Turning Intention into Motivation

(source : Turning Intention into Motivation, How do we motivate ourselves to live true to our best aspirations? Thupten Jinpa - Tricycle, May 05, 2015 - http://www.tricycle.com/blog/turning-intention-motivation)

In everyday English, we often use the words intention and motivation interchangeably as if they mean the same thing, but there's an important difference: deliberateness.

Our motivation to do something is the reason or reasons behind that behavior, the source of our desire and the drive to do it. We may be more or less aware of our motivations. Psychologists define motivation as the process that "arouses, sustains, and regulates human and animal behavior." Simply put, motivation is what turns us on. For some it might be fame; for others, it might be money, excitement or thrill, sex, recognition, loyalty, service, a sense of belonging, safety, justice, and so on. The force of motivation develops through a mutually reinforcing cycle of desire and reward—when something we do is rewarding, we want to do it again; if we do it again, we are rewarded again, and want to do it more…

Intention, on the other hand, is always deliberate, an articulation of a conscious goal. Intention is necessarily conscious; motivation, as Freud pointed out, need not be conscious even to the person himself. We need intentions for the long view.

We set and reaffirm our best intentions to keep us inclining in the directions we truly mean to go. But, we need motivations to keep us going over the long haul.

"Why am I doing this?" We need good, inspired answers to get us over such humps.

Conscious or unconscious, motivation is the why, and the spark, behind intention.

Our intention sets the tone of whatever we are about to do. Like music, intention can influence our mood, thoughts, and feelings—setting an intention in the morning we set the tone for the day.

Exercise: Setting an Intention

First, find a comfortable (...) posture. (...)

Once you have found your posture, relax your body as much as you can (...)

Then, with your eyes closed if it helps you to focus, take three to five deep, diaphragmatic or abdominal breaths (...)

Once you feel settled, contemplate the following questions: "What is it that I value deeply? What, in the depth of my heart, do I wish for myself, for my loved ones, and for the world?"

Stay on these questions a little and see if any answers come up. If no specific answers surface, don't worry, simply stay with the open questions. This may take some getting used to, since when we ask questions we usually expect to answer them. Trust that the questions themselves are working even—or especially—when we don't have ready answers. If and when answers do come up, acknowledge them as they arise and stay with whatever thoughts and feelings they may bring.

Finally, develop a specific set of thoughts as your conscious intention, for this day, for instance. You could think, "Today, may I be more mindful of my body, mind, and speech in my interaction with others. May I, as far as I can, avoid deliberately hurting others. May I relate to myself, to others, and to the events around me with kindness, understanding, and less judgment. May I use my day in a way that is in tune with my deeper values."

In this way, set the tone for the day.

Once we become more familiar with intention setting, we can do this practice in a minute or less. That means we can find opportunities during the day to check in with our intentions.