Practical Ways To Motivate Yourself To Learn A Skill
One way to motivate yourself to work hard at anything is to risk wasting your money if you fail to put in the necessary effort. When Charles Simeon, the great preacher and theologian, was at Cambridge, he promised himself that if he failed to get up at 6 a.m. he would throw one golden guinea into the River Cam. One morning he had to make his way to a bridge over the river and throw in one very valuable golden guinea. He only had to do this once before he established the habit of getting up at 6. The thought of throwing away your money is a powerful motivator! Pay for lessons in whatever skill you want to learn. You won't want to waste your money. Personal trainers can teach you something about how to improve your physical condition but their main value lies in the fact that, if you don't do what they tell you to do, you will be wasting your money. I regularly have lessons with a local computer maintenance expert and local web designer. They both visit my house so that I don't have to motivate myself to get in the car and travel to some distant learning center! We can also work directly on my computer. For one hour I focus my whole attention on working with my computer expert. I have the motivation of working with another human being. It would be rude to doze off or watch a TV program. I also have the motivation of making good use of the money I am paying him to teach me some very useful skills. I work with my web designer for two hours at a time and, whether I feel like doing web design or not, I am motivated by his presence to get on with it. I also want to avoid wasting the money I am paying him. These regular sessions usually inspire me to do more work on computer and web design skills in the rest of the week. They also allow me to make far better use of my computer and websites. All this encourages me to learn more. When you are working on your own, you can vary the length of your work sessions to suit yourself. One hour is too long for some. Psychologists tell us that 20 minutes is the optimum length of time for taking in new facts and ideas. So try working on one project for twenty minutes and then taking a small break before working on the same project for another twenty minutes or working on a different project for twenty minutes. The advantage of working on the same project for consecutive twenty minute sessions is that you have all the materials for that project easily available and the project is fresh in your mind. The advantage of working on another project is that the mind is invigorated by focusing on a new topic. Also the fact that you have only 20 minutes in which to make progress gives you a motivating deadline and challenge. You start thinking "I have only 20 minutes available. I had better get a move on." After a couple of hours work it is worth doing something physical like taking a short walk or doing some exercises. When you return to work you will feel ready to concentrate and make progress. It also helps to map out your study schedule the night before and write it down so that your subconscious mind is tuned in to your plans and will help you achieve them. So don't be afraid of spending your money on training by a local expert and don't hesitate to experiment with the length of your skill learning sessions. Try single 20 minutes sessions on different skills or try several 20 minute sessions on just one skill. Write out your plans the night before and let your subconscious mind do some of the work. Finally, visualize yourself having mastered the skill you are working at. See yourself confidently creating websites and turning them into awesome cash machines or communication centers. See yourself explaining to your friends how to do what you have already done. Or visualize yourself performing those dance steps, which you have been learning, in front of a circle of admiring fans. See yourself singing with feeling and power and touching the hearts of those who are listening to you in rapt admiration even if, to begin with, your family is your only audience. About the author John Watson is an award winning teacher and martial arts instructor. He has recently written two books about achieving your goals and dreams. They can both be found on his website http://www.motivationtoday.com along with a daily motivational message. The title of the first book is "36 Laws To Ignite Your Inner Power And Realize Your Dreams Now! - Acronyms, Stories, And Pictures...Easy To Remember And Use Everyday To Grab Your Life And Soar With The Eagles" The book can be found at this URL http://www.motivationtoday.com/36_laws.php The book uses acronyms, stories and pictures to help readers remember 36 laws that can gradually transform your life if you apply them. You are welcome to publish the article above in your ezine or on your website so long as you do not alter it and keep in the words about the author and the 36 Laws.
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Get Up and Do!
The motivation to change my oil came the other day when I turned the key in my car's ignition. It coughed wearily, and there was an ominous clicking sound where the engine should have chimed in. Then there was a brief flashing of several lights on the dash. One of them was the oil light, and I sat behind the wheel for a minute, realizing that even if I had extra motor oil on hand, I've no idea where it goes.
Moving Past Your Comfort Zone
We all gravitate toward what we feel most comfortable doing. We avoid going to certain places or doing certain things, because we're afraid of failing or of looking foolish or any number of other (often unfounded) fears. So instead of taking on a new challenge, we stick with the tried and true. It's called staying in your comfort zone and it is one of the biggest roadblocks to leading a truly fulfilling life.
Correct Your Mindset and Expel The Fear
The main problem with many of us is we loose our direction in life. We have great aspirations upon leaving school or college but then just loose direction or do not know how to achieve our dreams. We are all taught the academic basics needed to function in today's world. We may then study further to achieve a qualification in a particular field. But we are never taught how to achieve real success. You need far more then just qualifications to make a success of your life. It's a fact that many people have left school with very few or no qualifications, but have still been very successful.
Forgotten Your New Years Resolutions Already? How To Get Back On Track
How quickly we forget. We are only a few weeks into the New Year, how many of you have forgotten that you even made any New Year resolutions.
Why Bother About Your Life?
Have you failed to create the life you want, because you are afraid to take risks or leave your comfort zone?
I?ll Do It In A Minute... Or Maybe I Won?t
'Procrastination is like a credit card: it's a lot of fun until you get the bill.'
Christopher Parker
5 Great Ways To Overcome Procrastination At Home
If you procrastinate at home you may suffer some consequences from disgruntled family members who have to carry your share of the workload.
7 Key Steps to Unshakable Confidence
Do you remember that day? Perhaps it was your first job interview. Perhaps you were speaking to a group for the first time. Maybe you were starting a challenging new career or meeting a special person for the first time. Your throat became dry and your knees wanted to shake.
Glass Half Full
YES MY GLASS IS ALWAYS HALF FULL AND YOURS CAN BE TOO!
If The Fear Fits...Dont Wear It!
Undoubtedly one of the most challenging tasks we can face everyday is fighting the fear of failure. At one time or another every single person has had to face the fear of stepping out into an unfamiliar area and leaving his comfort zone and entering the twilight zone.
Wisdom Comes to the Inquisitive Mind
Throughout my life I have observed many things and I am often amazed (but shouldn't be) at how Wisdom is demonstrated in all ages. It is not reserved just for the elders. Although I think most people as they get older often seem to get a little more psychic or more in tuned to life and are not easily fooled.
Hurry Up And Procrastinate
I've been meaning to write this column, but I keep putting it off. There always seems to be something better or more important or easier to write about.
The Top 10 Creative Strategies for Moving into Action and For Getting Bottom Line Results
Your ability to move into action and to achieve bottom line results rests in the power of your thinking. These ten strategies will support you in transforming your desires into concrete action.
Storytelling - The Great Motivator of People
In a data-driven world, facts and figures are the order of the day in sales calls, employee meetings, board rooms, and political assemblies. Traditionally, when a person is trying to convince someone else to do something they use the logic of benefits and features - long the sacred domain of anyone in sales.
Quick Steps To Help You Take Action Now
Need to move ahead and yet find yourself holding back?
Motivation: Good Luck or Bad Luck, Too Soon to Tell
As the story goes, there was once a farmer and his only son in the days just before the Civil War. Having only one horse, the farmer and son worked long hard days, sun up to sun down, just to get by, with nothing left to spare.
Resistance Is Natural - but Not Helpful - in Times of Change
Here are five feelings we all experience in changing times. Check these out for yourself by thinking about times when you were experiencing significant life change, either personal or professional.
How Mind Implants Increase Business Success
If your business isn't as successful as you envision, what's
holding you back? You might say it's a lack of capital, a lack of
employees, a lack of *great* employees, a lack of time, a lack of
inventory, a lack of ... whatever. But these and similar reasons
is not what causes your lack of business success. These reasons -
or excuses - are merely the results of a greater cause ... your
thoughts.
ADHD - Its a Wonderful Life
As I usually do over the Holidays, I watched one of my all-time favorite actors in one of my all time favorite movies and that's Jimmy Stewart in "It's a Wonderful Life". Co-starring Donna Reed and made in the 1940s, the movie was not critically acclaimed at the time, but over the years has become a stable of the Holiday Season. If you have not seen it, you need to, and if you have, then you all know it revolves around a small town businessman George Bailey from Bedford Falls, New York, who, as he grows up, has all of these dreams of doing wonderful things with his life, and hopes of traveling to all the farthest points in the world. His plans are constantly interrupted by world events and family circumstances, which include the death of his father, the great depression, and World War II. George's father and his Uncle Billy years earlier had started the Baileys Brothers Building and Loan to help the less fortunate people of Bedford Falls obtain the great American Dream of home ownership. Their only alternative is high rent or exorbitant interest rates to the local scrooge Mr. Potter. Uncle Billy is a classic ADHD type individual. An Irishmen, like me, who apparently has never been married, has a pet crow he carries around with him, and a pet squirrel at home. He is constantly worrying and has little self esteem.
Nurturing Your Vision
There is a new television show, called Blind Justice that will be replacing NYPD Blue. The show follows a Detective who, at the prime of his life and career, loses his vision in a heroic attempt to thwart a bank robbery and save other police lives. The shooting of this Detective results in his losing his eyesight/vision. He refuses the "disabled" label and sues to get his job back. The show doesn't premier until a week or two from now, so I know no more about it. What immediately struck me as I watched the promo for this new TV show was the idea of losing one's vision. Not physically becoming blind, but losing the vision we once had for our lives.
|
