It all started with a single “yes.” I’m amazed by how this one “yes” has provided me with an ongoing source of motivation.

Perhaps you’ve had a similar experience when one decision motivated a chain of actions.

What was the “yes?” About eighteen months ago, I said, “yes” to the invitation for applying to be on the Board as President-Elect of the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD.) I was voted in and took office a year ago. My term ended yesterday as President-Elect. Today begins my first day as President. I’m passionate about ICD and look forward to continuing the great work that’s being done with a fantastic team of volunteers and staff.

There are many positive things that I’ve been motivated to do since making that one decision. What’s possible for you? Consider saying, “yes” to something that stretches you outside your comfort zone. Observe how this motivates your actions. How will motivation appear? These are a few areas where my motivation was supercharged:

Reading

I love reading and always have a big, rotating stack of “books to read” on my nightstand. In preparation for my new role, I’ve been motivated to read more books about leadership. Some of the gems have included Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek and Strengthsfinder 2.0 by Tom Rath. To my delight, the pile keeps growing.

Relaxing

Knowing that my new role will demand more of my time, I’ve been motivated to build in guilt-free relaxation time including weekends away. The weekends have provided me with longer stretches to unwind, relax, and think. They’ve included anniversary weekends with my husband in the Hudson Valley and wonderful beach weekends with the girlfriends at The Ocean House B&B on the Jersey Shore. There’s nothing quite like getting away or being by the sea to put things in perspective.

Exercising

The “yes” motivated me to exercise regularly. The day flows better when I begin with some simple stretching and walking. When possible, I take additional “green” breaks during the day in the woods or by the river. These are rejuvenating and great for my physical and emotional wellbeing.

Writing

Journaling, blogging, and letter writing have increased, or at least continued as a result of the “yes.” Writing is one of my creative outlets – a venue to process, develop, and share ideas.

Leaping

Motivation to try things I’ve never done has accompanied the “yes. Some of these firsts have included taking Comedy Improv classes, doing a Skype interview with Smead, and traveling to Japan later this year to speak at the JALO (Japan Association of Life Organizers) conference.

Connecting

Even when I was very young, it was always been about people and building relationships. During this time I’ve been motivated to continue nourishing my current relationships while building new ones. I’m grateful for my community of family, friends, colleagues, and readers like you.

Have you made a decision that has motivated you to take other actions? I’d love to hear about your experience? Come join the conversation!

Have you ever experienced a surge in motivation when a deadline is looming? Sometimes we purposely wait until the last minute to finish (or start) projects because we need or want that adrenaline boost.

Each of us functions differently. Usually, my personal pattern and preference is to work regularly over an extended period of time and not feel rushed to complete things. I realize this isn’t always possible or desirable.

With two of my recent projects, motivation and deadlines influenced the process. One project was preparing for my first ICD board meeting as President-Elect. It involved reading several books, reports, and documents, completing forms, having several phone conversations, and reading and responding to emails. Even though I paced myself, some of the work ended up being completed close to the deadline. Delaying completion of last few items gave me the energy push that I needed.

My other project, the redesign of my office area, has been a long process. There has been dreaming, planning, sketching, discussing, and manufacturing. Finally, after many months, the installation will be soon (as in this week!) Months ago, I went through my files and drawers. I let go of things I no longer wanted, so that I’d be ready to reorganize what I did want when my new space was ready.

The next step was more challenging to complete. This involved emptying the drawers, surfaces, and space. I wanted the change, but not the discomfort and disruption that the transition would bring.

So I told myself, “Change is positive. Discomfort is temporary.” Last night my motivation kicked in. I boxed up my desk contents. In the process, I edited and released more things. With my positive focus, visions of “done” and working in a beautiful, organized workspace motivated me to forward.

How do deadlines influence your motivation? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation.

How do you get motivated to move forward when the idea of “perfect” colors your goals and actions? If you or someone close to you struggles with perfectionism, then you’ll understand how challenging this can be. There’s hope. Will you consider a slight shift in perspective? If so, this could make all the difference.

You might be familiar with the quote, "To err is human; to forgive, divine." I've combined that quote with other interesting versions of it to look at perfectionism and motivation in new ways. How do you work through being imperfect?

4 Working Through Imperfect Tips

1. Think Letting Go

“To err is human; to forgive, divine.”

– Alexander Pope

Failure is integral to life’s journey. Embrace the imperfections that are part of being human. Forgive yourself. Forgive others. Let go of being perfect.

2. Think Learning

“To err is human, but it feels divine.”

– Mae West

Expect that you’ll make mistakes. Make this a positive by using your imperfections as growing experiences.

3. Think Liberating

“To err is human; to admit it, superhuman.”

– Doug Larson

While it might be challenging to admit that you’re not perfect and that you make mistakes, do it anyway. It might be freeing. Fess up. Release the perfectionism pressure.

4. Think Comically

“To err is human, but to really foul up requires a computer.”

– Dan Rather

It helps to remember that we’re not alone in our challenges. Having a sense of humor, being flexible, and solution rather than blame-oriented can help increase our motivation and push us beyond our perfectionistic tendencies.

How are you working through imperfect? What motivates you to move forward? Come join the conversation and share your thoughts.

When I was a little girl, I remember being on a road trip with my family. It was a hot summer day. We’d been driving for hours. My parents were in the front. I was in the back seat nestled between my sister and brother. All of the sudden, my Dad saw a sign for “Homemade Pies.” He loved homemade anything, and especially homemade cherry pie. We left the main road and followed the signs in search of pie. We drove and drove and drove. I’m not quite sure what went wrong, but we ended up getting lost and never finding any pie. To this day, I still remember how intensely motivated and focused my Dad was in his pie pursuit. It makes me smile.

I was reminded of the pie quest when my husband and I were recently on a day trip. We saw a sign that caught our attention. As we whizzed past the “Texas BBQ” sign, we debated the pros and cons of turning the car around to have an early lunch. Since we love BBQ, we were motivated to reverse course and change our plans.

So the question is, what motivates you to action? What motivates you to change course? Is flexibility involved? It might not be a “Homemade Pie” sign, but perhaps it’s a different kind of sign like having a deadline or an accountability partner. Maybe it’s the physicality of crossing something off your list. Does the sign come in the form of a particular song, scent, or image, which motivates you to change, organize, or let go?

What are your motivational “signs”? Come join the conversation and share your thoughts.