Top 10 Motivators

There are many theories of motivation. It is a huge field, and a huge endeavor to try to boil down the list to only 10, so I have tried to identify the ones that I have observed in those around me and have experienced in my own life.

10. Money. This is a big motivator. People like to have money. Some even work at jobs in order to get money on a regular basis.

9. Altruism. Many people are motivated to help others, their community and even the world. Think of Mother Theresa and Oprah Winfrey. Some people are so altruistic that they ignore their own needs. The psychological term for this is codependent.

8. Excellence. Many people strive for excellence. Those who wish to be excellent speakers, join Toastmasters International. People who are preoccupied with excellence are called perfectionists.

7. Comfort, familiarity, habit. This can be good or bad, for example, brushing your teeth every morning is good, while overindulging in Chips Ahoy every evening is not.

6. Loyalty. This is also called social incentive. People do things for the team or the company, or their friends. It can also be called Peer Pressure or stupidity, like when a friend has a stupid idea and you go along with it.

5. Curiosity. Someone asks a question and you are intrigued, want to find out or figure it out. For example, someone asked me recently, how does Toastmasters International motivate its members? That got me to thinking about it ... and writing (and speaking) about it!

to be continued....

I have total recall

Marie Antoinette:

There is nothing new except what has been forgotten.

I thought this was relevant since I am doing a workshop about Memory Techniques.

Mnemonic devices do work. I used the Memory Palace technique to memorize my last speech for Toastmasters and it was a success. The first time I did a speech with NO NOTES!

What was the name of my speech? I forgot.

That's the name. "I forgot" was the title!

ThursDay

Today is Thursday. Thursday is named for the Norse God of thunder, Thor.

I look forward to Thursdays, because I usually get to attend the weekly meeting of my Toastmasters International Group. I attend meetings during my lunch hour at work.

And today I get to speak! I always get excited about it. It is only a 5-7 minute speech, but that means you have to get right to the point. I tend to be sententious, but in 6 minutes you cannot really cover the information completely. So the challenge is to compose a speech that will intrigue the audience and leave them wanting more. I definitely think that brief speeches are better than long. The Gettysburg address was delivered in less than 3 minutes! Lincoln was one of several speakers that day. It was a brilliant speech, but his companions droned on for much longer. And does anyone know who else spoke on that day? Not many! Just a few historians.

So Happy Thurdsay to you!

On the back of an envelope

I love being a writer. When I need to write, I find some paper, or the back of an envelope and start writing. I now have the pleasant task of choosing a topic for the next ToastMaster speech I write. I can write about learning, or about speaking. Actually, I think I will write one short speech about each topic. Then I will have my "hot seat speech" ready for the next time. Next year, which is only 3 short weeks away, I will be secretary of my club! To serve in this capacity, I had to attend a special training last weekend.

I also have some notes written on the back of a receipt I got at the grocery store...