Rewards Overhaul Part II

2. Stay Engaged by setting up a system of incremental rewards.

To achieve the sustained effort required to pursue spectacular achievements, you must trick yourself into staying engaged.  To achieve the sustained effort required to pursue spectacular achievements, you must trick yourself into staying engaged.  If you cannot completely overcome your obsession with short-term rewards, you must use it to your advantage by establishing a series of near-term rewards-- they psychological equivalent of grades, paychecks, and affirmations. .. You must be crearive in developing a set of incremental rewards that represent progress in long-term pursuits.

Be Your Own Ad Agency for Motivation

When it comes to staying focused, you must be your own personal Madison Avenue advertising agency.  The same techniques that draw your attention to billboards on the highway or commercial on television can help you become more (or less) engaged by a project.  When you have a project that is tracked with a beautiful chart or an elegant sketchbook, you are more likely to focus on it.  Use your work space to induce your attention where you need it most.  You ultimately want to make yourself feel compelled to take action on the tasks pending, just a a marketer makes you feel compelled to buy something.

Trying to figure out a visual system for working with data and research results is my challenge.  Will post it when I come up with something that works. 

The Rewards Overhaul Part I

1. Unplug from the traditional rewards system.  As you shift your focus away from short-term rewards, you must be willing to go without "success" in the eyes of others.... Some entrepreneurs I've met claim to gain confidence when traditional investors doubt their ideas. Such doubt boost their confidence that they are, in  fact, innovating rather than simply replicating something commonplace.

While it can by psychologically and financially difficult to depart from the race toward conventional rewards... doing so is imperative to succeeding in the long term.  Otherwise you will struggle to sustain your long-term projects amidst the desire to be validated.

2.

Chair Finally Done

Lame, I know, but struggled with this "found" chair for way too long.  Had to memorialize it's final completion. Originally, it was an ugly duckling dark brown, with worn maroon upholstery that looked like it had been used as a theater prop.  Found it on the sidewalk.

 Why are some projects so much harder to complete?  (Like this one.) Where others seem to get done much easier than anticipated? (Recent "drapes" projects.)  A mystery.  Maybe I'll add a bonus photo of drapes.
Now I just need a way to visually capture data entry and organization to post on my research project.

Structure and Creativity

"As you glimpse these well-known writers' routines(Grisham, eg), you get a sense of the important role structure plays in creative pursuits.  While each person's schedule is different, the purpose of keeping a schedule is the same for everyone.  Living by your own creative tendencies, rationalizations and emotional whims will not suffice. Sheer perspiration will come only from organizing your energy and holding yourself accountable with some sort of routine."

Spatial Approach to Organization and Motivation

"You live in a world of choices. At any moment in time, you mustdecide what to focus on and how to use your time.  While prioritization helps you focus, your mind may still have the tendency to wander.  When it comes to productivity, this tendency often works against you.  Maeda, the teams at IDEO, and many others use visual design to organize and understand information--and to stimulate action.  As with the old adage "out of sight, out of mind", so we learn that right before our eyes actions thrive."

I struggle with this aspect of all projects.  How to keep them in the forefront and, well, real, when the projects are self propelled and long term.  If I come up with a solution I like, I'll take photos and post.  But don't hold your breath...

How to Consistently Execute

"While many of us spend too much energy searching for the next great idea, my research shows that we would be better served by developing the capacity to make ideas happen-- a capacity that endures over time."

Again, showing the emphasis on action and doing, rather than your innate gifts, or even results...