Motivation

Speaking for myself, sometimes I have a hard time getting motivated. I know that I need to get a bunch of work done, and I find myself mesmerized by the internet as pet pictures or the news or twitter momentarily provide really compelling reasons not to work on the list of things that I have to get done. Eventually, I pull my head out, and start getting things accomplished. I seek out articles which have motivational tips too. One of the best tips I read went something like the inhabitants of Planet Kardashian will exist whether or not you are aware of their foibles. (They have planets now? Star Trek fortold a reality show?) What I took from the tip is; what’s going on other places will continue to go on whether you know about it or not, so you can find out about it after your work is done. Some days that works well, others, more of a goal. I write to do lists, place sticky notes around where I can’t help but see them and engage in most of the other tricks I’ve read to motivate myself. Sometimes it is not enough to push myself, I need an outside force.

External Incentive

People can provide a big external incentive. For an example of this, check out how hard sometimes people try to impress people they will never see again at stop lights. I know that I have been guilty of similar behavior, just not Green lightat stoplights. Being a part of an online community helps in finding motivation, as there are other people trying to do the same thing that you are. Motivation can come from anywhere, from a blog or even twitter. I found motivation in both places. After reading Ed Leighton-Dick’s post, I found an external motivator. His blog also showed me how powerful a post can be. Thanks to twitter, a lot of people saw his post and a number of people in the SQL Server Community have posted links and wrote their own blogs in support of his efforts. As I am sure Psy can attest, one can never know how much people are going to respond to what you put out on the internet, so kudos to Ed to being the Psy of the SQL Server Community. A number of people are now finding themselves motivated to bring their thoughts out of their head and onto the keyboard. Sharing of knowledge will help us all get smarter and better at our jobs. If you happen to be on twitter and see an interesting blog post with the hashtag #SQLNewBlogger, thank Ed as he helped make it happen.

 

Yours Always

Ginger Grant

Data aficionado et SQL Raconteur

 

 

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