Are you expecting better results in your life? Do you want to achieve more in your career and relationships? I think most people do (and I’m no exception, of course). Most people want to be more successful in whatever they do. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to get the results we want. We may work hard without ever getting them. That happened in my life and, in reflection, I realize why it happened. There is a quote by Albert Einstein that helps me understand:
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
That’s exactly what’s wrong with me:
I did things the same way
I might work hard, but I did things the same way. How could I expect different results then?
The solution is obvious:
I must change the way I do things
Changing the way we do things is one of the most difficult things to do. When we do something for the first time, we try to find a rhythm and adapt ourselves to it. But once we adapt to it, we become comfortable and there is inertia that hinders us from change.
I like the way you emphasize the need for change – folks do need to feel empowered to take charge and shake things up in order to improve their experiences. However, it is often easier said than done. But I agree that it is important to remember that our self-concepts exist in social spheres, not in isolation, so if you change your social influences, your concept will change in kind. Regarding motivation though, to my mind, Self Determination Theory better explains the complexity of motivation (compared to Maslow), do you know this theory? I give an overview of it in a post geared towards primary & secondary education(http://cognitioneducation.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/seriously-whats-it-gonna-take/) but the theory itself is general. I think SDT does a better job at suggesting ways to change, whereas Maslow’s is more descriptive.
Unfortunately, it’s not easy to get the results we want. We may work hard without ever getting them. That happened in my life and, in reflection, I realize why it happened. There is a quote by Albert Einstein that helps me understand:
I like the way you emphasize the need for change – folks do need to feel empowered to take charge and shake things up in order to improve their experiences. However, it is often easier said than done. But I agree that it is important to remember that our self-concepts exist in social spheres, not in isolation, so if you change your social influences, your concept will change in kind. Regarding motivation though, to my mind, Self Determination Theory better explains the complexity of motivation (compared to Maslow), do you know this theory? I give an overview of it in a post geared towards primary & secondary education(http://cognitioneducation.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/seriously-whats-it-gonna-take/) but the theory itself is general. I think SDT does a better job at suggesting ways to change, whereas Maslow’s is more descriptive.