Purpose and Motivation

Last week I challenged our students to do some math while they are doing school at home and to motivate them I promised to dye my hair blue if the majority of students participated.  I was thinking a little about how hard it is to be motivated to do your work from home when there isn't someone in front of you requiring you to sit down and get it done.  How hard it is, in general, to be self-motivated and self-disciplined without a clear goal, personal purpose, and possibly even a reward at the end of all that hard work.

At the same time, our new puppy has been doing a lot of treat training in the past couple of weeks; a treat for sitting still, a treat for coming, a treat for going potty, for shaking my hand, for walking by my side, for obeying in general.  The 5-year-old lab, however, has to be sometimes be trained with negative reinforcement.  She won't listen or stay in the yard so she has to have the electric fence as a reminder of her boundaries.

We can all be motivated by either positive reinforcement or by negative consequences when needed.  I think it's natural to think of giving out consequences in order to motivate positive behaviors, but our dog trainer said don't punish her when she has an accident, she's just a puppy; it's your fault for not taking her outside earlier.  Don't get mad when she chews on your furniture, she's just a puppy; instead, give her something else to chew on.  Don't be yell at her when she pulls on the leash; just train her how to walk by your side.

I need some help with personal motivation right now and I'm thinking a little about my teenagers sitting at home on their computers trying to be motivated to get their schoolwork done too.  I tend to get mad at myself when I procrastinate or screw something up, but does that really accomplish anything?  There is a time and place for punishment because it does motivate some of us and it is helpful for correction.  But how can we train for internal motivation?

After 8 weeks of working from home, living in isolation, it's become clear to me that just surviving isn't enough for us to keep on going this way.  We need a strong sense of purpose. I need a strong sense of purpose when I think about how to grow in my weaknesses and become the person God created me to be.  When I think about motivation and purpose, this verse from Philippians comes to mind.  I want to

Shine Like a Star in the Universe

I'm a big fan of Simon Sinek and his work on "Why."  It's made me think about what my purpose is and how this inspires me to do hard things and to persevere, because if I have a strong sense of how this fits into the bigger picture of my life.  For example, I am pretty committed to reading my Bible and pray daily because I believe strongly in the preeminence of my relationship with God.  I don't need to be pushed to spend time with Him daily because I love Him and I know I couldn't make it through the day without Him.  It's clear that I put a high priority and strong value in my time with God, so how can that translate to these other areas of my life where I am weak and need to make some changes?

I'll be specific.  I keep saying that I'm going to make healthier choices with regards to eating and exercising, but I don't stick to a plan.  Why?  Is it because I don't really believe that this is important when I see my overall purpose as a human being?  Like, does it really matter if I'm skinny in order to fulfill God's purpose for my life?  Maybe.  And maybe I could change my perspective if I realize I'd be more effective if I wasn't distracted by this issue and I'd have more energy to do God's work if I was healthier.

My biggest motivator is to glorify God in all that I do.  I want to live my life in such a way that He is honored and pleased by my actions.  My purpose is further defined by John 10:10 I want to live life to the FULL which only comes through Jesus.  I'm also motivated by John 15:11 where Jesus says that when we live in obedience to Him, our JOY may be complete.

When I'm able to focus in on my purpose, I make better choices in my daily decisions.  I spend my time building others up; I remember to give grace to myself and others because we all need it; I seek my strength in God alone and I make the most of every minute.  And the rewards for following God's purposes are great:  More Joy, Deeper Knowledge of His love for us, and every day experiencing His presence in our lives.  I'll continue to use treats to train my puppy, and I think I'll try to look for those rewards for myself as well.