Hey, Siestas! I have a question rolling around in my mind and I’d love to throw it to my favorite community. Here goes:
What motivates you most effectively?
That’s it. Pure and simple.
Ground rules:
*You can only name one kind of motivation. Think of the one that tends to work on you more often than the others.
*You are asked to name your real, live most effective motivator and not the one you wish you had. (You may honestly respond best to a healthy motivator and, if so, say so! But, if the truth is, you are more often effectively motivated by something negative, please also say so.)
This hint might be of help to some of you as you roll the question around in your sweet head: Think back on times of substantial and lasting change in your life. What motivated the real change? (Of course, we all know that, ultimately, the Holy Spirit brings about transformation, but what did He use???)
You bless me to no end. Watching for your responses!
I can relate with most of the responses in one form or another depending on the situation. Most of the time, unfortunately, I respond most to the “stick” rather than the “carrot”.
I will say that my husband’s opinion is important enough to me to change whatever I am doing to be in line with him. When he is out of town, his call from the airport on the way home is enough motivation to make sure the kitchen is clean before he walks in the door! Not because he is a tyrant but because he such a hard working Godly man pleasing him puts a smile on my face… of course, laundry is another story!
Pain….. I was so down and out with pain that I could not function. I did not want to live. So I begged God to give me the strength to change and the will to want to change. To be able to live … really live with pain, with no pain medication and still focus on him and not the pain. To let him get me through each day instead of the medication getting me through the day. It’s been a long road back but, the best road I have ever traveled!
Great question, simple answer: DESIRE!!! Nothing more authenic or powerful for me….for better and sometimes worse!
I adore you and your ministry….and your children (and grandbabies too) couldn’t be any more precious if they tried!!!
Lots of frustration about the same thing until I realize I’m supposed to do something about it.
I’d have to say a deadline motivates me the most. If I have a deadline, I will be up at the crack of dawn, working like a mad woman. But if I don’t have a deadline – I will never get out of bed!
FEAR. I’m in the process of moving, with God’s help, from being motivated by fear to a life motivated by LOVE. I don’t want to fear the future (must save money!), fear of poor health (must diet!), fear of being alone (must get involved!), fear of losing my job (must be model employee!). It is sooo tiring and it’s not how the Lord wants us to live. I’m learning to be motivated by LOVE…to look for opportunities to love others and help them. Its’ a process. 🙂
(Desire) : Wanting the end result bad enough to go through the junk to get it, motivates me the most. Or a good old fashioned deadline will do it every time.
Crisis or pain. It’s interesting how I seldom want to do anything about the situation until it hurts. Like when my hubby and I are fighting way too much, or my jeans are too tight, or I’m at odds with myself and my Maker. This is when I start to take it a little more serious rather than a shrug of the shoulders and toss of my hair… Why is it I am more motivated by pain than purposeful living?
Pain, hurt, embaressment, disappointment, stupidity – when those apply to me as in I caused it to happen and have to face the truth.
I am most motivated by accountability! This can take various forms… Deadlines are my number one motivator, because I am accountable to meet the deadline. Having company (especially a visit from my mom) motivates me to clean and organize like nothing else! It is like the piles of papers and general clutter become invisible until I suddenly see my house through the eyes of someone walking in the door. When I was a baby Believer, I had a hard time consistently attending my ladies’ Bible study small group. The answer was accountability! I started hosting it at my place, and I never missed another meeting!!! Blessings!!
Approval of my peers
Encouraging/helping others!
When I read this post yesterday I felt that I could not honestly pinpoint my main source of motivation. I spent today mulling it over and trying to be more aware as I went to work and school. What I realized was very hard for me to admit. My biggest motivator is gaining the approval of others. It can drive me like nothing else.
I am reading So Long Insecurity and it is helping me see that God’s approval is the one I should seek.
Books are highly motivational for me. I love books and where the written word and my God-given imagination take me. In my recent past I must give you, Beth, credit for being my highest motivator. When I read “So Long, Insecurity” it did literally change my life. My husband and oldest son are actually quite tired of me quoting from your book. They have seen the changes I have made due to the questions your book made me ask myself. Changes that I know have been long overdue. Courage comes when you have a Christian mentor whom you know really cares whether or not you get it. “So Long, Insecurity” made me get it and I pray I will never lose who God would have me be, ever again. Thank you for allowing God to work so powerfully through you to reach my heart!!
“Proper planning prevents poor performance.” My biggest fear is not being prepared enough for any endeavor. And believe me, most of the planning is last minute, thus not always “proper!”
It’s not so much approval as is it bringing joy to others. At work if I can do a task for a coworker that will relieve their load I will. If I can help out a friend in need or just listen and they feel better at the end of the day, it blesses me. It’s when I volunteer at church in the pre K room and the kids are excited about what they learned and want to come back next week. All of these things motivate me.
For me, unfortunately, it’s fear…. of a lot of things. Only God knows the extent of this sad truth. No one would guess this given the personality He gave me.
I would love a different way.
Accountability–whether it be a deadline, a presentation, or a cute girl running faster than me on the next treadmill!!
Looking back, I think I have primarily been motivated by worry: worry about what others think of me, worry about bad things happening, worry about being rejected. I know Jesus says that worrying won’t add a single hour to my life or anyone else’s life, so I am trying instead to be motivated by trust in Him. Whenever worrisome thoughts creep into my head, that’s a red flag. I try to take those thoughts captive and take them to Jesus in prayer. He fills me with joy and peace when I trust in Him.
Pleasing others has always been a big motivator in my life. It can be good and bad. It helps in my line of work. Becoming a hairstylist was not on the top of my list but I asked God what I would enjoy more than anything for the rest of my life. I felt He answered me. I have been a Hairstylist for 22 years now. I still love it. 😉 Blessings,
Rene’
I have to be Honest.Jealousy/envy motivates me.
I wish this was not my main motivator, but sadly it often is – pleasing others/gaining their approval or praise.
God has used people, mostly my husband. However, some of the most poignant moments of my life have been “random” people that speak into my life without having any idea they are doing so. These moments have been blazing reminders of the fact that, not only is God paying attention to me and cares for me, but he also is completely aware of just how deep my sin is. The reminder that I am not “hiding” ANYTHING from God is embarrassing, terrifying, and supernaturally to-the-core convicting. That kind of conviction lights a blazing fire under my butt. That usually means a change is coming.:)
I couldn’t come up with an answer at first, but after mulling it over in my mind today, I decided that I’m motivated by success and failure. It is always my goal to succeed in whatever I am attempting to do. I want to always do the best job I can with all my talents and abilities that God has given me. When I succeed, I’m thankful for the opportunity to be successful and proud of my achievement.
I’m also motivated by failure. When I attempt to do something and have difficulty completing the task or even fail to perform the task, I will step back and try, try again. Sometimes I even have to humble myself and ask for help or assistance. I usually keep on keeping on and continue to strive for success. Even if I fail, I usually learn something from the experience.
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”
It’s so mundane, but the only thing that works for me is the “Just Do It” mantra. For me, real motivation comes from yanking those ol’ bootstraps up by myself.
The fear of failure is my motivator.I think the root of this (or at least part of it) honestly is the approval of others. I want to be accepted and praised in other people’s eyes and it’s a pride issue.
Wow, this ended up being a difficult question to answer… Words of praise and encouragement are a big motivation, but I realized that what really excites me, and gives me incredible energy is when the Lord puts me and someone else independently at the same portion of scripture. When we start discussing where the Lord has taken us and we realize that we’ve been in the same place in His Word, that is SO motivating for me… to keep pressing into His Word, to keep listening to His voice. It’s one of the many ways He proves to me again and again that He is alive and active. And when I know that His Word is alive and active in me, I’m motivated for each day.
The first thing I thought of was anger. It’s amazing how much laundry or many dishes I can fly through when I’m angry (particularly at my dear husband, God bless him!). Serves many purposes – gives me time to vent to the one I should be venting to, the Lord, gets a lot of housework done quickly (crazy!), allows me to put myself in the other person’s shoes and gain some perspective and gives me a peaceful mind to go back to them with humility, to ask forgiveness, share my point of view, etc. And then the Lord keeps my anger and gives me His peace in it’s place. It’s quite lovely. The other place that anger plays a role in my life (and I’m NOT an angry person – I’m much more likely to have a pity-party and cry) is when I get angry at the enemy and that anger gives me the motivation to make changes that I desperately need to make. I don’t want the enemy to win – I want Jesus to win! Thanks for asking, dear Beth!!
I had to think about this one for a bit, but I have come to the conclusion that a challenge is what motivates me. Having an obstacle to overcome or difficulty to plow through is what gets me going. I love seeing the improvement in myself day after day — doing something a little bit better today than I did yesterday. That is what motivates me. It isn’t even necessarily the ‘prize’ at the end of the race that I love as much as I love the race itself.
People – Being able to help and assist others no matter what the task. If it is just sharing prayer request, talking with, physically helping, or lifting them up in someway, it is being there and reaching out. Since I put myself in there as a person, it is always trying my best and being the best I can be for the Lord and my family. Whatever is put on my plate, I work hard to achieve it. It may not be perfect, but it will be my best.
What truly motivates me? The manifestation of change. For instance, when trying to lose weight, one is more motivated to keep pressing on when you see the weight come off. Also, when you start to see that which you have been praying about begin to manifest, it boosts your faith to keep praying.
A deadline!
my biggest motivator is when God has shown Himself is a real, tangible, almost touchable way. When I know beyond any doubt that He know only has heard my prayer, but He listened and then responded blatantly. These times help me to remember He is still faithful and trustworthy when i don’t feel His presence quite so much.
He showed himself in that way today in my family, we have a 2 year old nephew who was burned severely and God orchestrated the helicopter ride from a small town in KS to the best children’s hospital in Kansas City. then from Kansas city, little Joshua was flown to Shriner’s Burn facility in Cincinnati, which is very close to where Joshua’s grandpa and grandma live so they will have family support throughout. God’s love for this young family is so blatantly covering them. prayers from across the country are beling lifted in his behalf. if you feel led, please pray for Joshua. thank you siesta’s.
In the distant past it was always the desire to please people. But praise Him, that is no longer the case!! Now I would have to say that the end result is what motivates me to keep moving forward. When I anticipate the end it really gets me excited (or at least determined) to keep going and to finish the job. God is certainly my main motivator in life, especially in the deepest, darkest times, but for the day in day out things of life, it’s definitely the end result that helps me put one foot in front of the other.
A deadline!
lol! I did not realize the comment before mine was the exact same to the punctuation!
Truly desperate times motivate me. I think the most negative time when we lost our first two children to miscarriage and stillbirth was the beginning of my eyes being opened to God’s motivation in desperate times. It really birthed in me a new motivation for the children I have now. Through those desperate times, God motivates me to be better beyond my circumstances and look to him to bring me above and beyond my expectations to HIS!
Being/Knowing I am loved…Pure and Simple
Fear of rejection…I will go the extra mile to make sure that whatever I am doing will be more than what anyone expects. If I borrow something, I take it back in better shape than when I borrowed it.
Recently I have begun to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit more and to WAIT for Him. Unfortunately I have to admit I spent most of my life being motivated out of fear. Fear of not being accepted if I fail someone’s expectations, fear of no one else coming through if I don’t do “it”.
Thankfully Jesus has always been faithful to hedge me in and guard my front and rear end when I rush to situations I had no business being in. He is the ultimate redeemer.
I thought long and hard to come up with an honest answer. I know what a lot of the people said (i.e. pain, fear, anger, pressure, etc) does get me to do things, but the one that I think gets me ‘motivated’ the most is: company. If I have someone to do it with or chat about it with, I can get most things done pleasant or unpleasant. I know I stuck with exercise routine when I had a buddy to do it with. Bible studies, too, I do better (i.e. regularly) when there’s an accountability. Cleaning, etc, too, I notice that if I have someone doing it with me or even be accountable to is far more motivating than alone. I guess I’m a people person to the core 😀
I am most motivated when I sense God’s hand upon a situation. The biggest motivation God used for change in my life was when I became a mother. What I wasn’t willing or able to do for myself, I suddenly could for my child.
Being the best mom and woman I can be for my kiddos is the best motivator I have ever had in my life! They make me want to be a better person!
Goals. I will move forward on a project or a task if I have a goal to reach. I need a finish line or a deadline.
Fear. When I come face-to-smack-dab-face with a situation I’ve tried to avoid or an area of my life that needs correction, it’s fear that gets me over myself and into action. The most motivating fear since the birth of my first child 9 yrs ago is the fear that they will be saddled with ANY of the junk my husband and I struggle with (and the generations before us struggled with in our family line). I’m not even thinking of material junk. I just want my kids to move forward FREE of our collective emotional baggage. I want my husband and I to be the generation that shifts it all for them and any who come after should Jesus choose to wait a bit before returning. The mere mental image of my kids bearing my slime strikes white hot fear down my spine. Use me Lord – whatever You desire to do through me – to declare them FREE of generational sin and give me the wisdom and grace to teach them to love and follow You.
Truth. Past 10 years it is Beth’s studies. For real motivation and eternal life changing “Word” i attend Living Proof event. I try to get to one annually. My life, my faith, my hope through Ms Mama Beth are strengthened beyond my dreams. I wish I could shall it all. My heart and life are NEVER the same after an encounter with our Lord through Beth.
fear of looking stupid. Even when I was in school I would never raise my hand to ask a question until I was sure I knew the answer, or was at least sure it was an impressive question!
PRIDE, PRIDE, PRIDE!!!
It’s so easy for me to motivate others for the right reason of pleasing and serving God; why can’t I get the message myself?!
HAVING A PLAN. i usually know what i need to do but usually won’t get there unless i can see “and this is how it can happen…” whether that’s the SSMT or a weight loss/workout routine or my calendar, i need to be able to envision the HOW as much as the goal.
as with most things though, what is often a strength can also be a weakness. when God calls me to trust Him without being able to “see” the long-term plan, i have to let it go. (and just sitting here typing this, He has brought to mind an area where i need to do this right now – woa.) for us control freaks, His road seems risky at times, but in reality it is so safe and good. i love Him for that.
Unfortunately, fear! With approval of others a close second.
Plain and simply…making others happy motivates me… including my wee puppy (by wee I mean my 8 year old 70lb yellow lab)