Before my thoughts run away from me this morning, here are the books that seem to converge and will hopefully help me with my lack of motivation
8 to be great
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2283805.8_to_Be_Great
Lean In
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16071764-lean-in
The Passionate Programmer
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6399113-the-passionate-programmer
And a book I was so excited about I could not even finish and now will have to re-read
7 Habits of Highly Effective People
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36072.The_7_Habits_of_Highly_Effective_People
Friday, May 31, 2013
Thursday, May 30, 2013
A book on success
This time I am not up at 2AM to work, I am up because of the latest book I've been reading 8 To Be Great http://www.richardstjohn.com/content/about/thebook.php. I paid $80 on Amazon for a paperback that costs $14.95 and so far it looks like the best $80 I spent in my life.
The first chapters got me all depressed, there is no secret to success, just hard work. Great. But what finally really clicked is a tiny little chapter called Aim to do your best. I don't need somebody else to tell me the obvious, most days I am not doing my best, that will of course mean a lot of work, and, as my husband will say, I have all these built in excuses, I am not working hard because I am tired, I have a full time job and two toddlers, I feel I rarely get a break.
Many years ago somebody told me she finished her PhD when her kids were small and she had just gotten divorced. She worked 3 hours every night after the kids went to bed for 3 straight years and finished. And she had motivation posters in her house to keep her going. I could not even understand how she had the energy to do it, but she was motivated, I didn't have the kids at the time or any serious obligations but completely botched my PhD attempt from a lack of motivation.
But how do I find something to motivate me and do that long term?
Aim to do your best, at everything you do, and every day, even if you don't always make it - maybe I finally found my motivation. So, one day at the time, this is something achievable, and it resets every day, so even if I didn't make it yesterday, I can make it today.
I will build my motivation posters this weekend. As any good procrastinator I will do that later, not now at 2:51 AM when everyone is asleep in the house.
The first chapters got me all depressed, there is no secret to success, just hard work. Great. But what finally really clicked is a tiny little chapter called Aim to do your best. I don't need somebody else to tell me the obvious, most days I am not doing my best, that will of course mean a lot of work, and, as my husband will say, I have all these built in excuses, I am not working hard because I am tired, I have a full time job and two toddlers, I feel I rarely get a break.
Many years ago somebody told me she finished her PhD when her kids were small and she had just gotten divorced. She worked 3 hours every night after the kids went to bed for 3 straight years and finished. And she had motivation posters in her house to keep her going. I could not even understand how she had the energy to do it, but she was motivated, I didn't have the kids at the time or any serious obligations but completely botched my PhD attempt from a lack of motivation.
But how do I find something to motivate me and do that long term?
Aim to do your best, at everything you do, and every day, even if you don't always make it - maybe I finally found my motivation. So, one day at the time, this is something achievable, and it resets every day, so even if I didn't make it yesterday, I can make it today.
I will build my motivation posters this weekend. As any good procrastinator I will do that later, not now at 2:51 AM when everyone is asleep in the house.
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