On motivation...

I was just thinking on the drive to work today, and I thought I'd put it on paper.  I hope you don't mind me "thinking out loud".  Last Sunday, there was a lesson about scripture study and the teacher had some great quotes about establishing a reading habit/regiment.  The overarching thought was that more spiritual growth is gained through small, consistent reading than infrequent but lengthy and intense reading.  Since we have a lot of engineers and engineering-types in our ward, there was a lot of discussion about establishing a consistent pattern and being able to make this effort on a daily basis.  Especially when children are involved, it can be a thing that needs to be stuck to even if the intended benefactors are less than excited about it.  I am a great proponent of this principle.

Then someone made a comment about the joy of reading, and that he has to be excited about it to really do it right and it has been a great experience for him.  I love when people give some "against the flow of the class" comments like this, as long as it is done tactfully (as in this case) without being confrontational or accusatory.  The class was very focused on the ritual and habit, and he brought to light this other side: the enjoyment and the opportunity.  Fantastic.

I sort of generalized this whole concept, and I think it is a long-standing debate about motivation.  On one hand, there is the focus on doing things out of duty.  Making commitments to carry yourself a certain way, and sticking to it no matter what.  The greatest proponents of this seem to be the people who are always there, quietly doing the right things.  They can be depended on, but don't always "perform" as well and can fall into hypocrisy if they are not careful by doing the right things for the wrong reasons and having high expectations of others to do likewise.  Then there is the other, seemingly opposing, focus on the experience and the greater purpose.  These proponents are often the people who create amazing experiences for themselves and others, are excellent teachers and motivators, and seem to really bring the love and meaning into seemingly ordinary tasks.  However, if they are not careful, they can fall into periods of inconsistency and have a hard time doing things when they are not excited or properly motivated.

While I definitely know which camp I tend to fall into, I am beginning to see these two sides as both being the right and the wrong way to do things.  Another way to say it is this: both ways of seeing the world are right, but neither is exclusively right.  One way of "proving" this is that both methods typically lead to the other.  Someone who does the right out of duty will often eventually develop a love for doing the right, and God will occasionally give them profound experiences amid the seemingly mundane and ordinary as a reward for their consistency and obedience.  On the other hand, the person who tries to always see the big picture and make things meaningful will feel the joy of their efforts and will often be renewed and motivated to continue their efforts on a regular basis.

One example I see of this is our scripture reading with the kids.  I am the taskmaster-type who makes it happen every night in some form, no matter what.  Sometimes it is good but often it is rather dry.  When KT takes it over, she often makes it a fantastic experience where she connects with the kids and teaches them meaningful lessons for their life.  I bring the consistency, she brings the experience.  Of course it isn't as black and white as that: my lessons are occasionally good and KT has no problem with consistency (and both of us can be inconsistent or the reading can be tough regardless of effort), but my point is that the melding of these two "philosophies" seems to bring out more than either alone ever can.

1st Class Parenting

Are you people taking notes, because you should be!

Sometimes we do fun stuff... sometimes....

Katie got us some bikes, I pulled out my 20 year old rollerblades, and we went to it!

Last Sunday we went hiking just a few minutes from our house.  We definitely love living in an area with so much conservation lands and forest!

This is Cora taking breaks: I went hiking with her a few weeks ago and she wasn't too into it.  To keep her going, we took a break and had a snack at every rock we came to.  Since then, she wants to take a break and sit constantly!