Call it what you want–time management, project management, life management–our calendars are critically involved in achieving our goals. Timeboxing can help us get our work done by limiting the amount of time we spend on certain tasks, giving us a set time when we’re supposed to stop working. Alternatives to…
A people pleaser is someone who goes out of their way to make others happy; they put others’ needs above their own. While well-intentioned, these individuals often suffer as a result of their people-pleasing behavior. Fortunately, people pleasers can learn to kick the bad habit: For starters, they should set…
When you behave in a way that undermines your values, it’s called self-sabotage. People engage in self-sabotaging behaviors and thoughts for a variety of reasons, many of them coming back to self-esteem. You can stop self-sabotage and behavioral self-handicaps by taking a deep dive into your thinking patterns. The more…
Motivational interviewing (MI) is a method some counselors use to help their clients overcome their ambivalence toward positive change. MI is a client-centered, directive counseling approach that can help clients identify and strengthen their own motivation. MI works by eliciting ‘change talk” to deepen a client’s intrinsic commitment to change. …
Let me paint you a picture. It’s 2 pm on a Wednesday afternoon, and you’re feeling stressed out, yet bored. You’re eating your lunch at your desk because you want to give off the impression that you’re working hard. You take a personal phone call and pretend to be speaking…
Staying motivated is one of the biggest challenges remote workers face. After working remotely for one year, job motivation stats show a drop from 56% to 36%. Most workers cite lack of interaction and distractions as the biggest factors affecting their motivation. Changing habits can increase motivation and reduce the…
“It’s coming down to nothing more than apathy…” A famous verse in The Fray’s hit song Over My Head (Cable Car). When this song came out I was just 10 years old—but still, I was hypnotized by the heartbreak-struggle of a song… even if I couldn’t yet understand it. In…
A form of “mental dieting” known as dopamine fasting has quickly become popular with millenials. While it’s impossible to “fast” from a naturally occurring brain chemical, that doesn’t stop some people from trying. This strict practice aims to restore the brain’s natural flow of dopamine by restricting the dopamine faster’s…
Modern advice columnists answer questions about sex, relationships, work, mental health, and existence itself. Your probability of taking someone’s advice is determined by a number of cognitive and social factors, like their reputation and your emotions. People–especially people with low motivation–frequently just need a listener, not an advice-giver. We can…
Q: How do I start motivating myself to get organized? A: Great question! The short, real answer is if you’re waiting to feel motivated or have a belief that motivation is necessary in order to get started with something, it’s just not true. You can choose to start getting organized…
Hard science can begin to look like astrology when it comes to researching the importance of birthdays and season of birth (SOB). Birthdays are proven to influence everything from your success in school and sports to your physical health. Birthdays can serve as temporal landmarks that enhance motivation—or deepen depression….
If my to-do list could talk, it would say, “You didn’t finish me yet!” I know I’m not the only one ignoring my to-do list because I can’t stand the idea of one more task. Many of us are drained these days, but time off isn’t always feasible. Even if…