Jumpstart Your Motivation through Time Bound Action

“Motivation is the Spark. Discipline is the Flame. Momentum is the Fuel”.

There are certain things that once we have decided we need to do them, we jump right in and complete the task.  In many instances, however, we find ourselves seeking the sometimes elusive feeling we call motivation.

What motivates us varies greatly depending on factors like deadlines/accountability or if it is an individual or team project.  Who is expecting the project to be done matters as well, which is why we are often more motivated to take action on work related projects than we are on projects that are personal (In case my wife is reading, yes – I will eventually reorganize the garage).

When it comes to motivation, the truth is that the most difficult step in most instances is the first step.  So how do you break through the psychological barrier to get started? What is a specific strategy I can implement now that will help me jump-start my motivation?

Redefine the Task

Just as much as we think of motivation as a feeling of being inspired toward action, we think of discipline as a personality characteristic that we either possess or we don’t possess. The truth is that discipline is formed by small actions over time that becomes habits.  Discipline is maintained by consistently initiating the action.  The act of starting in provides the momentum to follow through to completion.

Here is how we typically think of task completion, motivation and discipline:

• Procrastination a Motivation a Action a Task Complete

or

• Discipline a Action a Task Complete

The outcome (as it should be) is the ultimate goal.  The issue is that psychologically, this model depends on either motivation (I feel like it) or discipline (I have the characteristic, don’t I?) to achieve the outcome.

To push through this psychological barrier, I am advocating redefining the task from achieving the outcome to taking concentrated action for a short period of time with the option of continuing as you begin to create momentum to ultimately achieve the outcome.  I call this Time Bound Action.

Time Bound Action

While the ultimate outcome still remains the completion of the task, with Time Bound Action the goal changes from completing the task to giving five or 10 minutes of intense effort, giving yourself the option to continue as you begin to build momentum.

Here is how the Time Bound Action model looks:

• Time Bound Action a Choice a Momentum a Task Complete

or

• Time Bound Action a Choice a Done for Now a Set Time to Return
• Time Bound Action a Choice a Momentum a Task Complete

The principle behind using Time Bound Action is my self-coaching phrase:

• Motivation is the Spark.
• Discipline is the Flame.
• Momentum is the Fuel.

The actual time you choose should be just long enough to give you the greatest chance to build the needed momentum, but short enough that you think of it as an insignificant time period. Like everything, the key is finding a structure that will work for you and being flexible with it.

Smart phone users just press your home button and say “set timer for 15 minutes”.  While you do that, I am going to start in on the garage for the next 10 minutes.

So what works for tactics do you use to jump-start your motivation?  Have you tried this before?  Does it work for you?  Let me know in the comments below.

Connect with me on Twitter @thyrone and if you are in the Columbus, OH area @careercolumbus.  For more about me you can find me at thyrone.com.