We're All Mysteries to Ourselves

"I think we're all mysteries to ourselves" John Hawkes

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When it comes to motivation it can be hard for some people to find what motivates them, let alone communicate it to others.

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I think I have found what motivates me and I'm attempting to communicate it to you here.

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I'm motivated by challenges

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especially when these challenges involve a ton of learning

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I don't know if I love the challenges themselves but I think I love the feeling that I have when I face a challenge. It seems like I feel alive when I'm challenged.

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Of course, the challenge has to be hard enough to get me excited while being easy enough for me to actually make progress so I can keep working on it and continue to learn.?

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Sometimes the obstacle is the size of the problem, when that is the case the first task can be breaking the challenge into smaller more manageable problems so in the end it the issue transforms totally. After doing that one needs the presence to be able to focus on what is in front of you and ignore what is later for later.

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A lot of people struggle with this when they face a big problem they unnecessarily focus on later stages and ignore the current situation. This of course leads to no progress on a day to day and ultimately leads to issues with sustaining motivation.

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I like compartmentalizing things and I like staging things into multiple parts, but now I have also decided to make independent tracks for myself to make sure I don't progress in one area alone or worse perhaps which is let one area affect other areas that are just as important.

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To bring this back to my own life I have decided to focus my efforts on three tracks in life, personal, academic, and professional. In these tracks there will be some overlap especially between the academic and professional but I will have specific goals for each nonetheless.

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Personally, I want to be able to understand myself better and be able to connect with people on a more intimate level.

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In the academic realm, I want to be able to not only learn but contribute to the world through my research.

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In the professional realm, I want to be able to increase my effectiveness in the areas of core competence but also get more skills so I can be more well-rounded.

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I know sometimes the academic world is seen as a tool to open the gates of the professional world so they work on the two as a sequence but not always simultaneously, and that is totally fine.

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However, after a lot of thinking I have come to the conclusion that the academic world to me is not a means to end it is the destination for me it is a world that I very much enjoy and would like to stay in for a very long time and not just as a student but as a contributor as well.

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bringing it back to challenges I finished an engineering degree and directly entered a graduate degree in management (engineering management) I found myself cruising which was great but that didn't last for long.

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I felt that I wasn't really learning enough. It has been a plan of mine to get a graduate degree but the certification alone would not be enough as I'm not looking for it to give me validation.

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I quickly decided to pause the program and pursue a more challenging path...

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I'm a generalist and I've mostly played non-technical roles in the projects that I have been involved in, most of which have been initiatives that I was involved in creating from scratch.

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Naturally this has led me to question my attitude towards these roles and whether I was doing these things because I was comfortable, my conclusion is that I was indeed starting to get comfortable and ultimately decided to go a little different and pursue a more technical route.

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Now being involved in this route I found that a smarter approach is to focus on what is popular and/or in demand, which makes a lot of sense but I have found that I'm gravitating naturally to the less explored areas.

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I'm trying to balance between exploring these areas and focusing on the material that I will be tested on in the degree, however, I have to admit given the very short duration of the program I found it extremely tough.

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The decision I was facing is to ignore researching and exploring the areas of interest, using what I have been exposed to inside the program as the foundation for this exploration.

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However, with deadlines coming thick and fast I found myself exploring less and less, and putting almost all my efforts on tedious assignments and projects.

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I realize that the time is time tight and efficiency is an issue so I decided to hire a tutor

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the tutor's role is highlight areas of weakness and address them but also point out more efficient ways of solving problems

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It's a rather simple solution and will probably not remove all my problems, however, it will allow me to stay focused on my goals while not ignoring what is in front of me.

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ultimately in any skill especially the more technical ones, the most important thing is putting in the time as without practice there won't be much progress

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However I'm pleased that I have decided to take this approach and am looking forward to starting my first session later today.

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Seeking help especially at the right time requires being in the right frame of mind but it also requires humility and maybe courage too.

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Being someone who likes to challenge himself it felt uncomfortable to seek help, however ultimately this will allow me to take on bigger challenges in the future and that is something that is very important to me.

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My goal is not just to challenge myself so I overreach, that could lead to burnout but my goal is to challenge myself in order to learn and grow and I feel this decision will help ensure that I increase my learning.

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When analyzing the situation, a factor that helped nudge me into making this decision is that I'm building a startup with a group of friends; however this startup needs a lot of nurturing and needs me to be fresh, sharp and motivated.

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If you are faced with a similar situation don't shirk challenges just because they're difficult, attempt these challenges and if it gets out of control seek help, there are many that will help you for free as well as professionals that will help you for a small fee.

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When that person is available hire them

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You never know it might take you to a different level that you did not even think about.

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I guess that applies to companies too, we see many managers dithering over potential hires and getting into paralysis by analysis, and ultimately just talking to a large group of people and not committing to anyone.

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This is such a negative state to be in and it is a sign of an organization that is not flourishing and ultimately could face issues with it's future due to indecisive management.

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Take a risk and make a decision!

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Live more now don’t let negative thinking in the way of progress and learning?

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https://quotefancy.com/quote/1229603/John-Hawkes-I-think-we-re-all-mysteries-to-ourselves