Self-Motivation

When I first sat down to put pen to paper on this week's Thought for the Term, with everything that is happening in the world at the moment, I really struggled to find my focus and flow. I wondered for a moment if anyone would actually read my reflections and, if they did, would it have any impact?

Before I continue, let me reassure you that these are all rhetorical questions, written to mirror some of the thoughts we probably all have at times, in particular when we have to get ourselves started and motivated to get on with things. It’s easy when there is external pressure, be it parents/family/friends/colleagues encouraging you/nagging you (delete as appropriate) or homework deadlines to meet at the last minute or an appointment made you know you have to attend. So how do we get started when it’s down to us to provide the push?

For me self-motivation starts with my own personal values and how important they are to me: I value supporting and encouraging and working with my family, which drives me to spend positive time with them, to work and earn money, to listen, to offer advice, to keep our house well-maintained and fit for us to live in. I value education, including my own, but in particular of those at school, which motivates me to plan lessons, focus on my interactions at school to make them positive, to keep learning fun and engaging, to help pupils with problems, both academic and pastoral. I value honesty, so I share some of what I am feeling to make a point, to try to let people know that it is OK to not be OK, to help them make progress themselves. I value professionalism so I am driven to work promptly and efficiently as far as I am able. I value community so as well as school, I offer my time volunteering and helping to run a local sports club. I value the environment, so I have been motivated to start making our house more energy efficient. I think you probably get the idea by now!

So actually, it wasn’t hard to get started with this TFTT….because maybe it will help someone become more self-motivated. Maybe it will help someone think about their own values and reflect on them. Maybe it will just provide some tacit understanding that self-motivation can be difficult…and that’s OK. Maybe it will get someone thinking. That all sounds like good motivation to me.