The Motivation Myth (Jeff Haden)

 

I read another book on motivation and this one has the same thinking....people are only motivated when they DO something. It isn't inherent and it isn't like you're either motivated or you're not. You make your own motivation.

Successful people are successful because they do things differently from other people. 

- Jerry Seinfeld

He talked about how Jerry Seinfeld has a motto of "how to go the true extra mile, Seinfeld style". ie Work harder than everyone else, do things differently than others, start a streak and never break it

Like most bottom lines, this one is clean and simple.

Don't tell me your goals. Don't tell me your dreams.

Tell me your plan.

p. 255 He talks about a CEO, Dave Kerpen (Likeable Local) and how he handwrites three thank you notes every day. That would up my daily gratitude focused work! 

This book was a recommendation in another book I read - and it was well worth the time. There were a lot of great tips that I will implement.  One of his favorite successful people seems to be Jery Seinfeld. I'm okay with that!  I loved hearing his suggestions for success.

The best chapter was chapter 5...where he lays out steps for success:

• plan for super productive days...he called them Monster Energy Extreme Productivity Days
• Step 1 Let everyone know you won't be available
• Step 2 Decide how long you will work
• Step 3 Totally commit to how long you decided to work
• Step 4: Start your EPD at an unusual time (the idea is to break free of your usual routine)
• Step 5: Delay and space out your rewards
• Step 6: Refuel before you think you need to refuel
• Step 7: Take productive breaks, not relaxation breaks
• Step 8: Take your breaks at a counterintuitive moment
• Step 9: Don't stop until you're done - even if finishing takes longer than expected
• How to have your most productive week ever
• Step 1: Every Sunday, map out your week
• Step 2: Actively block out task time
• Step 3: Follow a realistic to-do list
• Step 4: Default to thirty-minute meetings
• Step 5: Stop multitasking
• Step 6: Obsess about leveraging "edge" time (ie when you're driving, read while in lines, etc)
• Step 7: Track your time
• Step 8: Be thoughtful about lunch. Some ideas: network, build bridges with people/departments. Don't eat with the same people every day. Go for a walk during part of your lunch
• Step 9: Protect your family time
• Step 10: Start every day right (exercise, study, eat a good breakfast, etc.)
• How to have the most productive mind-set ever
• Step 1: Stop making excuses for doing less
• Step 2: Stop letting disapproval, or even scorn, stand in your way (people will notice...don't worry about what they say)
• Step 3: Stop letting fear hold you back
• Step 4: Stop waiting for inspiration
• Step 5: Stop turning down the help you need
• Step 6: Stop stopping
• How to have the willpower...without needing willpower
• Step 1: Eliminate as many choices as possible (eat the same thing for breakfast or lunch, have routines...follow them)
• Step 2: Make decisions tonight so you won't need to make them tomorrow
• Step 3: Do the hardest thing you need to do first
• Step 4: Refuel often
• Step 5: Create reminders of your long-term goals
• Step 6: Remove temptation altogether

Learn to ignore the things you have no control over

Goodreads says:

From Inc.com's most popular columnist, a counterintuitive--but highly practical--guide to finding and maintaining the motivation to achieve great things.

It's comforting to imagine that superstars in their fields were just born better equipped than the rest of us. When a co-worker loses 20 pounds, or a friend runs a marathon while completing a huge project at work, we assume they have more grit, more willpower, more innate talent, and above all, more motivation to see their goals through.

But that's not at actually true, as popular Inc.com columnist Jeff Haden proves. "Motivation" as we know it is a myth. Motivation isn't the special sauce that we require at the beginning of any major change. In fact, motivation is a result of process, not a cause. Understanding this will change the way you approach any obstacle or big goal.

Haden shows us how to reframe our thinking about the relationship of motivation to success. He meets us at our level--at the beginning of any big goal we have for our lives, a little anxious and unsure about our way forward, a little burned by self-help books and strategies that have failed us in the past-and offers practical advice that anyone can use to stop stalling and start working on those dreams.

Haden takes the mystery out of accomplishment, proving that success isn't about spiritual awakening or a lightning bolt of inspiration --as Tony Robbins and adherents of The Secret believe--but instead, about clear and repeatable processes. Using his own advice, Haden has consistently drawn 2 million readers a month to his posts, completed a 107-mile long mountain bike race, and lost 10 pounds in a month.

Success isn't for the uniquely-qualified; it's possible for any person who understands the true nature of motivation. Jeff Haden can help you transcend average and make lasting positive change in your life.