Push, Pull and Do
Have you ever stopped to think about what motivates you to do what you do?
In the different aspects of our lives, we may find that the forces at play which manifest motivation, are all subtly different.
Have you considered which form of motivation is most effective for you?
Push
This means taking action because you are fearful of the consequences of not. Examples of this are things such as going to the gym because you don’t want to get fat. Focusing on the negative that you are trying to avoid to build the motivation for action.
In a nut shell: Running away from something as if being pushed by it.
When we are driven in this way, we are choosing to focus on a negative possible outcome so we can then attain the opposite.
The problem with imagined negative outcomes is that the human mind has a tendency to exaggerate the impact of things. This is our egos way of keeping us safe; we default to focusing on the worst possible outcome so that we then avoid the behaviours which would lead to it manifesting.
This disproportionate perspective can lead to disproportionate behaviour.
In this mindset can invoke a primal fight or flight fear state which can then lead to ruthless behaviour. A perfect example of this would be wanting to “win” at work by getting a promotion in front of other people. If your driver is running away from the fear of being judged by your position at work i.e., you feel you need the promotion to validate your worth as a human; then this can lead to harsh and non-cohesive behaviour.
Think of this behaviour as a local optimisation. Beneficial for you in the short term, but with other humans suffering collateral damage, and longer-term consequences for your own psychological health.
How do we avoid this behaviour?
Look fear in the face and reject it. Spot the behaviour pattern and then question what is causing the fear. Accept yourself for who you are, regardless of the outcomes of your actions.
Choose not to focus on the negative, but instead on the positive effect the achievement of your goal will have on you on life and the lives of others around you.
Pull
After talking about push motivation, I think this one is pretty obvious.
In a nutshell: Running towards something as if being pulled by it.
Do you have a vison for what you want to achieve? Are you choosing to focus on a goal?
Like going to the gym to train because you want to hit a new PB, or just generally being more active so you can lose some weight and feel more energetic; living life more intensely.
Pull is not quite as easy as push. Push taps in to our primal emotions and uses fear to excite our neurological processes and create action. Pull requires a trust, a faith in our own ability to take the steps needed to achieve our goal.
The art of pull is setting SMART goals.
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timebound.
One big vison, broken up in to small bitesize chunks that take us towards success. The more we chew down, the more evidence we have that we can succeed, the more evidence we have the more confident we are; and the more confident we are the bigger bites we can take… creating our own catalytic loop of success.
Do
Doing is a form of pull; but a pull towards a vision of you embodying a version of you, where you fulfil your energetic potential as a human. A wholistic vision, not a specific single pointed goal.
In a nutshell: Just allowing your energy to flow, and doing what feels authentically right for you to express who you truly are.
Do you know who you are, and are you in tune with how your energy is resonating?
Some days we wake up feeling more focussed and alive than others. On these days we can say that we are resonating at a higher frequency.
Our outlook is optimistic and we feel like we have all of the energy we could ever need to take action and grow.
Do, is all about finding the perfect recipe for you. Think of the path of do as existing in harmonic existence with the universe.
The universe is constantly changing and growing, and you will be too when you are “doing”.
I know personally for me I do meditate, spend quality time with my family, practice yoga, ride my mountain bike, go to the gym and/or just generally exert myself. I express myself creatively by writing my blog. I read, learn and reflect. I express myself with honest integrity at work.
I don’t give a fuck!
I just do me.
I do what I know will make me feel lighter and stronger. Emotionally, energetically and spiritually.
Doing you, is the only focus in life you will ever need.
You cannot give what you have not got and in order to create the world that you want to live in, you need to embody that vision first.
Do is the ultimate form of motivation.
Think of it like becoming a river flowing… the river just does. It is not running away from the mountain or trying to get to the sea. It just flows harmoniously with everything it touches.
Enjoy, for now.