My Quest Hub
Turn Ambition to Achievement
Russell Davis is a compassionate, intuitive and highly effective coach who can help lift the fog that clouds people’s life and masks their true potential. Russell helps people who feel uninspired, lack direction or are playing small in any part of their life (be it business or personal). His depth of training, lived experience and insightful nature helps people to find clarity and purpose and make the changes they want in their life. He works with Olympians, CEOs, couples struggling to get pregnant, uninspired housewives to Hollywood actors.
If you are willing to put the work in, Russell is willing to pour his heart, soul and expertise into helping you on your journey of personal and/or business fulfilment and growth.
www.russell-davis.com.
Turn Ambition to Achievement
So, how are the New Year’s Resolutions going? I am hoping you decided to go for an unrealistic goal for the year instead of short term resolutions however either way how is your motivation level? Your enthusiasm for what sounded like a great idea at the end of last year might be flagging.
Often we motivate ourselves and others through external consequences, either a carrot or a stick for example ‘If I can drop another dress size I will buy a new outfit’. I can still clearly remember teachers saying ‘if you don’t be quiet I’ll have you all in detention’. This is known as extrinsic motivation, it is subject to an external factor – whether reward or punishment.
Research has shown that the most effective way to motivate people is through intrinsic motivation, utilising motivation we have within us. The elements of intrinsic motivation include novelty, challenges,extend & increase capabilities, explore, learn, autonomy and purpose.
How could you utilise these principles into what you are wanting to achieve this year? There was a period in my running where I was struggling to find a time to run with a toddler in our lives. We got into a routine with me running pushing him in the pushchair with the dog tied round my waist (talk about multi-tasking!). However I was struggling to find the motivation and our son was getting older and less tolerant of being strapped in a buggy for 45 mins only to find himself back at home having been to the park and not had an opportunity to play!
Re-evaluating my running using the principles of intrinsic motivation I reminded myself of my purpose of going for a run, which is to get fit and there are many ways to do that. I decided to say ‘yes’ more often to my son’s requests to stop and explore/play which would increase his enjoyment of the experience. Whilst he was playing I could explore other exercises (such squat thrusts, press-ups, lateral jumps, sprints) that would add novelty to what had become a rather repetitive and predictable running routine. I quickly found these new exercises were using muscles I don’t normally flex, making them quite a challenge! I also found because I was doing a wider range of exercises my overall fitness increased, quickly increasing my capabilities. So my purpose was still being met but I was having more fun and so was my son!
As a result my motivation for going for a run/exercise increased dramatically, no longer thinking ‘I’ll go tomorrow‘ and now looking forward to the new and novel challenges it brings.
- What is the purpose of any goals you have for this year?
- How can you add more novelty to what you are doing? Have you got stuck into a predictable routine of action?
- How can you make it more challenging? Perhaps you could review what you are wanting to achieve?
- Is there something new you can learn which will assist you in your purpose? (e.g. asking a trainer to teach you some new exercises/machines in the gym)
You can find Russell and other QCH therapists using the therapist finder https://www.qchpa.com/therapist-finder/#!directory/map/ord=rnd
