About a million years ago I did a psychology degree … which was fine at the time.
I learnt a lot more about psychology through my work over 25 years with groups, communities and organisations in Australia and Ireland.
What fascinates me is how and why some people seem to be energised and engaged with their lives … and others … less so.
I was also interested in exploring why some groups and organisations seem to lose their way … get tired … seem to have lost their Vavavoom.
I love researching and reading so those questions led me to motivation theories.
I read a theory over 20 years ago that looks deceptively simple … yet it’s awesomely applicable to individuals and groups.
It’s called Goal Path Theory of Motivation.
I’m not going to go into who developed it and all the layers of the theory … because I forgot most of it!
I pulled together the core elements and used them all the time to help groups and organisations understand why they might be feeling lost, confused and unmotivated.
I’m like most people in that I like my theories to be fairly clear and easy to explain … and able to put them to practical use.
One day as I was writing/drawing the 3 core elements of the theory someone in the group said ‘it looks a bit like a fish’.
I looked at what I was writing and connected all the boxes and created the smiling motivation fish … and it’s been a very useful reflection and planning tool ever since.
Here’s a drawing of my motivation fish … yeh … gasp in awe at my design skills … not!
A fish has to keep moving to stay alive.
If you are feeling unsettled, confused, tired, unsure … then it could very well be because one of the 3 [actually 4 if you include intervening variables] factors aren’t clear.
Confusion is usually a signal that there’s a need for clarity.
Let’s have a look at each of the factors:
Needs – needs are what drive us to action.
Thirsty? Hungry? Need to wee? … yup … that’ll get you moving to do something … drink, eat, wee.
What’s interesting about basic needs is that once they are met they cease to motivate … until you get hungry or thirsty again. And then there are needs that act as drivers [motivators to action] for a lot longer … being with family; feeling connected to something or someone; being creative; giving back to the world; travelling … the list is endless.
All the things that are important to you can become motivators to action.
Goals – goals give us the focus for action.
Hungry? What kind of food? … Need to travel? Where? When? How? … Want to spend more time alone or with other people? Who? Where? Why?
Sorting out how, when, where, what and why of all your needs is important. Some things will have priority for a range of reasons.
Sorting all this out is really about working out your focus and the next steps forward [or sideways as the case may be].
E Factors – E factors are the fuels that make the fish swim.
They are the enthusiasm, energy, effort and expenditure of time, money, ideas, skills and sheer heart that will help you achieve your goals and meet your needs.
Intervening Variables – are all the experiences, attitudes, self talk, beliefs and behaviours that we have accumulated on our life expedition.
They are the baggage [old, new, shiny, bedraggled, comfortable] we choose to bring along with us … or leave behind … or remodel.
Last year my E Factors were a little low. I still enjoyed the work I did but there was something missing … a kind of energy kick that I get from doing things I love wasn’t there.
I was doing bits and pieces of work on Life Dreaming as well as doing the Focused Solutions work I’d done for over 25 years.
It wasn’t until I took a little time to relook at my motivation fish that I realised something … much as I loved the work I did with communities and organisations … I was done with it.
I had new dreams.
Life Dreaming came into sharper focus for me and I realised that I wanted to bring all my experience and skills and passion [good old E Factors] to providing tools to people so they could connect to their own power and make great choices about the lives they wanted to live.
Connecting people [individually or in groups] to their power to make choices about the lives they want to live has been the driving need and purpose of my life.
For over 25 years I’ve made it real through my work with organisations and communities.
I now want to make it real by working on Life Dreaming full time.
Having clarified the Need and perked up my E Factors I then had to focus on the range of steps I had to take to make the dream real.
I’m still doing Focused Solutions work as I need to earn money as we launch Life Dreaming … and finance my move [with Coco dog] to Bali late next year.
I love the work I do with organisations and communities so it’s no hardship. I’ll just need to make magnificent lists to get everything done!
I’m spending at least 8 hours a day [and sometimes 12 ... it's so much fun] on Life Dreaming work.
Marc and I have set dates for key launches of Life Dreaming … blog [September] and site with online Life Dreaming Expedition [January 2011] and LD Voyage to Bali [later in 2011].
And there’s a list as long as the Great Wall of China of things to do to make Life Dreaming work … and you know what?
I am so happy and energised and passionate about everything to do with Life Dreaming that it doesn’t feel like work … it feels like bliss.
And when I get scared [the good old self talk chatter that can debilitate us] I listen … and keep on going.
That’s your power.
That’s your choice.
To create the life you’d love to live.
[warwick goble - zenobia queen of palmyra]
Life Dreaming Activity
Take a break and look at the 4 Factors:
Needs – am I clear about my needs? Do I know what’s important in my life right now? Do I need to change them? Am I at a different point in my life and my needs are transforming? Maybe you are really clear about your needs but your goals aren’t clear … you haven’t clarified the next steps to action.
Goals – do I have any dreams? If I have dreams have I spent time really working out the next steps to make them real? Have I actually written anything down or do I just talk about it?
E Factors – is my energy, enthusiasm, effort low or high at the moment? If they are low then you go clarify your needs and goals.
Intervening Variable – what’s stopping me from living the life I’d love? Is my inner chatter helping or hindering me? Do I need to develop new skills to help me? Do I truly believe I deserve to achieve my dreams? This is a biggy and I write a lot about self talk and choices and attitude through the blog.
Just taking the step to reflect and answer these questions is a great first step to working out what’s important in your life.
Take time to explore and always be gentle on yourself.
Leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts on this post … and if any of the particular parts of the Motivation Fish need some fine tuning in your life.
This is very interesting and I think will be very helpful for me. Clearly I need to get a fish (and hopefully from that a life). Best of luck with the blog, the site and the move.
Thanks Jim and I’m glad that the Fish can be of some help to you.
Sometimes it’s just about giving yourself some time and space to have a bit of a think about where you are … what works and what doesn’t … and where you’d like to be in your life.
What’s important in our lives can change as we grow up or outside circumstances change.
If we don’t become consciously aware of our changing needs, goals and ‘E Factors’ … then we can often wonder why our lives feel a bit blah.
There’s no magic secret [even if people say there is ... there ain't].
It’s about giving yourself time and being clear and courageous enough to make choices and decisions about what’s important to you right now.
Good luck on getting your fish Jim and thanks for the good wishes.