term objectives, if they are shorter in duration or less complex to accomplish. Motivation, from my view, is a general concept that makes us feel good, in general, about ourselves when we finish something that we started. If that is the case, a general sense of accomplishment and progression on the psyche can be used advantageously. People are, in almost all cases, dynamic. If that is true, individuals have more than one goal they'd like to work towards (promotion, beating a video game level, finishing 2 pieces of art, etc). In that case, tackling a larger long term objective and one or more smaller, staggered long term objectives will lead to a "refilling" effect of our motivational "juice". Essentially, as you finish one non-gratifying short term objective in your larger long term objective sequence, it is possible to finish a smaller, gratifying long term objective - this, theoretically and from my experience, makes a person feel positive about their "trend" upwards in their overall life, and as such, their motivation is rekindled/refilled to push onward with their other goals - most notably, their larger long term objective. This method could take longer, but the process is more enjoyable, easier to sustain, and noticeably more effective.

Just a few thoughts on Linear and "Staggered" motivation patterns. There's plenty more to discuss on the topic of motivation, but for now, my mind has nothing else to add. :-]

Listening to: Muse - "Plug In Baby", "Knights of Cydonia", "Hysteria", "Supermassive Black Hole"