Motivational spa treatments

In preparation for tomorrow's post on Daniel Pink's book, Drive, it is time to incite your motivation.

Give yourself the luxury of five minutes.  I know, I know....who's got five minutes to spare?  Consider today's post a spa treatment for your soul.

Photo by Leo Reynolds; Photoshopped by Jen
Spa treatment #1 for motivation
Set the timer on your cell phone for three minutes.  When time begins, answer the question:  What motivates me?  Keep writing nonstop until time is up.  If you run out of things to say, keep repeating the question aloud "What motivates me?" and answer it.  Do not concern yourself with spelling, punctuation or being repetitive. After, take a look at what you wrote.  Underline common themes or big ideas.  Your stream of consciousness has something to say.  What did it reveal about what motivates you?

Spa treatment #2 for motivation

Use Pink's "big question" activity.  "In 1962, Clare Booth Luce, one of the first women to serve in the US Congress, offered some advice to President John F. Kennedy.  'A great man,' she told him, 'is one sentence.'"  What is your one sentence? 

Me?  Jen lived her life passionately embracing the motto - life is an adventure.  First draft.

Spa treatment #3 for motivation

Create an inspiration board.  Pink advocates doing this as do most artists and designers.  You can put one together fairly quickly especially if you have your favorite magazines, catalogs, and photos laying around.  Here is my board right now.  It inspires me (although the photo quality doesn't).


Spa treatment #4 for motivation

DIY motivational signage.  This one, which I found in a Patagonia catalog last winter, cracks me up.  For skiers/boarders, it is plain and simple motivation to choose a trail wisely.  Seeing it, brings me delight - which in itself is motivating.


To create your own signage, check out this free web-collection of tools, Big Huge Labs.  I lost count at 20 how many options they have to create your own signage.  The "Motivator" tool might be just what you are looking for...(though, I could see your face on the cover of a faux magazine using the "Magazine Cover" tool).


Alrighty, go give yourself a motivational spa treatment.

Come on, you deserve it :)

Jen