Staying the Course -- October 21, 2020

[Superbob]

Good week, hearty (and hardy) Stay the Coursers! I almost skipped this week because, you know, hectic. However, I decided to do a starter, because I am confident some Coursers will follow with interesting and informative reports.

I will refrain from detailing my dental/medical challenges because who wants all that. I will say dentist wants to cobble together an appliance that will require four visits to his office, and I delayed all that til I find out what the game plan for the incisional hernia will be. Meanwhile, I see on my patient portal that my dermatologist will be doing surgery on me next week to zap a bit of squamous cell carcinoma. Sounds scary, yes, and it can spread, but she found just this one tiny spot on me, so I hope this will end that.

The joy of the past week for me and my dawg was participation in the annual Heart Walk last weekend. Granted, it was different and a little weird like just about everything in this pandemic-ridden 2020. We couldn't gather, thousands of us, to walk for the cause of heart health. Instead we walked "where we were" and tracked our steps and communicated online. It was fun in a new way as people shared via their smartphones their walks solo or in small groups. It was nice to be able to walk with my dawg Ellie who is too aggressive toward other dogs to be a welcome participant in a regular Heart Walk. So it was fun -- but looking forward to being able to gather as one community next year and walk the miles together. It is the main happening of the year for me. I use it as workout motivation every single day of the year.

So what's shaking along your courses, dear friends?

Cheers,
Superbob

 

[Superman]

Lots of virtual events these days. I wonder how the motivation derived from the larger crowd is affected? It is cool that they’re working to find some kind of equivalent and a virtual sense of community. Kind of like we all found here I guess. Prior to this place, I was one of the only people I knew with this health issue.

Sounds like the heart walk was fun and you enjoyed the sense of community, so that’s cool! I get a bit of that with the Peloton Bike. I can watch the leaderboard live while working out, compete a bit if I want (or hide the whole thing if I just want to ride), high five other riders during a workout, track performance, etc. All while the gyms remain very limited up here.

Our local Y offers one spin class a week at 6 AM outdoors. If the weather permits and you can get a bike. I can do as many as I want, whenever it fits my schedule. And my locker room is totally private!

Our Tread arrives in two weeks! Different muscles with walking and running. Felt that a bit on our anniversary trip doing lots of hiking.

 

[LondonAndy]

Re dentist appointments: I always try to make mine for half past two in the afternoon. This is because I can announce on arrival at the dental practice: "I am here for my tooth hurty"

In other news: I am 55 years old tomorrow, not 15 as the above humour may suggest

 

[Eva]

Hope you all stay safe and healthy.
I remember when I was much younger and I’d say that I liked *challenges*, some wiser/older people used to tell me that I’ll have challenges when I get older! Yup! A new challenge every now and then! My calendar has doctors’/tests’ appointments instead of trips or visits!
Hubby was in the hospital and I had been very busy taking care of him, of my older sister, of my heart, and of Leo (our dog). During this pandemic, some people are friendlier than before and some are grouchy and get very upset and yell loudly when our tiny Leo barks at them when they are near our fence with their bigger dogs than him. This adds unnecessary anxiety! Others simply laugh how such a big bark is coming from such a tiny cute dog, and when I try to hush Leo, they commend him for doing his job!
Good luck, superbob with your procedures, and good luck with all the challenges each one has.

 

[rich01]

I've got a question for you all. I'm trying to write a blog post on self-motivation and the more I research, the more confused I get. Psychiatrists and psychologist define motivation be describing what happens when someone is motivated. The neuroscientists define motivation by what happens in the brain when someone is motivated.

All of these seem after the fact to me. What I want to know is what is it that gets someone to take on a difficult task that they are not fully capable, at that time, of completing. What gets their butt up off the couch? What got you to finally lose that 20 pounds? (or stop smoking or stop drinking or etc).

Give me your ideas on what motivation is. How do you move from procrastination to action? I have my idea I will share after I get your comments.

 

[Superbob]

Re dentist appointments: I always try to make mine for half past two in the afternoon. This is because I can announce on arrival at the dental practice: "I am here for my tooth hurty"

In other news: I am 55 years old tomorrow, not 15 as the above humour may suggest

LondonAndy: I got the biggest kick out of your scheduling dental appointments for half past two in the afternoon so you can announce "here for my toothy hurty." My appointment was at 2:20, and so about tooth hurty when I got in the chair. But something weird had happened that morning as I ate my cereal (Raisin Bran): a big chunk of old crown fell out -- kersplash! -- along with part of the adjoining "canine" tooth. My dentist had planned to install a permanent bridge using these chompers as a base, and he finds that no longer practicable. So a removable appliance is now the option but it will take four visits to accomplish with all the impressions and everything. So he was fine with me pondering all that for a while -- while I deal the medical things. Good grief -- ain't we got fun! All will be going into my book, "The Joy of Aging: Everything You Wanted to Know About Growing Old But Were Afraid to Ask."

Happy Birthday #55, BTW -- and many more. Good Lord willing and the dermatologist or dentist don't get me, we will celebrate my 79th in a few weeks.

I KNEW you folks could come up with some thoughtful posts despite my blah starter. Rich, your query about the nature of motivation and its underlying engine deserves some serious reflection. My old brain is too frazzled to reply tonight, but I will try to gather my thoughts tomorrow. Hope others will, too.

 

[Superman]

I've got a question for you all. I'm trying to write a blog post on self-motivation and the more I research, the more confused I get. Psychiatrists and psychologist define motivation be describing what happens when someone is motivated. The neuroscientists define motivation by what happens in the brain when someone is motivated.

All of these seem after the fact to me. What I want to know is what is it that gets someone to take on a difficult task that they are not fully capable, at that time, of completing. What gets their butt up off the couch? What got you to finally lose that 20 pounds? (or stop smoking or stop drinking or etc).

Give me your ideas on what motivation is. How do you move from procrastination to action? I have my idea I will share after I get your comments.

If it’s external stimuli finally gets one up off the couch to do something, that’s not self motivation in my opinion. I think there are very few truly self motivated individuals. Those people that do things because they want to and not because they feel they have to. Those people that continue working not because they need the money, but because they want to do great things or make a difference or whatever.

Most of us are motivated by want or need. Reacting to things in our lives that require a response or action. Most of us will happily retire when we can afford to. But that’s not self motivation, to me. When I think of self motivation, I think of individuals that do both truly great and/or truly terrible things.

Regardless of our politics, the individuals both running for president well into their 70’s are self motivated. Crazy. But self motivated (although I personally think only one of the two will continue working if they don’t win). I plan to be long done with work at that age!

 

[rich01]

If it’s external stimuli finally gets one up off the couch to do something, that’s not self motivation in my opinion. I think there are very few truly self motivated individuals. Those people that do things because they want to and not because they feel they have to. Those people that continue working not because they need the money, but because they want to do great things or make a difference or whatever.

Most of us are motivated by want or need. Reacting to things in our lives that require a response or action. Most of us will happily retire when we can afford to. But that’s not self motivation, to me. When I think of self motivation, I think of individuals that do both truly great and/or truly terrible things.

Regardless of our politics, the individuals both running for president well into their 70’s are self motivated. Crazy. But self motivated (although I personally think only one of the two will continue working if they don’t win). I plan to be long done with work at that age!

If they are both running for President because that is what they really want to do, is that really self-motivation?

 

[Superman]

If they are both running for President because that is what they really want to do, is that really self-motivation?

The very definition of self motivation. At 70 plus years old with plenty of resources to live out their remaining years in comfort and ease. One has to be self motivated to put themselves (and arguably us) through that wringer. Neither candidate really has to do anything ever again (unfortunately too late for that !).

 

[rich01]

The very definition of self motivation. At 70 plus years old with plenty of resources to live out their remaining years in comfort and ease. One has to be self motivated to put themselves (and arguably us) through that wringer. Neither candidate really has to do anything ever again (unfortunately too late for that !).

To me, that would be a choice and not necessarily self-motivation. If I decide to travel for 6 months in my RV is that self-motivation? Now if I didn't want to go and I did it for my significant other, maybe that would require self-motivation.

Not arguing, just trying to get to what motivation really is.

 

[Superman]

To me, that would be a choice and not necessarily self-motivation. If I decide to travel for 6 months in my RV is that self-motivation? Now if I didn't want to go and I did it for my significant other, maybe that would require self-motivation.

Not arguing, just trying to get to what motivation really is.

I understand. Likewise. Just good discussion. As far as RV’ing. Some people talk about it. Not many plan and do it. If you execute on the plan and follow through, you were self motivated to do so. A thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail would take a self motivated individual.

Wonder how much degree of difficulty plays into the perception of being self motivated?

I went back to school and got my MBA after having five kids. Some people have said it’s impressive and whatever. But I wasn’t self motivated. I was motivated by my kids. If it was just me to take care of, odds are I wouldn’t have done it.

 

[rich01]

I went back to school and got my MBA after having five kids. Some people have said it’s impressive and whatever. But I wasn’t self motivated. I was motivated by my kids. If it was just me to take care of, odds are I wouldn’t have done it.

That is an example of what I think motivation is. The short version of my theory is something in your belief system changed. Something that at one point in time was viewed with more pain than pleasure, changed to something that was more pleasure than pain. Having kids to raise and the need for a larger salary changed a belief that you held. Your world view changed.

 

[Superman]

That is an example of what I think motivation is. The short version of my theory is something in your belief system changed. Something that at one point in time was viewed with more pain than pleasure, changed to something that was more pleasure than pain. Having kids to raise and the need for a larger salary changed a belief that you held. Your world view changed.

Maybe it’s self-depreciation, but to me a self motivated individual already has their MBA because they wanted it. Not because they felt like they had to do it. Two people could end up in the same place for very different reasons. One very self motivated. The other requiring motivation outside their own personal drive.

* Just using MBA as an anecdotal example, not as a measuring stick for what self motivation looks like.

 

[rich01]

Maybe it’s self-depreciation, but to me a self motivated individual already has their MBA because they wanted it. Not because they felt like they had to do it. Two people could end up in the same place for very different reasons. One very self motivated. The other requiring motivation outside their own personal drive.

* Just using MBA as an anecdotal example, not as a measuring stick for what self motivation looks like.

To me, self-motivation is overcoming inertia. If you love playing golf, it doesn't take much, if any motivation, to play 18.

 

[Superman]

To me, self-motivation is overcoming inertia. If you love playing golf, it doesn't take much, if any motivation, to play 18.

For what it’s worth, good topic. Interesting thought exercise. Would love to see other opinions.

 

[MartinF]

My opinion - self motivation comes from within. It's doing something that you don't have to do. I've been a runner all my adult life. Many nights after work I had to make a decision to go out the door for a run or sit on the couch. I didn't always run. Today I still have to make that decision on whether to walk or sit after work.

 

[rich01]

My opinion - self motivation comes from within. It's doing something that you don't have to do. I've been a runner all my adult life. Many nights after work I had to make a decision to go out the door for a run or sit on the couch. I didn't always run. Today I still have to make that decision on whether to walk or sit after work.

Exactly. So what is it that gets you to go for a run when you really don't feel like doing it? What is it that makes you sometimes go for a run and sometimes sit on the couch? What influences your decision? What, if anything, could make you always decide to go for a run?

 

[MartinF]

When I didn't feel like it I would think back to when I didn't feel like running but did it anyway. I knew that I would feel better once I committed and did it. Some days I knew I was just too tired and it wouldn't pay off. Back then I was running 60 miles a week when training. A rest day was sometimes your body telling you that you have done too much. One other motivation was the race that I was training for. It took commitment to get in shape to run long races. It's somewhat of a combination of discipline and self-motivation.
Last week we were in Hawaii for a few days and had to self-quarantine at our daughter's house. One day I walked about 35 minutes up and down the length of their driveway that was about 25 yards long. The motivation is my health.

 

[rich01]

When I didn't feel like it I would think back to when I didn't feel like running but did it anyway. I knew that I would feel better once I committed and did it. Some days I knew I was just too tired and it wouldn't pay off. Back then I was running 60 miles a week when training. A rest day was sometimes your body telling you that you have done too much. One other motivation was the race that I was training for. It took commitment to get in shape to run long races. It's somewhat of a combination of discipline and self-motivation.
Last week we were in Hawaii for a few days and had to self-quarantine at our daughter's house. One day I walked about 35 minutes up and down the length of their driveway that was about 25 yards long. The motivation is my health.

Thanks. I was doing some more reading last night and found another variable - happiness. The concepts of pleasure and pain seem to be what gets us to start (or not), but happiness is what keeps us going. Sometimes we seem to make conscious decisions about pleasure/pain/happiness and sometimes we make the decision subconsciously.

Using your running as an example, it seems your subconscious weighed the pleasure/pain of running that evening and decided the pain was greater than the pleasure, and that running that evening would not result in happiness. It would likely have been a run where every step was painful and you never achieved the good feeling (happiness).

This adds another clue to understanding motivation. It is largely based on what we want to do, but our subconscious/unconscious also factors in mental, psychological, physical, emotional, and social factors we may or may not be aware of.

 

[MartinF]

Running was not painful for me. I enjoyed running and racing. So that's pleasure. The decision to run on a given day was motivated by what was needed for training vs. if I was really tired physically or mentally. The motivation was a longer range goal. Train and stay healthy. Run enough miles but not to exhaustion.