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The thing that motivated me to finish my dissertation? It's laughable -- getting to wear the gown and hood at all my students' graduations. I thought the hood looked really cool. Maybe that's vanity?
For the most part, though --
1) Recognition. I'll admit it -- I'm much more extrinsically motivated (motivated by outside factors) than I'd like. I love praise. Compliments. Pats on the back. Shiny awards. It's really an embarrassment to me, and I would like to change that part of me but haven't figured out how to.
2) Accomplishment -- strangely enough, though, if it's trying something new (rather than doing my day-to-day stuff as well as possible), I want to do it just to say I can. My ever-evolving garden is an example. Plus most of the stuff on my life list is things I want to learn rather than experience.
3) Ice cream. Nothing motivates me more to take a walk than ice cream at the end of the trail.
I've been having a serious lack of motivation lately. Last few years it's been worse, so it's interesting to see your answers. So my three are: , and, .
Whenever I find my self in a tough spot, whenever I'm faced with a really difficult decision, I stop and ask myself: what would Jo Polnachek do? And then everything turns out right as rain.
1. I'm ashamed to say that I like praise as well, even though I tell people that I don't because well, people tend to think that you're an asshole. And thank you notes. Thank you notes warm my black little heart.
2. As much as I hated it when my dad mentioned it, the idea of becoming a 'woman of means'. (Yes, he used that legitmately in a conversation. Quite old fashioned.) I would love to not have to worry about exactly how much gas I can put in my car in a given week and that yeah, I can go buy a hot chocolate from the gas station up the street from work without digging through my purse for quarters.
3. Naps. I really, REALLY love sleeping. Seriously, I'd do it all the time if I could. If I can get through something with the promise of naps at the end, my ass is so there. I love sleep. Mmmmm, sleep. I've taken 2 naps already today and getting ready to go down for another.
The unbelievable frustration accumulated when a question asked has turned out to be such a bad idea that i'd rather read an entire technical manual and bloodless monotoned history than try to deal with the answerer.
The skull crazing frustration when trying to answer someone who has asked a question but has no interest in listening or the ability to perceive the world outside their head and just want you to make "it" happen without letting you do, touch, or try anything or doing anything you tell them to do.
The need to flee the world where those people live.
It use to be love, flow and wonder.
*sigh*
Excuse me as i take the short cut through happy hour.
photo by splunge
photo by TheophileEscargot
photo by Kronos_to_Earth
photo by ethylene
