Easy Ways to Get Self Motivated

People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents. ~ Andrew Carnegie

Now that summer is here, I thought that we could all use a little dose of self motivation. It’s not always easy to be motivated to get your work done, even long time entrepreneurs sometimes tend to get either bored or lack self motivation to get their own work done.

So, I figured I’d share some ways to increase and grow our self motivation.

While self-motivation is a simple concept, we all know that it’s one of the hardest things to attain.  Despite purely good intentions, most of us are better at slacking off than getting motivated.  But, no matter what your attention span it is possible for you to motivate yourself and reach your goals; you just need to follow a few simple steps.

Know what you’re doing

A to-do list is nice to have to help you get things done, but it doesn’t do much to help you stay motivated.  Before you can make your to-do list, you need to set goals and priorities.  They may be short term like “finish this project to attain more work” or more general like “increase workload to attain promotion”.  If you give yourself a goal or vision to work for, you’re going to be more motivated to finish things than if you’re simply completing tasks.

Stay positive

A positive attitude can go a long way.  People have probably told you this over and over, but you’re still not inclined to believe it.  Take a little extra time each day to remind yourself of your accomplishments.  It is also a good idea to try to surround yourself with positive and encouraging people.  If you don’t have any at work, find positive and encouraging statements from successful people and post them around your office.

Set mini-goals

Finishing a project can be a daunting task.  If it’s a large amount of work, you’re likely to look at it, get overwhelmed, and give up or put it off before you even get started.  An easier way to accomplish a project is to break it up into smaller tasks.  This way you’ll be looking at a bunch of small goals instead of one great big one.  While it’s the same amount of work, it helps to keep you from getting overwhelmed.  Plus, each time you accomplish one of your tasks, you’ll feel successful and motivated to keep trekking on through the rest.

Reward yourself

To help keep yourself going, set up rewards for each task you complete.  They don’t have to be anything big; they could be going to see a movie over the weekend or spending 15 minutes on the phone with a friend you haven’t talked to in a while.  It’s just something positive to help encourage you.  You can also set small rewards for your mini goals and have a large reward for when you finish a large project.

Have a backup

While we may have the best of intentions, most of us really aren’t that good at sticking with our self-motivating methods.  If this seems like you, you may be in need of some backup.  This is a friend, co-worker, or associate – anyone who is dependable and trustworthy.  Let them know what your goals are (and even your rewards) and set up a plan for them to check up on you.

It could be as simple as giving you a call to see how much you’ve gotten done, or maybe have them be the keeper of some reward and administer it when you reach your goal.  This way, if your resolution wavers, you’ll have someone else there to help out.

Do you have a backup? I'd be happy to if you want my help.

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Surya M Ganduri, PhD. PMP. is the founder and president of eMBC, Inc., an international firm specializing in strategic and executive leadership development processes that Help People Succeed in an Evolving World. His company is dedicated to helping organizations and individuals manage strategic change, innovation, cultural transition, and goal achievement. Surya has over 26 years of business experience in management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching, process improvements, organizational development and youth leadership. Contact Surya ats6ganduri@eMBCinc.com. For more information, visit www.eMBCinc.com or contact eMBC, Inc., directly at (630) 445-1321.

What Do You Need to Change Your Behavior?

We’ve all had those times when we were bad. And not the “I didn’t know so it’s not my fault” kind of bad, but the “fully aware, self-justified” kind of bad.

Why do we do things that we…

• Know are bad for us? For example, eating cheesy puffs.  (I personally deny having a cheesy puff problem. I only eat cheesy puffs socially… most of the time).
• Really don’t want to do? Every time I eat cheesy puffs I realize that they don’t taste good. In fact they remind me of orange colored Styrofoam and yet on occasion I indulge – why?

Why don’t we do things that we know we should be doing?

Not only do we do things that we know we shouldn’t be doing, we avoid things that we know we should be doing. Exercise, for example.

I’d say everybody in the free world knows they should exercise (never mind the exact type) and I’m sure many really mean to (or intend) to exercise, but don’t.

Is it because it takes too much time? Maybe they don’t have the time, but there are way too many people watching reality TV to say there is a shortage of time for the average person.

So what’s the problem?

What do we need to do to change our behavior?

Maybe we need a plan.

One theory, “theory of planned behavior” says that intent (or purpose) is enough to change behavior. In this case, our intention is explicit, which then generates behaviorally oriented decisions. This means we have a set of goals that we intend to reach by acting a certain way. We plan to do something on purpose.

For example: I want to lose 10 pounds in the next two months by following healthy nutritious food habits and exercising 5 hours a week.

I have a goal – check.

I have a plan – check.

I have all the intention I need.

So now I am off to be successful! Right! Right?

While intention is really important, there is another piece to the theory of planned behavior: perceived behavioral control.

Are we in control of our behavior?

The first thing we need is the intent to exercise – with the goal and plan in place.

Then we need to think that we can control our behavior. Once we have our goal and our plan we need to BELIEVE that we can do it.

Psychologists have even put a number on how much perceived behavior control matters in intention: 45% of behavioral variance can be predicted by our belief that we have control.

Whether we actually have control doesn’t matter – assuming we are not locked up 24 hours a day in a room so small we are actually unable to exercise. Whether we think we control our behavior is what matters.

So far we need:

·        A goal

·        A plan

·        The perception we control our behavior

With all this I must be exercising! Right! Right?

While this psychological model of theory of planned behavior does show that all these factors contribute to whether or not we will actually do the behavior (exercise for example) it’s not that good.

But what else could matter?

·        Attitude.

·       Subjective norms – the way each participant’s close social network (i.e. family and good friends) felt about the participant’s goals.

·        Perceived behavioral control.

·        Intention.

·        Emotion. Research shows that intentions to participate in exercise (physical activity) didn’t always lead to exercise. This gap between what people intend to do and their behavior has been called the “intention-behavior gap” - emotion is the missing link in modifying behavior.

Results

After analyzing the different measures it turns out that attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavior control all impacted intention. Intention impacts how long it takes and whether we realize our goals.

But there is more ... emotion matters. Emotion toward intent to achieve goals matters. Emotion also impacts intention.

Bottom line

What does this mean to you?

To give yourself the best chance in changing your lifestyle and behavior you need:

• Intention – with a goal and plan in place.
• Have a positive attitude toward the goal you intend to realize.
• Surround yourself with people who approve and believe in what you are trying to do. Or avoid discussing the topic with people you know are unsupportive.
• Believe that you are capable. Yes, you can!
• Have a positive attitude toward your intent to change your behavior and attitude. Believe in the goal and the plan.

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Surya M Ganduri, PhD. PMP. is the founder and president of eMBC, Inc., an international firm specializing in strategic and executive leadership development processes that Help People Succeed in an Evolving World. His company is dedicated to helping organizations and individuals manage strategic change, innovation, cultural transition, and goal achievement. Surya has over 26 years of business experience in management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching, process improvements, organizational development and youth leadership. Contact Surya at s6ganduri@eMBCinc.com. For more information, visit www.eMBCinc.com or contact eMBC, Inc., directly at (630) 445-1321.

Understanding Human Behavior Opens New Doors

Scientific discoveries and new technologies promise much better life to all individuals. But delivering on that promise means that we must think and act differently. The history of innovation shows that it is a lot harder than most people realize.


It's just like the adage "A tiger doesn't change its stripes." Throughout my career as an academic scholar, author, manager, advisor, consultant, mentor, and coach, I have seen how changing behavior can be very difficult. No one can change your behavior except for you. (That was my blog last week and now, I am going to expand on that.)

Businesses Often Fail to Innovate

Disruptive innovation teaches us that when the world changes, many leading companies fail to innovate. Lotus could not compete with Microsoft, General Motors could not compete with Toyota and now Toyota is challenged. American and United Airlines are unable to compete with Southwest, and now Microsoft can't compete with Google. Why? Changing behaviors is a lot harder than most realize, even if it means lost business, bankruptcy or the demise of a company.


That's a depressing discovery, but fortunately there is a solution.

Science behind the Experience

Behaviors are driven by beliefs. To change behavior, you must first change beliefs. This is where the neurophysiology of decision-making comes into play.


Our beliefs do not reside in some anatomic filing cabinet in our brains. Rather, studies show beliefs are generated by complex recurrent firing of patterns of neurons accompanied by subtle but very specific changes in hormones and neurotransmitters. This brain activity is developed by experience and linked to the feelings that experience engenders.


In other words, we are not rational but we are sentient. Our brains are hardwired by experience and feelings. The stronger the positive feeling and the more frequent the experience, the more we become hardwired to respond in the same way.


To change behavior you must first use experience to change beliefs; you have to act, not think. Experience generates feelings that inform future experiences. The more positive the feelings and the more direct the link to experience, the more likely beliefs are to change. When beliefs change, behavior changes.


So, you can't think your way into a new way of acting; you have to act your way into a new way of thinking.

Action Works by Acting

Here are the keys to leadership success in getting people to act their way to a new way of thinking:
1. Set a clear, simple and meaningful direction.
2. Develop and empower people; it's people, not technology, that make the difference.
3. Build trust and optimism through positive results in problem solving the needs of clients.
4. Solve those problems as real-time experience, close to the work, not in meetings.
5. Grow by repeating your success and relentlessly challenging the status quo.


The results are always positive.

Action Innovation Opens New Doors for Leadership

New technologies offer the promise of wonderful improvement in people’s lives. But we will never achieve that promise without changing our behavior.

Fujio Cho, Toyota's chairman, said it well: "No mere process can turn a poor performer into a star. Rather you have to address employees' fundamental way of thinking." The recent evidence that Toyota management ignored brake problems in a "culture of secrecy" for years suggests that they forgot that this lesson also applies to leadership.

Behaviors are driven by beliefs. Beliefs are formed by experience and feelings. Instead of thinking your way into a new way of acting, you act your way to a new way of thinking.

Our brains say it's so. Leading people to act their way into a new way of thinking opens new doors for business management.

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Surya M Ganduri, PhD. PMP. is the founder and president of eMBC, Inc., an international firm specializing in strategic and executive leadership development processes that Help People Succeed in an Evolving World. His company is dedicated to helping organizations and individuals manage strategic change, innovation, cultural transition, and goal achievement. Surya has over 26 years of business experience in management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching, process improvements, organizational development and youth leadership. Contact Surya ats6ganduri@eMBCinc.com. For more information, visit www.eMBCinc.com or contact eMBC, Inc., directly at (630) 445-1321.

No one can change your life except for you

The fact of the matter is changing one’s behavior and modifying attitudes requires guidance and re-program your brain. Here is why:

You need a license to drive a car, and you need to know how to operate a computer.  But do you really need to know how to operate your brain?  You wouldn’t think so, but if you’re committed to building and growing your business, you can’t afford to be walking around without knowing how your brain works.

Over the last decade, what we’ve learned about how the brain works and how we make decisions might literally blow your mind.  As science produces more fascinating details about the way the brain works, the prefix ‘neuro’ is being attached to disciplines from marketing to economics and finance. Neuro-leadership refers to a blend of certain findings from neuroscience with a set of leadership practices and principles designed to encourage more consultative, creative and empathetic corporate chiefs.  

This is not just fluff or interesting conversation.  Understanding how brains work will save you time, money and aggravation.  Not only that, but it will help you get more loyal and profitable customers as well.  If that’s something you’re interested in, read on. 

How Your Brain is Sabotaging Your Goals and What to Do about It

It seems that our conscious and sub-conscious brain creates a comfortable set point where we operate.  And no matter how hard we might try to logically create a new goal (or set point) or how hard we work at tasks, our brain is on autopilot. 

Brains are pattern and predicting machines.  Old patterns yield predictable results and predictable results are safe.  It seems that our brains are still trying to protect us from being eaten by a predator.  While humans have long evolved from those pre-historic times; the fear or anxiety in our minds of entering a new market or presenting to the HUGE new client is the same.

The ONLY way that you can re-set your brain to think and act towards achieving a new goal (or set point) is to re-train, re-wire and re-program new information into your sub-conscious.  In other words, you have to program these new circumstances into your brain so that they become old and familiar – instead of new and scary.  And this is where meditations and the affirmations come in.

Before you go rolling your eyes about what may seem (or sound) like granola, new age thinking, understand that what I’m telling you are founded in brain science.  It has been tested and retested with fMRI technology.  It’s no longer a belief.  It’s fact. 

Your brain is the most sophisticated type of software. To re-program this software requires consistent, persistent practice and the feeding of new information which will, over time, become familiar. So familiar, in fact, that it will replace the old set point and Voila!  You are now ready to actually DO those tasks that will get you to your goal. 

Where to Get a Driver’s License for Your Brain

Hopefully, you’re now inspired to learn more and start driving your brain too.

If there’s anything we’ve learned from brain sciences, it’s that our smaller, primitive brain is in much more control than we’d like to believe.  My favorite analogy comes from the book “Switch”, your primitive brain is the elephant and your logical brain is the elephant driver.  As long as the two agree on where they are going, nothing can stop them.  But if the elephant decides it’s going for a drink and the driver wants a snack – guess who will win?

I’d like to be a better elephant driver. How about you?

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Surya M Ganduri, PhD. PMP. is the founder and president of eMBC, Inc., an international firm specializing in strategic and executive leadership development processes that Help People Succeed in an Evolving World. His company is dedicated to helping organizations and individuals manage strategic change, innovation, cultural transition, and goal achievement. Surya has over 26 years of business experience in management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching, process improvements, organizational development and youth leadership. Contact Surya at s6ganduri@eMBCinc.com. For more information, visit www.eMBCinc.com or contact eMBC, Inc., directly at (630) 445-1321.

Fight the Fear of Change

We are all naturally apprehensive about change. We fear the unknown. Most people are reluctant to take risks. This can be particularly true in a successful business. Success can be an enemy of innovation. Why mess with a model that works? There is little incentive to take risks and try new things. But even successful companies are at risk if they stand still. Smith Corona was very successful making typewriters but the technology of personal computers and the innovation of word processors proved too fatal to its business. Polaroid Corporation was a leader in instant photography but digital camera technology dealt it a serious blow and pushed it into Chapter 11.

Overcoming the fear of change is vital for business leaders. They will need to take this issue head-on. They must engage their teams in a dialogue and discuss the risks and benefits of standing still or of innovating. Some of the types of messages are, for example:

*  We must fight the risk of complacency

*  We are doing well right now but we need to do better.

*  There is a risk in innovating but there is a bigger risk in not doing anything.

*  If we don’t find new ways to reach and delight our customers then others will do it for us.

*  Change can be a big positive for us if we can drive it in the direction we want.

Leaders must promote a dialogue where, in addition to communicating these messages, they must listen to their team’s concerns and solicit their input. You can even turn negative people around by asking for their views on how to make things better. When asked, they will often volunteer great ideas for how we can make the change a big success.

Here are some tools you can use in the battle to win the hearts and minds of your teams:

*  Stories about companies that focused on what they did well and who missed the next big wave.

*  Praise for risk-takers and entrepreneurs within the business who have helped to drive change – successfully or unsuccessfully.

*  Examples of how we won business by doing something new.

*  Examples of how we lost business to more innovative competitors.

Innovation involves taking risks, changing things that work and coping with failures. Many people find it an uncomfortable journey. It can be a very bumpy ride but the alternative is to stay in the same place and slowly wither.

Moral of the story

Innovative leaders constantly evangelize the need for change. They replace the comfort of complacency with the hunger of ambition. They say, “We are doing well but we cannot rest on our successes – we need to do even better.” They explain that while trying new ventures is risky, standing still is even riskier. They must paint a picture that shows an appealing future that is worth taking risks to achieve. The prospect involves perils and opportunities. The only way we can get there is by embracing change.

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Surya M Ganduri, PhD. PMP. is the founder and president of eMBC, Inc., an international firm specializing in strategic and executive leadership development processes that Help People Succeed in an Evolving World. His company is dedicated to helping organizations and individuals manage strategic change, innovation, cultural transition, and goal achievement. Surya has over 26 years of business experience in management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching, process improvements, organizational development and youth leadership. Contact Surya at s6ganduri@eMBCinc.com. For more information, visit www.eMBCinc.com or contact eMBC, Inc., directly at (630) 445-1321.

Attitudes Affect Everything We Do

Attitudes determine the way we treat people. They affect the way we perceive change. They influence our ability to set and reach goals. Attitudes affect our ability to realize and progress through Maslow’s levels of need satisfaction. The following sequence may help you see the significance of attitudes.

Results: Each of us as goal seekers want to achieve certain results from our lives.

Behavior: The results we get depend upon our behavior, how we react to situations.

Attitude: The results we get depend upon our behavior and attitudes toward the people or events involved, and toward ourselves.

If attitudes are basically negative, goals will be set low, and it will be difficult to progress. Growth and promotion will be all but impossible until a positive mindset is developed.

You can identify people with negative attitudes by their actions and by their reactions. When presented with a challenge their focus will be on problems: what can’t be done, and why things won’t work. Their discussions will often revolve around negative issues and blame. They do not respond well to compliments and will even discount them. However, they remember every one of their failures and mistakes, and this memory stifles much of their activity. They are usually part of the problem, not part of the solution.

If attitudes are basically positive, individuals will focus on possibilities and ideas for improvement. This will be evident in the way they treat people. They will be very comfortable giving others credit, and their transactions will be directed at making others feel better about themselves. They accept both constructive criticism and compliments with open consideration and appreciation. They are regularly part of the solution and rarely part of the problem.

It is important to understand that attitudes are developed very early in life. Years and years of early conditioning helped to develop the attitudes that many people carry with them throughout life. Much of early conditioning was negative, what you can’t do, where not to go, etc. For the most part, negative attitudes are far more prevalent than positive attitudes. Too many people think more often of what’s wrong, how they might fail, and why it won’t work rather than what’s good, what’s right, and how it can work.

On the positive side, since attitudes are developed, they can be changed. In fact, as a leader, you will frequently find yourself in a position to help people develop positive attitudes. The first step is to understand that what took years to develop will also require some time and effort to change. Daily encouragement is important. Positive input on a daily basis will help to replace some of the negative attitudes with positive ones. Audio books, articles, brainstorming sessions, affirmations, and seminars are some techniques you can employ to create positive input.

There are many ways and opportunities to create a learning organization with a focus on positive attitudes and possibility thinkers. Recognition programs, leadership opportunities, personal mentoring, and corporate coaching are but a few ways to help your team develop the appropriate attitudes focused on goal achievement. One of the vital contributions a leader can make is instilling the desire and creating the opportunity for continuous improvement.

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Surya M Ganduri, PhD. PMP. is the founder and president of eMBC, Inc., an international firm specializing in strategic and executive leadership development processes that Help People Succeed in an Evolving World. His company is dedicated to assisting organizations and individuals manage strategic change, innovation, cultural transition, and goal achievement. Surya has over 26 years of business experience in management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching, process improvements, organizational development and youth leadership. Contact Surya at s6ganduri@eMBCinc.com. For more information, visit www.eMBCinc.com or contact eMBC, Inc., directly at (630) 445-1321.