Paying it forward - the unexpected way to stay motivated

In one of the worst times of my life, I felt like I was completely lost. I had a hard time channeling my thoughts, keeping on track and looking ahead. One thing that I knew that would help me get outside of myself, re-adjust and get back on track was to help others by volunteering: how could I possibly not feel compelled to get up and get moving with a sense of purpose and urgency, when I was doing whatever needed to be done on someone else's behalf? It was the best decision that I could make at a time like that.

With my ever-present gravitation towards animals, the natural choice was to start volunteering at a local animal shelter. I was nervous making that first call to inquire and then attend volunteer orientation, but from there it became much easier. It was hard work - heart-breaking at times, propelling at other times but always gratifying. Seeing wagging tails, smiling faces and being in the midst of others who shared my passion was motivating and helped me keep my sense purpose. I had the opportunity to learn about other people who I volunteered alongside - another plus. I understood that we all had two things in common: we were human beings, and had a passion for helping animals. Some had outside labels like stay-at-home mom, postal worker, vet tech student, retiree, CEO of a large company, out-of-work secretary, attorney, high school student, carpenter, fellow small business owner. The former was the only important thing, and the sense of being needed for those few short hours per week was like a refuge, I think. Even if one didn't feel terribly motivated or useful during the time that we spent outside of volunteering, we certainly felt needed and valued when we were there.

There are great ways for folks to offer their time and talents for the benefit of others. Websites like VolunteerMatch and Points of Light are great resources for getting information on volunteering. Locally, in Washtenaw County, there is a way to discover groups that are a fit  - volunteerwashtenaw.com - a database of sorts that helps one search for great opportunites.

Volunteering one's time is a great way to do so much for others. It gives people a chance to be their best: they see that they are useful, valued, capable - and in turn they go further and continue to be motivated.

I think that quite often, the biggest obstacle that we face collectively in life is ourselves. We get in our own way, think too much about ourselves and when that's the case, it's easy to get lagged down. Thinking about others, well, there's just no room for that.

Lorrie Shaw is a professional pet sitter, regular pets contributor to annarbor.com and pet blogger in Dexter Twp, MI. She participates in Motivated Mondays along with writer, speaker, mountain bike rider and author of Backroads & Byways Of Arizona, Jackie Dishner. #MotivatedMondays on Twitter is a culmination of inspirational notes, blogs and tips to help motivate and get other ready for each week after the weekend lull - or anytime.

A peanut butter/chocolate kind of thing

Liz Strauss had a great blog post earlier and I wanted to share it, because it really resonated with me. In fact, I feel like it relates to a concept that I discussed on AnnArbor.com this past week. A total "your peanut butter and my chocolate" kind of thing.

Liz talks about being passionate, connected, and making things seamless with work and the personal side of one's life. I talk about living vicariously through the pets in our lives and how it teaches us to "be". In doing so, I stay connected to what is important, stay joyful and motivated, because I know that these pets depend on me, too.

Liz's post really fits with staying motivated, I think. too.


Thoughts?


Lorrie Shaw is a professional pet sitter, regular pets contributor to annarbor.com and pet blogger in Dexter Twp, MI. She participates in Motivated Mondays along with writer, speaker, mountain bike rider and author of Backroads & Byways Of Arizona, Jackie Dishner. #MotivatedMondays on Twitter is a culmination of inspirational notes, blogs and tips to help motivate and get other ready for each week after the weekend lull - or anytime.

Keeping up with the Joneses: How your claiming your definition of success helps to shape your mindset, and stay motivated

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” - Winston Churchill

Years ago, I started dealing with a network marketing company to try and make a little extra money and diversify my time. The company offered different types of support as far as building a business - their way. A lot of what they taught was invaluable, with training from internationally-known motivational speakers and business-types, seminars, instrinsic product knowledge education - that kind of stuff. I still find it valuable, although I don't do as much with the company anymore. What I didn't like, and what I see with a lot of other companies of all kinds: the feeling that the current level of success that you've attained is not-up-to-par, that they are making you who you are, that some of the tactics that they employ to convey to you how to get clients and "build relationships" are less than desirable, that you can be more - but that you need to adhere to their way of approaching/talking to people (sometimes using methods that are beyond my level of comfort - for good reason). I could go on, but I won't.

flickr photo courtesy of Josh Janssen

I learned a lot from being in business for myself 9 years prior to that, and had done pretty well for myself. Some of what the company "taught" made me squirm, and rightfully so. Much of it went against common sense and real relationship building - both concepts that are extremely important to me.

One thing that I really felt icky about was that my "upline" and the trainings of other uplines focused on the idea that one needed to increase their success - and "success" was defined by sales and recruiting (and making other people money) and far less about creating bonds with people in a genuine way, finding solutions for them by pairing them with products that fit their needs and their budget in a way that they felt comfortable with (I mean, literally bullying folks into making a purchase? Please. So not me.) My gut said: "No, no, no..." How can people sleep at night doing that?

I've never let anyone else define my idea - or better yet, my concept of what success is. Not when I started my cleaning service, not during my time that I was active with the company and not when I started my pet sitting service. Don't get me wrong - people attempted to, and still do. ("You should hire people to do the work for you!" "Join our networking group; it'll help your business grow." "You know, you could make a lot more money if you...")

*sigh*

I know what my recipe for success is. The core remains the same, first and foremost, providing capable care for pets while their families are away - but some of the peripheral needs of the business and my personal life cause me to adjust what areas I need to focus in.

flickr photo courtesy of greeblie

It really seems as though so many people are comparing themselves to what other people are doing so much so, that they have either lost sight of what their concept of success is - or they've never been able to define it for themselves at all. Sad, isn't it? It happens in the corporate world, in the land of the self-employed, and equally in people's personal lives. And, it really screws things up.

Most of all, I find that many times it actually decreases motivation because you start to question yourself too much about what your process is; dumbing it down. Second-guessing is a real motivation stealer.

So my questions for you are: What is success? How do you define it? What is your recipe for staying motivated to achieve your successes in life? Are you trying to keep up wth the Joneses to hammer out someone else's standard of success?


Lorrie Shaw is a professional pet sitter, regular pets contributor to annarbor.com and pet blogger in Dexter Twp, MI. She participates in Motivated Mondays along with writer, speaker, mountain bike rider and author of Backroads & Byways Of Arizona, Jackie Dishner. #MotivatedMondays on Twitter is a culmination of inspirational notes, blogs and tips to help motivate and get other ready for each week after the weekend lull - or anytime.

OPS - Other People's Success

Yes, it's great to help others, succeed at something that you love to do, to be appreciated, to be acknowledged by others... all of the good stuff that comes with success - whatever that word means to you. One of the most uplifting things for me though, is to witness someone else gaining ground.

I love the energy that people radiate when they've tackled something daunting. The process that they follow. The journey that the had to take. The failures (I prefer the phrase "learning experiences"), the breakthroughs. Witnessing someone transform into the more confident person that they weren't sure that they could become to begin with.

flickr photo courtesy of Horia Varlan

Whether I am talking to someone who has just started their business, or a seasoned professional who is embarking on a new challenge - and they are achieving their goal, it's great. Or, it could be a simple thing like learning to knit, or something bigger like conquering a deep-rooted fear of [insert word here].

Seeing their buoyancy after crossing that threshold of uncertainty is powerful.

Paying attention to others, and being genuinely interested in what is going on in their lives, listening - is an excellent asset
to have. Simply by being in the midst of, and picking the brains of others who are experiencing everyday successes is an empowering thing. It's motivating - it really gives me a sense of urgency to shift my focus a bit, or work that much harder to get up the ladder that I'm climbing.


Lorrie Shaw is a professional pet sitter, regular pets contributor to annarbor.com and pet blogger in Dexter Twp, MI. She participates in Motivated Mondays along with writer, speaker, mountain bike rider and author of Backroads & Byways Of Arizona, Jackie Dishner. #MotivatedMondays is a culmination of inspirational notes, blogs and tips to help motivate and get other ready for each week after the weekend lull - or anytime.

K.I.S.S. - How this little acronym serves me well

I can't do "complicated". Anything. I'm pretty sure that this has to do with the way that my brain works. Regardless, I think that following this one simple trick in all things has served me so well, and proliferated much of my success and kept me on the right track: Keep It Simple, Silly. (K.I.S.S. - for short) It's kept me organized, level-headed, focused and most of all - motivated.

Having K.I.S.S as my mantra has been invaluable. I've put it to use at home, in training my dogs and in my business. The bare-bones nature of K.I.S.S. in the latter case, has helped me maintain what my core philosophy in my business is, and why I started it in the first place.

I love animals - dogs, cats, lizards, you name it, and I love caring for them. I'm good at it, which helps and I found a way to do it as a living. It allows me to be home with my own pets more, which is probably one of the most important aspects about it.

It's a successful business because I keep in mind why I'm doing it, and why I started. It's thriving, busy with appointments, but not so much that I cannot be mindful of each pet that I care for. The way that I've mindfully structured the business has been with K.I.S.S. in mind, too. In doing that, there is no need to hire others, no extra paperwork or worrying about the quality of service that's being given. K.I.S.S. has allowed me to have great communiation with my clients when I'm "on" or "off" the clock. The philosophy is one that works for my clients, too. They like the simplistic, personal way that their pets are cared for - and I can tend to those little emergencies that occur, like last night: there was a bat that had gotten into the house, and I managed to get things under control quickly. Things like this happen all of the time in my business, so keeping things simple is key.

This mindset is such that I can be home more to tend to things there. Simplify, simplify, simplify. I can get things done. Life is enjoyable. Of course, things still get a little hectic at times, but overall, everything is still managable; fun. And, I stay motivated and can look ahead when I need to.


Lorrie Shaw is a regular pets contributor on AnnArbor.com, pet blogger on More Than Four Walls and owner of Professional Pet Sitting. She frequently writes about the fascinating bond between animals and humans as well as other social issues connected to animals. She welcomes your contact by e-mail.

Time away = staying motivated

For the next few days, I'm away on a much needed camping trip. I'm like everyone else; I'm busy, and get over-involved in things that sometimes shouldn't be a priority anyway.

I tend to get a little punchy and difficult when it's time to get away. A while back, my partner and I decided that it should be a priority to get away from everything at least every 6 months. That seems manageable, we'd like more vacations... but it's just not possible to do so a lot of times. But trying to schedule regular get away's keeps me happy; healthy. And, if I'm not healthy, I'm no good to others; my family, the pets that I care for, human clients. It's integral.

In my case, getting away is a great readjustment period, a decompression and a healthy way to stay connected to myself and most of all, motivated. Anyway, that's the place that I am at right now. How about you? Where are you?

When I return back to my schedule, I can think. I'm focused on the right things. I've got perspective. I can stay motivated.

What are you doing to recharge this week, to stay motivated?

Delegation: a useful tool in maintaining motivation?

Sometimes staying motivated means delegating things to other people. I know that it's true, but sometimes it's hard for me to put into action. I'm a Type-A, gotta-do-it-all-myself kind of gal. That sort of thinking gets me into trouble. But, the occassion arises once in awhile when I realize that delegating things to others is a must.

Case in point: The past 3 or 4 months, I've been all too aware that I've needed a new car. A new-to-me car. I prefer to drive a good quality used car - nothing too expensive or snazzy, just reliable, low cost to maintain, yet professional looking. I hate doing research on that stuff. (Heck, who am I kidding - I dispise having to do anything related to buying a car, getting tires and the ever popular getting repairs done.) So, I put it off. And off. Then I realized that I was so unhappy, simply because I was putting it off. Ooh, procrastination comes into play - another obstacle to get over when trying to stay motivated.

So, I decided to ask Chris, my partner in life if he would do it for me. He actually likes doing it, and is good at it. Within 2 days, he found a great car, we went to look at it and sealed the deal. It was that easy. From there, I was able to focus on other things that I needed to tend to, which enhanced my ability to stay motivated. 

flickr photo courtesy of David Joyce

Now, in my professional life, it's a bit more tricky to delegate, as I am CEO, secretary, pet sitter, dog walker, poop clean up crew, social media rep... you name it.

Understanding that there are things that are in my strengths list, and some in my weaknesses list is important. It's great to build overall skills, but equally effective if you don't fight the idea that it's ok to delegate things that you're not fond of (for the right reasons), or not good at to someone else. In a work setting, it can be a great way to get to know a co-worker or colleague better by dialoguing about what you need help with, and in the big picture of the process - perhaps increase productivity and propel motivation for everyone.

We cannot do everything alone in life. It's ok to ask for help. There ought not be any shame or guilt in that.

Where is an area where you might be able to use the skill of delegation to enhance your ability to stay motivated?

Doing the "impossible"

We all have aspirations. Big or small, at some point they may seem impossible to accomplish, leaving us feeling un-motivated. Some days seem more difficult to manage than others, whether we have things or people that get in our way - or if we do a pretty good job all of "getting in our own way".

One thing that I can say from experience that helps me to get around my lack of motivation, is remembering where my aspirations and goals come from to begin with: What is my "why" in this situation? Establishing your "why" is important. Although getting the things done that are necessary to achieving our goal can seem mundane, remembering your passion for what you want to do, regardless of how impossible attaining the task seems is all part of the process.

Walt Disney had a talent fostered from a young age. A talent for drawing. This ability of his became a passion throughout his life, a driving force. During his life's journey, he endured setbacks and financial woes that changed the course of where he was going - or how he was going to get there. I imagine that he felt at times that his aspirations were quite lofty, even out of reach. The things that he did accomplish were grand, and best of all, many generations have been able to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

As Disney said: "It's kind of fun to do the impossible."

Think about that. When you've accomplished something difficult in the past, how did you feel during and afterward? Did your emotions change during the process?

What task or adventure are you going to embark on this Monday, that seems "impossible"? How will you approach it, so that it will be easier to manage? What tools will you employ to keep yourself motivated? Are you going to find joy and fun along the journey?



Lorrie Shaw is a professional pet sitter, regular pets contributor to annarbor.com and pet blogger in Dexter Twp, MI. She participates in Motivated Mondays along with writer, speaker, mountain bike rider and author of Backroads & Byways Of Arizona, Jackie Dishner. #MotivatedMondays is a culmination of inspirational notes, blogs and tips to help motivate and get other ready for each week after the weekend lull - or anytime.

Hello, it's Monday knocking...

flickr photo courtesy of thisisbossi

Yep, the weekend's over. How did you spend yours? Did you languish in the time away from work, dreading the moment that you had to go back? Or is yours the kind of life where work/business related activity goes on everyday? Perhaps you're a stay-at-home parent who is "on" 24/7. Maybe you are in-between careers/jobs right now and you're feeling overwhelmed, frusterated, angry because you need to pay the bills and you're not getting anywhere. You might even be at a crossroads in your life and trying to figure out where to go next - in a relationship with another human being, a career/job, or in the literal sense - where you want to live, or how. Chronic illness is another factor that affects motivation, whether it's you or a loved one who's sick.

One important thing to keep in mind is that we are all struggling at some point every week with lack of motivation and desire to get past difficulties. Everyone of us. One thing that I've learned through the years is that the person standing next to me might look like they've got it all together; but I don't let what appears to be or what that person is saying fool me. They're probably struggling to stay on track, too!

We've all got different patterns to our schedules, but Mondays have always been traditionally a difficult day to "get in gear", to get or stay motivated. So many factors come into play to initiate that feeling of the familiar Monday lag: things, people, illness, our own selves. Sometimes "Monday" is "everyday" - Groundhog Day.

How we deal with the hurdles depends on how we view them, mostly. Sometimes we need to jump over them, walk around them, or knock them over - depending on the hurdle. We at times to need to walk away and revisit that situation at a later time and proceed on a different path. That's ok, too - that might be the best thing in that case.

After a @bikelady's brief comment on Twitter last week, we knew that #motivatedmondays was a great idea. Along with Jackie Dishner, I'll be offering stuff to share about getting and staying motivated - here and on Twitter. I'll undoubtedly be drawing from your experiences, too, so feel free to interject and share.

Read my "maiden" blog.



Lorrie Shaw is a professional pet sitter, regular pets contributor to annarbor.com and pet blogger in Dexter Twp, MI. She participates in Motivated Mondays along with writer, speaker, mountain bike rider and author of Backroads & Byways Of Arizona, Jackie Dishner. #MotivatedMondays is a culmination of inspirational notes, blogs and tips to help motivate and get other ready for each week after the weekend lull - or anytime.