The Five Pillars of Self-Discipline
The five pillars of self-discipline are: Acceptance, Willpower, Hard Work, Industry, and Persistence. If you take the first letter of each word, you get the acronym ?A WHIP? ? a convenient way to remember them, since many people associate self-discipline with whipping themselves into shape.
Each day of the series, I?ll explore one of these pillars, explaining why it?s important and how to develop it. But first a general overview?.
What Is Self-Discipline?
Self-discipline is the ability to get yourself to take action regardless of your emotional state. Imagine what you could accomplish if you could simply get yourself to follow through on your best intentions no matter what. Picture yourself saying to your body, ?You?re overweight. Lose 20 pounds.? Without self-discipline that intention won?t become manifest. But with sufficient self-discipline, it?s a done deal. The pinnacle of self-discipline is when you reach the point that when you make a conscious decision, it?s virtually guaranteed you?ll follow through on it.
Self-discipline is one of many personal development tools available to you. Of course it is not a panacea. Nevertheless, the problems which self-discipline can solve are important, and while there are other ways to solve these problems, self-discipline absolutely shreds them.
Self-discipline can empower you to overcome any addiction or lose any amount of weight. It can wipe out procrastination, disorder, and ignorance. Within the domain of problems it can solve, self-discipline is simply unmatched. Moreover, it becomes a powerful teammate when combined with other tools like passion, goal-setting, and planning.
Building Self-Discipline
My philosophy of how to build self-discipline is best explained by an analogy. Self-discipline is like a muscle. The more you train it, the stronger you become. The less you train it, the weaker you become.
Just as everyone has different muscular strength, we all possess different levels of self-discipline. Everyone has some ? if you can hold your breath a few seconds, you have some self-discipline. But not everyone has developed their discipline to the same degree.
Just as it takes muscle to build muscle, it takes self-discipline to build self-discipline.
The way to build self-discipline is analogous to using progressive weight training to build muscle. This means lifting weights that are close to your limit. Note that when you weight train, you lift weights that are within your ability to lift. You push your muscles until they fail, and then you rest.
Similarly, the basic method to build self-discipline is to tackle challenges that you can successfully accomplish but which are near your limit. This doesn?t mean trying something and failing at it every day, nor does it mean staying within your comfort zone. You will gain no strength trying to lift a weight that you cannot budge, nor will you gain strength lifting weights that are too light for you. You must start with weights/challenges that are within your current ability to lift but which are near your limit.
Progressive training means that once you succeed, you increase the challenge. If you keep working out with the same weights, you won?t get any stronger. Similarly, if you fail to challenge yourself in life, you won?t gain any more self-discipline.
Just as most people have very weak muscles compared to how strong they could become with training, most people are very weak in their level of self-discipline.
It?s a mistake to try to push yourself too hard when trying to build self-discipline. If you try to transform your entire life overnight by setting dozens of new goals for yourself and expecting yourself to follow through consistency starting the very next day, you?re almost certain to fail. This is like a person going to the gym for the first time ever and packing 300 pounds on the bench press. You will only look silly.
If you can only lift 10 lbs, you can only lift 10 lbs. There?s no shame in starting where you are. I recall when I began working with a personal trainer several years ago, on my first attempt at doing a barbell shoulder press, I could only lift a 7-lb bar with no weight on it. My shoulders were very weak because I?d never trained them. But within a few months I was up to 60 lbs.
Similarly, if you?re very undisciplined right now, you can still use what little discipline you have to build more. The more disciplined you become, the easier life gets. Challenges that were once impossible for you will eventually seem like child?s play. As you get stronger, the same weights will seem lighter and lighter.
Don?t compare yourself to other people. It won?t help. You?ll only find what you expect to find. If you think you?re weak, everyone else will seem stronger. If you think you?re strong, everyone else will seem weaker.
There?s no point in doing this. Simply look at where you are now, and aim to get better as you go forward.
Let's consider an example.
Suppose you want to develop the ability to do 8 solid hours of work each day, since you know it will make a real difference in your career. I was listening to an audio program this morning that quoted a study saying the average office worker spends 37% of their time in idle socializing, not to mention other vices that chew up more than 50% of work time with unproductive non-work. So there?s plenty of room for improvement.
Perhaps you try to work a solid 8-hour day without succumbing to distractions, and you can only do it once. The next day you fail utterly.
That?s OK. You did one rep of 8 hours. Two is too much for you. So cut back a bit. What duration would allow you to successfully do 5 reps (i.e. a whole week)? Could you work with concentration for one hour a day, five days in a row? If you can?t do that, cut back to 30 minutes or whatever you can do. If you succeed (or if you feel that would be too easy), then increase the challenge (i.e. the resistance).
Once you?ve mastered a week at one level, take it up a notch the next week. And continue with this progressive training until you?ve reached your goal.
While analogies like this are never perfect, I?ve gotten a lot of mileage out of this one. By raising the bar just a little each week, you stay within your capabilities and grow stronger over time. But when doing weight training, the actual work you do doesn?t mean anything. There?s no intrinsic benefit in lifting a weight up and down ? the benefit comes from the muscle growth. However, when building self-discipline, you also get the benefit of the work you?ve done along the way, so that?s even better.
It?s great when your training produces something of value AND makes you stronger.
Throughout this week we?ll dive more deeply into the five pillars of self-discipline. If you have any questions on the subject of self-discipline (either specific or general) that you?d like to see addressed, feel free to post them as comments, and I do my best to incorporate them along the way.
This post is part one of a six-part series on self-discipline: part 1
Regards
Sapana Kale
From India, Pune
15The five pillars of self-discipline are: Acceptance, Willpower, Hard Work, Industry, and Persistence. If you take the first letter of each word, you get the acronym ?A WHIP? ? a convenient way to remember them, since many people associate self-discipline with whipping themselves into shape.
Each day of the series, I?ll explore one of these pillars, explaining why it?s important and how to develop it. But first a general overview?.
What Is Self-Discipline?
Self-discipline is the ability to get yourself to take action regardless of your emotional state. Imagine what you could accomplish if you could simply get yourself to follow through on your best intentions no matter what. Picture yourself saying to your body, ?You?re overweight. Lose 20 pounds.? Without self-discipline that intention won?t become manifest. But with sufficient self-discipline, it?s a done deal. The pinnacle of self-discipline is when you reach the point that when you make a conscious decision, it?s virtually guaranteed you?ll follow through on it.
Self-discipline is one of many personal development tools available to you. Of course it is not a panacea. Nevertheless, the problems which self-discipline can solve are important, and while there are other ways to solve these problems, self-discipline absolutely shreds them.
Self-discipline can empower you to overcome any addiction or lose any amount of weight. It can wipe out procrastination, disorder, and ignorance. Within the domain of problems it can solve, self-discipline is simply unmatched. Moreover, it becomes a powerful teammate when combined with other tools like passion, goal-setting, and planning.
Building Self-Discipline
My philosophy of how to build self-discipline is best explained by an analogy. Self-discipline is like a muscle. The more you train it, the stronger you become. The less you train it, the weaker you become.
Just as everyone has different muscular strength, we all possess different levels of self-discipline. Everyone has some ? if you can hold your breath a few seconds, you have some self-discipline. But not everyone has developed their discipline to the same degree.
Just as it takes muscle to build muscle, it takes self-discipline to build self-discipline.
The way to build self-discipline is analogous to using progressive weight training to build muscle. This means lifting weights that are close to your limit. Note that when you weight train, you lift weights that are within your ability to lift. You push your muscles until they fail, and then you rest.
Similarly, the basic method to build self-discipline is to tackle challenges that you can successfully accomplish but which are near your limit. This doesn?t mean trying something and failing at it every day, nor does it mean staying within your comfort zone. You will gain no strength trying to lift a weight that you cannot budge, nor will you gain strength lifting weights that are too light for you. You must start with weights/challenges that are within your current ability to lift but which are near your limit.
Progressive training means that once you succeed, you increase the challenge. If you keep working out with the same weights, you won?t get any stronger. Similarly, if you fail to challenge yourself in life, you won?t gain any more self-discipline.
Just as most people have very weak muscles compared to how strong they could become with training, most people are very weak in their level of self-discipline.
It?s a mistake to try to push yourself too hard when trying to build self-discipline. If you try to transform your entire life overnight by setting dozens of new goals for yourself and expecting yourself to follow through consistency starting the very next day, you?re almost certain to fail. This is like a person going to the gym for the first time ever and packing 300 pounds on the bench press. You will only look silly.
If you can only lift 10 lbs, you can only lift 10 lbs. There?s no shame in starting where you are. I recall when I began working with a personal trainer several years ago, on my first attempt at doing a barbell shoulder press, I could only lift a 7-lb bar with no weight on it. My shoulders were very weak because I?d never trained them. But within a few months I was up to 60 lbs.
Similarly, if you?re very undisciplined right now, you can still use what little discipline you have to build more. The more disciplined you become, the easier life gets. Challenges that were once impossible for you will eventually seem like child?s play. As you get stronger, the same weights will seem lighter and lighter.
Don?t compare yourself to other people. It won?t help. You?ll only find what you expect to find. If you think you?re weak, everyone else will seem stronger. If you think you?re strong, everyone else will seem weaker.
There?s no point in doing this. Simply look at where you are now, and aim to get better as you go forward.
Let's consider an example.
Suppose you want to develop the ability to do 8 solid hours of work each day, since you know it will make a real difference in your career. I was listening to an audio program this morning that quoted a study saying the average office worker spends 37% of their time in idle socializing, not to mention other vices that chew up more than 50% of work time with unproductive non-work. So there?s plenty of room for improvement.
Perhaps you try to work a solid 8-hour day without succumbing to distractions, and you can only do it once. The next day you fail utterly.
That?s OK. You did one rep of 8 hours. Two is too much for you. So cut back a bit. What duration would allow you to successfully do 5 reps (i.e. a whole week)? Could you work with concentration for one hour a day, five days in a row? If you can?t do that, cut back to 30 minutes or whatever you can do. If you succeed (or if you feel that would be too easy), then increase the challenge (i.e. the resistance).
Once you?ve mastered a week at one level, take it up a notch the next week. And continue with this progressive training until you?ve reached your goal.
While analogies like this are never perfect, I?ve gotten a lot of mileage out of this one. By raising the bar just a little each week, you stay within your capabilities and grow stronger over time. But when doing weight training, the actual work you do doesn?t mean anything. There?s no intrinsic benefit in lifting a weight up and down ? the benefit comes from the muscle growth. However, when building self-discipline, you also get the benefit of the work you?ve done along the way, so that?s even better.
It?s great when your training produces something of value AND makes you stronger.
Throughout this week we?ll dive more deeply into the five pillars of self-discipline. If you have any questions on the subject of self-discipline (either specific or general) that you?d like to see addressed, feel free to post them as comments, and I do my best to incorporate them along the way.
This post is part one of a six-part series on self-discipline: part 1
Regards
Sapana Kale
From India, Pune
Hi Sapana
thanks for posting such nice topic
few more .......
Self Discipline - a vital characteristic
Lack of self discipline is a source of low self esteem.
Self discipline is something we all need because it is a vital characteristic of successful people. Why? Because nothing is as easy as it seems. There are always unforeseen challenges and problems on the path to success and achievement. To beat these you must persevere and be strong. Likewise eating disorders or other problems associated with excess (such as smoking or alcoholism) require will power.
Excessive habits foster low self esteem and lack of self confidence. If you suffer from an obsession and cannot control it you may blame or punish yourself. Likewise the reverse is also true low self esteem may cause some of these problems (eating too much, too little, binging or other damaging disorders), this is a vicious circle.
Self discipline helps you control your actions and make sure you stay on track. It is helpful if you suffer disorders like those above and need to break out and cure yourself. Please make use of help from friends or counsellors as this will support you in your efforts. Going it alone is very difficult!
Self discipline and your esteem
Self discipline matters to you:
It effects your confidence - being in control of yourself, your emotions and actions boosts your confidence and esteem!
It effects how you see yourself - your self image is so much better when you know you can succeed and change
It affects your ability to see a project through
It allows you to stay focused on your goals
It enables you to stay in control of yourself and of your reactions to any situation
You can change your life anyway you want to
You can cut out eating disorders, smoking or health problems caused by excesses - this requires will power and determination but if you have self discipline you can control and cure yourself of these problems, but do get help if you need it
Develop self discipline
Write a journal and note your successes - this will keep you motivated and on track!
Work on your goals
Develop your confidence - believe in yourself!
Learn moderation Too much food, drink, TV .. or smoking (and a hundred other things). Analyse the effect this is having and begin scaling it down bit by bit. Don't suddenly try to stop - that will probably fail anyhow. If you're tempted to do something you're trying to give up, remember why you're trying to give it up and the benefits of that and think about a better use of your time - what else should you be doing to move towards your goals? Get back on track now!
If you falter be determined to try again! Tell yourself you'll be stronger next time!
Reward yourself when you stay on course or in control despite difficulties or temptation
regards
arun mishra
From India, Bahadurgarh
thanks for posting such nice topic
few more .......
Self Discipline - a vital characteristic
Lack of self discipline is a source of low self esteem.
Self discipline is something we all need because it is a vital characteristic of successful people. Why? Because nothing is as easy as it seems. There are always unforeseen challenges and problems on the path to success and achievement. To beat these you must persevere and be strong. Likewise eating disorders or other problems associated with excess (such as smoking or alcoholism) require will power.
Excessive habits foster low self esteem and lack of self confidence. If you suffer from an obsession and cannot control it you may blame or punish yourself. Likewise the reverse is also true low self esteem may cause some of these problems (eating too much, too little, binging or other damaging disorders), this is a vicious circle.
Self discipline helps you control your actions and make sure you stay on track. It is helpful if you suffer disorders like those above and need to break out and cure yourself. Please make use of help from friends or counsellors as this will support you in your efforts. Going it alone is very difficult!
Self discipline and your esteem
Self discipline matters to you:
It effects your confidence - being in control of yourself, your emotions and actions boosts your confidence and esteem!
It effects how you see yourself - your self image is so much better when you know you can succeed and change
It affects your ability to see a project through
It allows you to stay focused on your goals
It enables you to stay in control of yourself and of your reactions to any situation
You can change your life anyway you want to
You can cut out eating disorders, smoking or health problems caused by excesses - this requires will power and determination but if you have self discipline you can control and cure yourself of these problems, but do get help if you need it
Develop self discipline
Write a journal and note your successes - this will keep you motivated and on track!
Work on your goals
Develop your confidence - believe in yourself!
Learn moderation Too much food, drink, TV .. or smoking (and a hundred other things). Analyse the effect this is having and begin scaling it down bit by bit. Don't suddenly try to stop - that will probably fail anyhow. If you're tempted to do something you're trying to give up, remember why you're trying to give it up and the benefits of that and think about a better use of your time - what else should you be doing to move towards your goals? Get back on track now!
If you falter be determined to try again! Tell yourself you'll be stronger next time!
Reward yourself when you stay on course or in control despite difficulties or temptation
regards
arun mishra
From India, Bahadurgarh
Maintaining Motivation
Matthew Wegner
Flashbang Studios
Presentation Overview
Introduction
Defining “Motivation”
The Role of Education
The Elements of Discipline
Self-improvement Overview
Procrastination
Project Planning
Conclusion/Discussion
A Rant of Varying Descriptions
Matthew Wegner
Flashbang Studios
Introduction
Co-founder, CEO of Flashbang Studios
FBS project history:
8 projects since May, 2003
6 of them games; 2 internal for-client projects
3 games have shipped
2 games currently in active development
Most recent title, Glow Worm, generated ~$9,000 revenue in its first month
It is not considered a success in the market
Motivation
Human beings have ups and downs
Imagine your most productive time
100% excited
100% productive
Now imagine that, every waking hour
How much could you get done?
Defining Motivation
Main Entry: mo·ti·va·tion
Pronunciation: "mO-t&-'vA-sh&n
Function: noun
1 a : the act or process of motivating b : the condition of being motivated
Main Entry: mo·ti·vate
Pronunciation: 'mO-t&-"vAt
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): -vat·ed; -vat·ing
: to provide with a motive
Main Entry: 1mo·tive
Pronunciation: 'mO-tiv, 2 is also mO-'tEv
Function: noun
1 : something (as a need or desire) that causes a person to act
Defining Motivation
Or, quite simply:
“The desire to do something.”
What Are Those Desires?
Why do you want to work on a project?
School/classes
Hobby projects
Professional projects
Other projects/relationships
Why are you in school?
Why are you working your job?
The Point of Motivation
Getting something done.
So the question is:
What can I do to ensure that
I want to get something done?
Trick Question
Desire is an emotion
Emotions aren’t reliable
Finishing a project:
Projects aren’t finished by 100% motivation
Projects are finished by working when you don’t want to
A Better Question
What can I do to get something
done regardless of my wanting to?
One Perspective
An amateur is someone who does something when they want to do it
A professional is someone who does something when they don’t want to do it
Harsh Reality
If you require passion in order to work productively on a project, the retail game development world will absolutely crush you.
A Better Question
What can I do to get something
done regardless of my wanting to?
And the Answer
Self-discipline.
Self-discipline is the ability to get yourself to take action regardless of your emotional state.
-Steve Pavlina
A Bit On Education
Assume a vocational-oriented student
Why do you go to school?
Gyms
Why does someone go to the gym?
To lose weight/get fit/etc
No.
To exercise.
Exercise results in weight loss/fitness gains/etc
The gym is an exercise aid.
Actually going to the building means nothing
School, Again
Why do you go to school?
To get a job in the game industry.
No.
To improve yourself.
Improvement results in a game industry job
School is an improvement aid
This is a productive mindset
Back to Self-Discipline
The five pillars of self-discipline, as outlined by Steve Pavlina (www.stevepavlina.com)
Acceptance
Willpower
Hard Work
Industry
Persistence
Acceptance
Accurately perceive reality
Consciously acknowledge those perceptions
Need to be accurate:
Have to know where you’re starting from
How about on a scale of 1-10?
Don’t compare to others
Compare to yourself
Willpower
The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.
- Vince Lombardi
Willpower
Main Entry: will·pow·er
Pronunciation: 'wil-"pau(-&)r
Function: noun
: energetic determination
Willpower
Willpower is powerful
But it’s a temporary burst
No project can be sustained on willpower
So, how do you apply willpower?
Pavlina’s example:
Hard Work
What is hard work (not “working hard”)
Opposite of “easy work”, obviously
Work that challenges you
Easy work is taking the escalator
So why bother with hard work?
Industry
Working hard (not “hard work”)
Not necessarily work that’s hard
Any kind of work
Two ways to do this:
Put in the time where it’s needed
It may be boring. It may be tedious. Do it.
Become more productive
Increase your output/time ratio
Persistence
“Persistence is the ability to maintain action regardless of your feelings. You press on even when you feel like quitting.”
Persistence produces results
Results themselves will motivate you
Self-Improvement At Large
Improvement should continue after school
Vocationally: GDC, forums, articles, etc
Personally: every way imaginable
“The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it is the same problem you had last year.”
— John Foster Dulles
Former Secretary of State
Self-Improvement Resources
www.lifehack.org
Links to other articles/blog entries/etc
www.stevepavlina.com
A wise man sharing his wisdom
Procrastination
Putting off doing something that you know you need to do
Actually a complex human phenomenon
But there are some generalities…
Typical Procrastination Scenario
Unrealistically optimistic about deadline
Continual assurances things are under control
Realization of impending doom dawns
Sudden gush of effort applied to project
Barely completed on time
Other Characteristics
Expression of stubbornness/pride
Some sense of victimization
Coping mechanism
Expression of “look how busy I am”
Low self-confidence
Manipulation
Reasons for Procrastination
The simple reasons
Task is too time-consuming
Task is too difficult
We lack the knowledge/skills
General fears
The solution?
Complex Reasons to Procrastinate
Perfectionism
Everything needs to go completely right
May delay simply out of feeling overwhelmed
Common words: ought, must, have to, should
May be masking issues of self-confidence
Ways to resolve:
Self-assurance
Realize it’s impossible to be perfect
Perfectionism
A good plan implemented today is better than a perfect plan implemented tomorrow.
George Patton
Complex Reasons to Procrastinate
Easily frustrated
Circumstances outside your control overwhelm
Prone to seeing things as unfair
Characterized by whining
Ways to resolve:
Get help/tutoring regarding problem
Postpone your desires
Steps to “Curing” Procrastination
Realize the delay is unnecessary.
Discover the real reasons for your delay.
Dispute the real reasons
Begin the task.
Behavioral Reinforcement
Procrastination is reinforcing negative attitudes about a task
When you procrastinate you:
Strengthen the habit of not doing
Practice avoidance instead of participation
Avoid acquiring new skills
Indoctrinate yourself with fears
“One way to keep momentum going is to have constantly greater goals.”
-Michael Korda
“Nothing is so difficult that it cannot be accomplished by diligence.”
-Terence
“How long should you try? Until.”
-Jim Rohn
Motivation
Chasing down the definition:
Motivation
The act or process of motivating.
The state of being motivated.
Motivated
To provide with an incentive; move to action; impel.
Incentive
Something, such as the fear of punishment or the expectation of reward, that induces action or motivates effort.
Motivation in America
Extremely commercialized concept
Amazon: “All 84930 results for motivation…”
Motivational speakers
Self-help seminars, tapes, books
Hell: I’m surprised Pfizer doesn’t sell a pill
As a result
Very stigmatized
Pigeonholed as the fatass Oprah audience member
Motivation as an Active Pursuit
We actively pursue all kinds of things
Knowledge (you’re sitting here, aren’t you?)
Physical fitness
Relationships
Actively pursuing motivation means:
Reading new information
Attempting to build new habits
A general conscious awareness
To What End?
Everything needs a goal; or why do it?
Goals of active pursuit of motivation:
Getting more done
Productivity (more done, Y, in X time)
Industry (increase X if needed, without dropping Y)
Energizing others
Happiness
General Motivation Tips
Keep a list of motivational quotes
Read books/articles
Make friends with successful people
Avoid people with shitty attitudes
Exercise
Sleep every night, not just some
Keep work area clean, free of distractions
Project Management Motivation
Progress visibility is key:
Make sure everyone knows what everyone has been doing with their time
Progress towards a goal
Project morale is surprisingly difficult to navigate, even on a small team
Practical Motivation Tips
Or, more accurately, Getting Things Done
Humans are creatures of habit
Everything we do is practically a habit
New habits can be formed
Take advantage of the permanence of habits
Staring at a Project
Find yourself sitting down to work, ready to go, but just staring at your project/task list?
Techniques:
Swallow the frog
Swiss-cheese approach
Timeboxing
Set up a reward
Project Planning Tips
Make your project objectives SMART:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable/Achievable
Realistic
Time-bound
How Much Planning?
“It's not the plan that is important, it's the planning.” - Graeme Edwards
All projects need a plan
Individually, task lists help a ton
Useful to plot chunks at once
Small reward to be able to mark one off
Globally-managed task lists too insane
My Recent Desk Shot
Why Plan at All? A Rant…
It’s very hard to see the forest for the trees.
Two important perspectives:
Lay of the land
The trenches
It’s really, really hard to see both
Plan in big blocks, when you see the forest
Too Much Planning
Don’t let the act of planning become psychologically rewarding
It’s like a kid planning a tree house
Enough fancy-pants plans, and actually building the tree house becomes unnecessary
Too much planning becomes counterproductive
An example:
Project Management and Scale
Small team projects are much simpler
The “just-ask-X” model works well enough
Documentation important still
More important with remote teams
Large-scale management own discipline
Tons of books on the issue
Not very relevant for most people here, I think
Accountability
Accountability helps procrastination
Create external forces to impose accountability
Deadlines are good; but can be simpler
Audit yourself
Hardcore minute-to-minute task journals
Software solutions on one extreme
Simple ratings on the other
A Note on Depression
Context of motivation implies depression
Everybody gets depressed at some point or another; it’s the human experience
Clinical depression should be treated
What is Depression?
The first two, and at least one other of:
Two weeks of abnormal depressed mood
Loss of interest and decreased energy
Loss of confidence
Excessive guilt
Recurrent thoughts of death
Poor concentration
Agitation or retardation
Sleep disturbance
Change in appetite
My Legally-Unsound Advice
If you feel you may be clinically depressed, talk to someone professional
Otherwise, just snipe characteristics:
Low levels of activity? Exercise…
Messy environment? Clean it up…
After all, prescription drugs just snipe symptoms
If you have serious problems with motivation and depression, talk to someone professional
At the very least, check out
www.depression-screening.org
Conclusion
Motivation is a desire to do something
The point of motivation is doing things
You can’t ensure you’ll want to do things
So do things even when you don’t want to
Do this or suffer the fate of a thousand suffering donkeys, each more insufferably suffering than the previous
School, Again
Why do you go to school?
To get a job in the game industry.
No.
To improve yourself.
Improvement results in a game industry job
School is an improvement aid
This is a productive mindset
Everything in school will improve you. Especially the stuff you think you hate.
From India, Bahadurgarh
Matthew Wegner
Flashbang Studios
Presentation Overview
Introduction
Defining “Motivation”
The Role of Education
The Elements of Discipline
Self-improvement Overview
Procrastination
Project Planning
Conclusion/Discussion
A Rant of Varying Descriptions
Matthew Wegner
Flashbang Studios
Introduction
Co-founder, CEO of Flashbang Studios
FBS project history:
8 projects since May, 2003
6 of them games; 2 internal for-client projects
3 games have shipped
2 games currently in active development
Most recent title, Glow Worm, generated ~$9,000 revenue in its first month
It is not considered a success in the market
Motivation
Human beings have ups and downs
Imagine your most productive time
100% excited
100% productive
Now imagine that, every waking hour
How much could you get done?
Defining Motivation
Main Entry: mo·ti·va·tion
Pronunciation: "mO-t&-'vA-sh&n
Function: noun
1 a : the act or process of motivating b : the condition of being motivated
Main Entry: mo·ti·vate
Pronunciation: 'mO-t&-"vAt
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): -vat·ed; -vat·ing
: to provide with a motive
Main Entry: 1mo·tive
Pronunciation: 'mO-tiv, 2 is also mO-'tEv
Function: noun
1 : something (as a need or desire) that causes a person to act
Defining Motivation
Or, quite simply:
“The desire to do something.”
What Are Those Desires?
Why do you want to work on a project?
School/classes
Hobby projects
Professional projects
Other projects/relationships
Why are you in school?
Why are you working your job?
The Point of Motivation
Getting something done.
So the question is:
What can I do to ensure that
I want to get something done?
Trick Question
Desire is an emotion
Emotions aren’t reliable
Finishing a project:
Projects aren’t finished by 100% motivation
Projects are finished by working when you don’t want to
A Better Question
What can I do to get something
done regardless of my wanting to?
One Perspective
An amateur is someone who does something when they want to do it
A professional is someone who does something when they don’t want to do it
Harsh Reality
If you require passion in order to work productively on a project, the retail game development world will absolutely crush you.
A Better Question
What can I do to get something
done regardless of my wanting to?
And the Answer
Self-discipline.
Self-discipline is the ability to get yourself to take action regardless of your emotional state.
-Steve Pavlina
A Bit On Education
Assume a vocational-oriented student
Why do you go to school?
Gyms
Why does someone go to the gym?
To lose weight/get fit/etc
No.
To exercise.
Exercise results in weight loss/fitness gains/etc
The gym is an exercise aid.
Actually going to the building means nothing
School, Again
Why do you go to school?
To get a job in the game industry.
No.
To improve yourself.
Improvement results in a game industry job
School is an improvement aid
This is a productive mindset
Back to Self-Discipline
The five pillars of self-discipline, as outlined by Steve Pavlina (www.stevepavlina.com)
Acceptance
Willpower
Hard Work
Industry
Persistence
Acceptance
Accurately perceive reality
Consciously acknowledge those perceptions
Need to be accurate:
Have to know where you’re starting from
How about on a scale of 1-10?
Don’t compare to others
Compare to yourself
Willpower
The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.
- Vince Lombardi
Willpower
Main Entry: will·pow·er
Pronunciation: 'wil-"pau(-&)r
Function: noun
: energetic determination
Willpower
Willpower is powerful
But it’s a temporary burst
No project can be sustained on willpower
So, how do you apply willpower?
Pavlina’s example:
Hard Work
What is hard work (not “working hard”)
Opposite of “easy work”, obviously
Work that challenges you
Easy work is taking the escalator
So why bother with hard work?
Industry
Working hard (not “hard work”)
Not necessarily work that’s hard
Any kind of work
Two ways to do this:
Put in the time where it’s needed
It may be boring. It may be tedious. Do it.
Become more productive
Increase your output/time ratio
Persistence
“Persistence is the ability to maintain action regardless of your feelings. You press on even when you feel like quitting.”
Persistence produces results
Results themselves will motivate you
Self-Improvement At Large
Improvement should continue after school
Vocationally: GDC, forums, articles, etc
Personally: every way imaginable
“The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it is the same problem you had last year.”
— John Foster Dulles
Former Secretary of State
Self-Improvement Resources
www.lifehack.org
Links to other articles/blog entries/etc
www.stevepavlina.com
A wise man sharing his wisdom
Procrastination
Putting off doing something that you know you need to do
Actually a complex human phenomenon
But there are some generalities…
Typical Procrastination Scenario
Unrealistically optimistic about deadline
Continual assurances things are under control
Realization of impending doom dawns
Sudden gush of effort applied to project
Barely completed on time
Other Characteristics
Expression of stubbornness/pride
Some sense of victimization
Coping mechanism
Expression of “look how busy I am”
Low self-confidence
Manipulation
Reasons for Procrastination
The simple reasons
Task is too time-consuming
Task is too difficult
We lack the knowledge/skills
General fears
The solution?
Complex Reasons to Procrastinate
Perfectionism
Everything needs to go completely right
May delay simply out of feeling overwhelmed
Common words: ought, must, have to, should
May be masking issues of self-confidence
Ways to resolve:
Self-assurance
Realize it’s impossible to be perfect
Perfectionism
A good plan implemented today is better than a perfect plan implemented tomorrow.
George Patton
Complex Reasons to Procrastinate
Easily frustrated
Circumstances outside your control overwhelm
Prone to seeing things as unfair
Characterized by whining
Ways to resolve:
Get help/tutoring regarding problem
Postpone your desires
Steps to “Curing” Procrastination
Realize the delay is unnecessary.
Discover the real reasons for your delay.
Dispute the real reasons
Begin the task.
Behavioral Reinforcement
Procrastination is reinforcing negative attitudes about a task
When you procrastinate you:
Strengthen the habit of not doing
Practice avoidance instead of participation
Avoid acquiring new skills
Indoctrinate yourself with fears
“One way to keep momentum going is to have constantly greater goals.”
-Michael Korda
“Nothing is so difficult that it cannot be accomplished by diligence.”
-Terence
“How long should you try? Until.”
-Jim Rohn
Motivation
Chasing down the definition:
Motivation
The act or process of motivating.
The state of being motivated.
Motivated
To provide with an incentive; move to action; impel.
Incentive
Something, such as the fear of punishment or the expectation of reward, that induces action or motivates effort.
Motivation in America
Extremely commercialized concept
Amazon: “All 84930 results for motivation…”
Motivational speakers
Self-help seminars, tapes, books
Hell: I’m surprised Pfizer doesn’t sell a pill
As a result
Very stigmatized
Pigeonholed as the fatass Oprah audience member
Motivation as an Active Pursuit
We actively pursue all kinds of things
Knowledge (you’re sitting here, aren’t you?)
Physical fitness
Relationships
Actively pursuing motivation means:
Reading new information
Attempting to build new habits
A general conscious awareness
To What End?
Everything needs a goal; or why do it?
Goals of active pursuit of motivation:
Getting more done
Productivity (more done, Y, in X time)
Industry (increase X if needed, without dropping Y)
Energizing others
Happiness
General Motivation Tips
Keep a list of motivational quotes
Read books/articles
Make friends with successful people
Avoid people with shitty attitudes
Exercise
Sleep every night, not just some
Keep work area clean, free of distractions
Project Management Motivation
Progress visibility is key:
Make sure everyone knows what everyone has been doing with their time
Progress towards a goal
Project morale is surprisingly difficult to navigate, even on a small team
Practical Motivation Tips
Or, more accurately, Getting Things Done
Humans are creatures of habit
Everything we do is practically a habit
New habits can be formed
Take advantage of the permanence of habits
Staring at a Project
Find yourself sitting down to work, ready to go, but just staring at your project/task list?
Techniques:
Swallow the frog
Swiss-cheese approach
Timeboxing
Set up a reward
Project Planning Tips
Make your project objectives SMART:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable/Achievable
Realistic
Time-bound
How Much Planning?
“It's not the plan that is important, it's the planning.” - Graeme Edwards
All projects need a plan
Individually, task lists help a ton
Useful to plot chunks at once
Small reward to be able to mark one off
Globally-managed task lists too insane
My Recent Desk Shot
Why Plan at All? A Rant…
It’s very hard to see the forest for the trees.
Two important perspectives:
Lay of the land
The trenches
It’s really, really hard to see both
Plan in big blocks, when you see the forest
Too Much Planning
Don’t let the act of planning become psychologically rewarding
It’s like a kid planning a tree house
Enough fancy-pants plans, and actually building the tree house becomes unnecessary
Too much planning becomes counterproductive
An example:
Project Management and Scale
Small team projects are much simpler
The “just-ask-X” model works well enough
Documentation important still
More important with remote teams
Large-scale management own discipline
Tons of books on the issue
Not very relevant for most people here, I think
Accountability
Accountability helps procrastination
Create external forces to impose accountability
Deadlines are good; but can be simpler
Audit yourself
Hardcore minute-to-minute task journals
Software solutions on one extreme
Simple ratings on the other
A Note on Depression
Context of motivation implies depression
Everybody gets depressed at some point or another; it’s the human experience
Clinical depression should be treated
What is Depression?
The first two, and at least one other of:
Two weeks of abnormal depressed mood
Loss of interest and decreased energy
Loss of confidence
Excessive guilt
Recurrent thoughts of death
Poor concentration
Agitation or retardation
Sleep disturbance
Change in appetite
My Legally-Unsound Advice
If you feel you may be clinically depressed, talk to someone professional
Otherwise, just snipe characteristics:
Low levels of activity? Exercise…
Messy environment? Clean it up…
After all, prescription drugs just snipe symptoms
If you have serious problems with motivation and depression, talk to someone professional
At the very least, check out
www.depression-screening.org
Conclusion
Motivation is a desire to do something
The point of motivation is doing things
You can’t ensure you’ll want to do things
So do things even when you don’t want to
Do this or suffer the fate of a thousand suffering donkeys, each more insufferably suffering than the previous
School, Again
Why do you go to school?
To get a job in the game industry.
No.
To improve yourself.
Improvement results in a game industry job
School is an improvement aid
This is a productive mindset
Everything in school will improve you. Especially the stuff you think you hate.
From India, Bahadurgarh
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