Babbling About Intentions and Getting Myself Motivated

I've had this problem recently, actually I seem to have this problem a lot, where I want to write about certain things and have all the good intentions to do so and then I just don't end up doing it. In no way do I feel alone with problem for I think it is a common hardship in any person's life, figuring out how to maneuver your way from intention to action. In some ways I believe people often try, myself included, to reduce their guilt of not acting by convincing themselves that they had the full intention of doing so. One thing I have always been horrible with is writing Thank You cards. I always start out with the intention to write Thank You notes to friends or family but then a month, or two months, or a year passes, and I realize I never actually got around to sending one... but I was going to and I try to convince myself that matters.

As much as we try to console ourselves with the notion that intention and action are close to the same thing there is actually a wide gap between the two. This gap isn't always hard to jump, for instance, your desire and intention to get food during the day is often fulfilled by actions we take to feed ourselves, but the gap can widen by time and/or the access to other, more easily fulfilled desires. One example would be when your desire for comfort is stronger than your desire to relieve your bladder during the night. It's that horrible moment when you wake up and you're still so nice and warm and comfortable in your bed, but you can't go back to sleep because you just really have to go the bathroom. Of course with this example you have to eventually get up and go to the bathroom or else there will be harmful physiological damage or, and way more likely, you'll wet the bed. On the other hand, with an action that does not have to be performed in order for you to live, the intention can stay an intention as long as you can get away with it.

That brings us to the real problem with motivation to perform actions that don't actually have any foreseeable consequences. When you don't write a blog post that you're sure only you are reading, it doesn't make a difference to anyone else. When you don't end up painting or drawing a picture that you had the intention of doing last week entirely for your own desire, then there are really no consequences to not acting upon that intention. If you don't read that book or watch that movie you always said you wanted to, there's no grade deduction or slap on the wrist. When relying solely on intrinsic motivation, we often let other obstacles or time get the better of us.

Many of my psychology classes were dedicated, at least in part, to a way to change our intentions into our actions. Often this was done by adding extrinsic motivators, such as food or money. Since I don't need any more relationship problems with food I decided to use money. As previously mentioned I have lots of ideas to write about, but rarely end up writing on this blog. I'm going to start giving myself rewards for every blog entry I make, and since I also have a problem with buying too many books, one entry will be worth $1 towards buying a new book. This will be the only contingency for now and if I need to add more later I will. I am also considering using this method of positive or negative reinforcers in other aspects of my life, but I want to wait and see how this one goes.

This was definitely not what I was planning on writing about today but it just happened. I guess sometimes you get onto an idea and just run with it. I'll keep you guys updated on my progress and any changes I make. Getting yourself motivated can be a real problem and there's no shame in looking for a way to help yourself increase productivity (in a healthy way). Making small changes and taking things one step at a time has often shown the best results.

I'd love to hear of any tips or tricks people have or are currently using to help themselves become more motivated or productive in their lives.

-S

Graduation!

It's been about a month since graduation, but I'm finally getting these up here. I still can't believe I'm a college graduate. It's official too since I just got my diploma in the mail last week. The day was wonderful and I'm glad I let my mom convince me to participate in the ceremony. Here's just a few of my favorite photos from before and after commencement.

 My mom and I

The Whole Family

 Obligatory portrait by the Bronco statue

 Me and the parents.

 My mom, me, and my brother

My dad, me, and my brother

Clearly we covered all our bases on these babies.

 I love my family and without them this day would have never come. They also helped make the entire weekend fun, from our dinner at Bell's Friday night, to our dinner at Beer Exchange the next night, and letting me ditch them to go out with my friends (haha). There's nothing like family.

-S.

This Will Hurt

A few things:

• I had to come up with a behavior to modify for a Health Psych project so I chose exercise. I set a goal of 3 days a week (T/F/Sun) for at least 30 minutes for the first 2 weeks, and 4 days a week (T/Th/F/Sun) for at least 30 minutes for the second 2 weeks. For each week I make my goal, I get to buy a song on iTunes.
• Since today is Sunday, I needed to workout. The unfortunate thing being St. Patty's Day was yesterday, which left my body a little less apt to workout... but I did it anyway. 
• My dad called tonight to remind me to get spinning because after some research he discovered it's about 320 miles from Kalamazoo to Normal, IL. So what we thought was going to be a two maybe three day ride is now a four day ride... 80 miles each. That really will hurt, even after training I'm thinking.
• I will train train train train train!
• This is just a warm up for my across the US ride one day.
• Why do I insist on dreaming so big again?

Exam week

blerg! Exams kinda suck guys, luckily this semester I have two art classes in which both of those projects are pretty much finished (I have like 2 things I need to glue onto my poster board before Wednesday), no exam for my Psychology of Genders class, and my research proposal paper to finish writing for my Research Methods class. That means that I really only have one test to study for :)

I wish it were Thursday already. I can't wait to go home and spend time with my family for a bit. I can't wait to see my friends and my cousins. I can't wait to go watch Christmas movies at the State (hopefully) and get coffee from my favorite coffee shops. I can't wait to put some of my ornaments my mom left off for me on the tree (or at least I think she left some off for me). I can't wait to eat lots of yummy food and see all the pretty lights. Christmas time is pretty much the best time of the year.

So with that I will leave you one Christmas song from my favorite holiday cd this year and one song that I just can't stop listening to lately.

Christmas: Christmas Waltz by She and Him

 Other: In the Mourning by Paramore

Final Project Inspiration

My final project for my Form and Surface (2D) art class is a piece of giant billboard poster covered in an interpretation of important lessons, ideas, or facts we have learned from our previous classes in college. Since I've taken quite a few art classes I'm throwing in a lot of psychology influences with brain functions, neurons, and neurotransmitters. I also wanted to include some painting from my painting class this summer and some sort of representation of schizophrenia from my abnormal psych class. I need a place to keep all of my idea's in one place so I resorted to this.

Here's some picture inspiration:

(dopamine)

Per usual I found a lot of inspiration in music as well.

"Don't waste your time on me you're already the voice inside my head"