Thinking Clearly - The Key to Motivation
Having worked in a variety of high-pressure and reactive environments, I came to the point when I needed to choose a clearer path. In education (like many service environments), there is a lot of red tape to contend with. Though inherently very important, the downside are the limits on the amount of time you actually spend focused on the most important thing, educating your pupils!
You may find yourself in the position where you just need a change, but with the choice of so many paths and that old feeling of ‘imposter’ syndrome and the self-doubt when you don’t perfectly fit a new role, jumping into a new role becomes difficult, especially if you have too many choices.
Personally, I have had past experiences of not being clear about my direction, nor which point of the compass to follow. I found that every choice had its pros and cons and the thoughts of “Am I really capable?” and “What if there’s something better out there?” We all lack clarity and we all occasionally suffer from ‘imposter syndrome’ or feeling that “the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.”
It happens in terms of our jobs, our relationships, and most long-term commitments that enter our lives.
To have clarity leads to an injection of energy, motivation and a call to further action. The opposite is feeling stagnant, stressed, confused and doubtful. The worst possible situation you can get yourself into is when you are leading others whilst holding those feelings within your core. Eventually someone will catch on, and you need to know when to get out when the going is good.
As there are so many areas in life which need clarity, and this is no mean feat. The following areas of life often come into play:
• Your values
• Your finances
• Your career
• Your beliefs
• Your health
• Your relationships with others
• Your personal and inter-personal boundaries
• What to cook for dinner?
• What your current day is going to look like?
Clarity comes from choosing from options based on your values and beliefs. Being clear on things means that you are more likely to experience instant motivation and a compelling need to take action, along with the sense of calm and confidence with less stress.
To get clear on your day-to-day life, this is what you do:
1. Set a time and a private space to think. This may be a static, physical, relaxing space, such as your bedroom or desk, or a physical activity such as walking, jogging taking a bath or shower, meditating, cycling or driving. It is a space which is uninterrupted and helps you to focus.
2. Write it all down; mind map it, list it, draw it, type it, dictate it; do whatever works to get your thoughts out of your unconscious mind and into your conscious thoughts.
3. Talk to a friend, counsellor, family member. Anybody, you can trust with sharing your internal thoughts, with little judgement on their part.
4. Narrow down the choices that ring true for you, your personality, your values, your beliefs, and your gut-feeling.
5. Weigh up the pros and cons, the advantages and disadvantages, the strengths and weaknesses of your thoughts and possible direction. Prioritise the things you have the strongest gut-feeling about.
6. If you are more of a “suck it and see” personality, get out there and take action on your thoughts and see what, in actuality, works best for you. You may have to draw on your inner bravery to do so, but always say to yourself, “What is the worst that can happen?”
7. Remember, we learn invaluable lessons from trying. Making mistakes is a part of a healthy “Growth Mindset” and develops our resilience to find a better path. We must learn to rationalise and manage external feedback and our own internal criticism. You know the difference between plain abuse and negative and constructive criticism. Use negative and constructive criticism as the fuel to level up on your path to your desired outcome.
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