Why is it that we do anything? The answer to that varies as widely as we do. We are not made from the same mold and what motivates you to accomplish your goals is different from what motivates your friends, kids or co-workers. It’s important to know what works for you because we all need something to help us move from place “A” to “B.”

Admittedly, I am extremely goal oriented. I think in terms of projects, short and long term goals. Sometimes just having a daily list of items I’ve set out to accomplish and knowing that by the end of the day they will be crossed out by my red marker is enough to motivate me to complete them. There are other times when my motivation works better if instead of it being visual (as in lots of red marker lines) it is time based. I play a “beat the clock” game with myself to accomplish something before a certain time so that I can go out and play. Wasn’t this a tactic our mothers used on us when we were small? I guess it was ingrained in my way of thinking. This often works well for me because as much as I like to get things done, I love to play even more.

A few weekends ago, in the true spirit of summer, we planned a day trip for Saturday. We were leaving around noon. So I woke up early to have breakfast, shower and get some work done. The fact that we were leaving at a specific time enabled me to focus on what I needed to accomplish. The added bonus and motivating force was that after I worked, I’d get to play and spend time with my family.

And play we did! There’s nothing like taking a day trip. One of my friends, Stacy Maxwell, writes a wonderful blog called “Backyard Therapy” exclusively about the value of going on day trips. The concept is that by stepping out of our normal routines and taking a break just for one day, our sense of well-being is restored.

Our day trip to the east end of Long Island did just that. While our girls are no longer little kids, we went to visit the Children’s Museum of the East End. My husband built some exhibits for them several years ago and we went to visit them in place. While it was fun to see his work, it was just as much fun watching our girls “play” at the museum. Dressing up was always a huge part of their childhood and they haven’t outgrown that yet. Their playfulness spilled over to us as we also enjoyed putting on tutus, pirate gear and firefighters’ jackets. Silly is good!

The day wouldn’t have been complete without having lunch outdoors, walking through the town, checking out an antiques fair, eating ice cream, touring the neighborhoods and seeing the ocean. I was amazed about the positive, rejuvenating effect our excursion had. It was a wonderful day! The idea of the trip provided me with the motivation to get some work done in the morning. The trip itself gave me time to reconnect, play and relax with my family. I was motivated to work by the notion that fun was at the other side. It was a win win!

Motivation is a funny thing. It can be a powerful force in helping us take action. Using its power will bring you great results. Many things motivate us to get organized from imposing deadlines to satisfying someone else’s wishes to preparing for the arrival of houseguests. Being aware of both large and small motivating factors will help you reach your goals.

This is something I encounter not only when working with clients, but also in my own life. Sometimes the goal we are trying to reach is so large, that thinking about that goal and the desired results can actually de-motivate, rather than motivate us into action. While it’s important to keep the big goal or motivating idea in mind, using mini-motivators along the way is essential.

Let’s look at a scenario where you want to sell your home and move? Before that can happen, the cluttered rooms filled with years of accumulation need to be organized and cleared. Even though you have a burning desire to move, it’s not enough yet to bring you to action.

The desired goal seems so large and impossible that it causes inaction. This is often the point when people call for help. They realize that they just can’t accomplish this on their own. If they could have, they would have. The large motivation for moving to a new neighborhood brings them to the next step, which is enlisting help. The help can be from a professional, friend or family member.

Once help arrives, now what? The big picture of moving still exists. Yet, the clutter and things to do are overwhelming you. It’s hard to know where to begin. You feel stuck. Now it’s time to find the mini-motivators. We’re looking for tiny steps that require a less intense level of motivation.

So let’s say we have 30 boxes of papers to sort through. Most of them are old and can probably be recycled, but we still need to look at them to seek out any important ones that might be mixed in. The motivation here becomes emptying a box, not emptying 30 boxes. And when that one box is finished, it propels us forward to begin the next box. The motivation is finding the bottom of the box, all clear, with nothing in it. The small successes will build off one another. They will keep us motivated until we reach the desired goal.

No matter what you are trying to accomplish, don’t underestimate the value of using both large and mini-motivators.

What motivates you to get organized and reach your goals?

We spend a good part of our days thinking about what we have to do, want to do, or do. We spend even more time working on getting those things done. And then there are the moments or snapshots that mark time. Sometimes I can conjure up these images, and other times, I’m reminded of the moments from photos. These treasured photos help me remember both the mundane and significant moments that mark the passage of time.

As a parent, some of the significant family moments are things like the births of our children, first days of school, recitals, birthdays, graduations and all the “big” events in between. We know these moments define change. Then there are the beautiful non-event moments that get captured like your child smiling in delight or holding their Daddy’s hand.

“Our time is partly in the planning, but mostly in the moments that make us stop and realize how precious time is.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO

As our youngest daughter just went to her senior prom, you can imagine the volume of photos that were taken of her and her friends. The paparazzi of parents gathered together with their cameras to capture this significant moment in their sons’ and daughters’ lives. Some were teary eyed as they watched their “babies” all grown up in their prom attire. Some talked in disbelief wondering, “Where did the time go?”

Photos were taken and our kids went off. The parents remained with instantaneous digital pictures preserving the memory.

As I looked at the prom photos, I thought about other times of “dressing-up.” Our daughters loved putting on costumes whether is was Halloween or not. They’d appear as ballerinas, fairies, princesses or other characters. Hours were spent selecting costumes and playing pretend. Perhaps things haven’t changed so much. They are still dressing up, but differently from when they were little girls.

Our time is partly in the planning, but mostly in the moments that make us stop and realize how precious time is. So, even if you are in the midst of a frenzy of lists to complete and places to go, take some time to stop and appreciate the moment you are in. It all goes way too fast.

What are you appreciating right now?

As far as arrival time goes, I am usually on time or a little early. I’m also human, so of course there are times when I’m late. One recent rainy spring evening, I found myself in a unique time situation. I actually arrived to my destination an entire hour early. Since I expected to arrive just as the program began, I didn’t have any reading material or projects with me.

There I was alone in an empty auditorium with my cup of earl grey tea. I couldn’t believe that I had a whole hour to just sit and do nothing. So, I sipped, breathed deeply and smiled at this wonderful, unexpected gift. I felt light-hearted and giddy by the idea that there was nothing special for me to do except wait. This was unusual.

After relaxing a while, I pulled out some blank index cards to write about this experience. People began arriving. Just like being at an airport, I enjoyed people watching. Some entered the room quietly, while others came in with a big display. The decibel level in the once quiet room quickly began rising, along with the energy level. There I sat, still smiling, writing and enjoying my time gift.

I noticed that most people were busy doing something like conversing with friends, checking email, texting, talking on their cell phones, or switching their seat to a more desirable location. The room filled with busyness. Everyone around me was active. In fact, I too was no longer just sitting. I was writing.

Then my friends began arriving, so I quickly finished my thoughts, put away my pen, and enjoyed having some face to face conversation before the event began.

The program was a comedy competition that my younger daughter participated in. Teens from all over the county competed in a friendly night of comedy improv. One of the improvs about corn threw me into a fit of almost unstoppable laughter, complete with tears streaming down my face. I love to laugh with complete abandon and these kids provided me with plenty of cause to let loose. It was a great evening between the free time and the abundance of laughter!