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Motivation: ideas and frameworks explained

A collection of ideas, frameworks and techniques related to Motivation, explained clearly so they are easy to understand and share.

What is the newsletter paradox: your email newsletter subscriber list grows when you do nothing and people unsubscribe when you sendThe Newsletter Paradox: Your newsletter grows when you do nothingWhat is Grandma’s Rule? Illustration of the Premack Principle showing a child told ‘Vegetables first, then dessert’ and the First, Then RuleGrandma's Rule: First___, Then___Examples of variable rewards and their irresistible addictive power to get us hooked like the reward chest, email, and gamblingVariable RewardsThe One in a Row principle: the way it all starts - with a person pushing over the first bowling pin — wisdom from Matthew McConaugheyOne in a RowThe Three Bricklayers story, or 3 Bricklayers Parable, is about the meaning, vision, leadership, and motivation of work. Originally about Sir Christopher Wren, the image shows three scenes: a brick layer laying bricks (Task), one building a wall (Goal), and one creating a cathedral on scaffolding (Vision) with a cathedral in the background.The Three Bricklayers StoryWhat is the Eat The Frog time management and productivity technique and its meaning with a person about to eat a frog and a to-do listEat the frogBrenda Ueland quote: What is the purpose of existence but to discover truth and beauty and share it with others? showing a person finding a flower, painting it, and then enjoying seeing others experience the same emotions they didDiscovering Truth and Beauty and Sharing it with othersWhat is a Public commitment pledge explanation - a soft commitment device shown by someone battling a desire to eat cookies with a public commitmentPublic commitment pledgeFeedback fear illustration: A poor soul goes through all sorts of internal doubts about what they might have done wrong and how they might have failed when someone gives a friendly suggestion to ask what others thinkFeedback fearTemptation bundling illustration: examples of running on a treadmill to watch your favourite shows or ordering your favourite in a cafe only while workingTemptation bundlingThe first draft is always perfect: A person creating multiple drafts of a sketch before reaching the one that hangs on the wallThe first draft is always perfectA sketch of extrinsic motivation with a donkey being followed by a man with a stick and in turn following a carrot that's strapped always just out of reachExtrinsic motivationThe Goal-Gradient Effect: the closer we get to a goal the harder we try - coffee stamps exampleThe goal-gradient effectWhat is Manager Time Maker Time example explained: Paul Graham's manager schedule maker schedule illustrated with Manager Time, on the left shows someone in their office at their laptop, scheduling in meetings and calls throughout the day, neatly managing time with hourly and half-hourly slots in their calendar. On the right, Maker Time ideally does away with any scheduled meetings or calls to allow for an open day for our worker at their desk to grind through a complex problem or new project. The passing of time is only marked by day turning to night. Manager time, maker timeCommitment device illustration: Odysseus asking his men to tie him to the mast so that he can resist the siren's song who are kind flying womenCommitment deviceImposter Syndrome illustration: even as an appreciative audience applaud, an award recipient at the rostrum on stage questions whether they actually deserve this recognition. Imposter syndromeThe power of streaks illustration: a task schedule is shown as a daily grid where all but the final 2 squares have been completed. The power of streaksWhat is the Doorstep Mile example about getting started: A lone soul beginning a seemingly long journey away from their isolated house in an empty landscape accompanies the Seth Godin quote "Start small, start now".The doorstep mileAutonomy Mastery Purpose summary of Dan Pink's book DriveWhat drives us: autonomy, mastery, purposeWhat is the Fresh Start Effect example explained: a brave person thinks challenge accepted on Monday 1st January thanks to the Fresh start effect from Katy MilkmanThe fresh start effectThe benefits of sharing your work in public showing the risk you take and that it increase quality and provides unexpected benefitsSharing your workSitting at the piano without any music is a great way to get started composingWant to compose? Just sit down without any musicEnough molehillls make a mountain quote from Seth Godin, showing how a book can be made up from a little writing or sketch a day, or a trash heap is made from small pieces of litter.Enough molehills make a mountain

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