Motivation 101 helps clients begin to think about aspects of motivation that govern decisions to change behavior. It utilizes node-link mapping and related cognitive strategies (see Mapping the Journey) to engage clients in discussions of motivation.
As part of this introductory process, clients are invited to make a commitment to a behavior or attitude they are willing to work on and report to the group about over the course of the 4-sessions in the module.
This session features a leader’s script, with notes and suggested discussion questions for exploring the meaning of motivation and the ways in which clients develop it and put it into action.
The information is explored from a strength-based perspective that encourages clients to consider goals they are willing to work on. In addition to leader materials, handout materials for participants are included at the end of the session.
Step 1 - Introduce the session topic.
The subject we will cover over the next few weeks is motivation. Other words for motivation include inspiration, enthusiasm, driving force, desire, will, purpose, and incentive.
We’re going to put motivation under the microscope and examine it, so to speak. That’s because this thing called motivation has fascinated human beings ever since human beings have been around.
For example, Leonardo da Vinci defines the problem this way: “I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.”
And from the ancient Greeks (Aristotle), an idea about how to fix it: “First, have a definite, clear practical ideal; a goal, an objective. Second, develop the necessary means to achieve your ends – wisdom, patience, materials, and methods. Third, adjust all your means to that end.”
Motivation is often discussed in terms of accomplishments, our desires for the future, our dreams, or reaching goals. For example, on one Sunday once a year two national football teams are extremely motivated to take home THE trophy and the rings.
We also talk about motivation in terms of making personal life changes, improving our health, sticking to a program – in other words, being motivated to do the hard work that is usually necessary for making life style changes.
For example, John wants to lose weight and start exercising to help control his newly diagnosed diabetes. John prefers to watch movies than workout, his wife is a great cook who loves to fix 3-course meals, and his Mama expects the whole
family every Sunday for a big dinner and a rich desert.
We can see in this example how John will need both motivation and determination to make some changes that will improve his health.
A plan or idea about what might work will also help John, along with the self confidence that he can succeed if he tries. We also get a hint of the notion that the people around us can strongly influence our motivation (both in positive and negative ways).
“I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies, for the hardest victory is over self.” - Aristotle
To help take the mystery out of motivation, it’s helpful to think about how we define motivation and the things that help motivate us. I’m interested in how this group would define motivation. What are some ideas?
Step 2
Distribute What is Motivation worksheet and ask participants to complete it by adding boxes as the group talks. On eraser board or flip chart paper create a group definition of Motivation using a nodelink mapping format as shown below. Use the group’s own words to complete the map. Prompt as needed and add any key points that members might have overlooked:
MOTIVATION [diagram - see source document]
Believing you can do it
Stick to it
Other people
Keep PO happy
An inner drive
Will-Power
A kind of stubbornness
Being serious about success
Determination
Use the group’s responses to create a “working” definition of motivation. Summarize the discussion: The mapped definition we’ve created points to motivation as being made up of things like: believing we can do it, sticking to it, wanting to please other people (even POs), and inner drive.
Motivation can include a kind of stubbornness, determination, will power and being serious about success.
The dictionary defines motivation as: A conscious or unconscious need or drive that incites a person to some action or behavior or goal.
Lead a brief discussion. Use 1 or 2 of these to poll the group:
Who in your life has taught you the most about motivation?
Among your family and friends, who do you see as being highly motivated?
What does this person do that makes you see them as motivated?
Step 3
Distribute What Motivates People worksheet and ask participants to complete it by adding boxes as the group talks. On eraser board or flip chart paper create a summary of What Motivates? using a nodelink mapping format as shown. Use the group’s own words.
Prompt and suggest other key ideas as needed.
We’ve come up with a fairly broad definition for motivation. For this next exercise, let’s think about what kinds of things motivate people. Think about people you know of who have made big changes. What do you think motivated them? Equally important is your own personal experiences.
What motivates you, both now and in the past, for example?
Summarize the group’s ideas about things that motivate people:
It’s probably fair to say that different people are motivated by different things at different times in their lives and in different situations. Some of the things we can agree on that motivate people include goals, money, faith, people we love and care about, wanting to do better, wanting to get ahead, or wanting to prove ourselves.
We can also be motivated by things like fear, guilt, or avoiding the legal system.
Lead a brief discussion. Use 1 or 2 of these to poll the group:
Those times in the past that you were really motivated by something – what did other people notice about you that told them you were motivated?
When you think about people you know who are motivated and get the job done, what could you learn from them?
Who motivates you the most when you are working on personal changes or goals? What does this person say or do that is helpful and useful to you?
How do you help motivate other people you care about?
WHAT MOTIVATES? [diagram - see source document]
To prove ourselves
Money
Stay out of jail
Family; Loved ones
Having a goal
Faith; God
Fear
Desire to move ahead
Guilt
Step 4
Distribute What Hurts Motivation? worksheets and ask participants to complete it by adding boxes as the group talks. On eraser board or flip chart create a summary of What Hurts Motivation? using a node-link mapping format as shown. Use the group’s own words.
Prompt and suggest other key ideas as needed. Ask participants to provide their ideas.
The final idea we want to consider today, on the topic of motivation, is: What kinds of things can hurt or damage motivation? In your experience, what sort of things take the “wind out of your sails” when it comes to motivation?
Summarize the group’s ideas.
Our list or map of the kinds of things that can hurt motivation includes ideas that most people would agree with. Certainly, things that make us feel bad or lose hope can hurt motivation, as can criticism, “the system”, and things other people may say or do.
WHAT HURTS MOTIVATION? [diagram - see source document]
Fear
Nagging
Laziness; Procrastination
No recognition of progress
Bureaucracy
Harsh criticism
Losing hope
No support
Feeling like a failure; shame
Lead a brief discussion. Use 1 or 2 of these to poll the group:
How come these kinds of things damage motivation?
What can we do to not allow these things to hurt our motivation?
What’s the best way to stay motivated when we hit these kinds of roadblocks?
Summarize key points from these mapping exercises on motivation:
As we can see, motivation is made up of many things and it can be impacted by many things. Motivation includes our inward drive, the goals and people that motivate us, and the things others do or say to excite our motivation.
There are also things that can hurt motivation. The group has noted that harsh criticism, nagging, no recognition of progress, and not feeling supported can hurt motivation.
From inside ourselves – feeling like a failure, losing hope, fears and insecurities, and plain old laziness can deter motivation. In some cases, dealing with “the system” or bureaucracy cools off motivation.
It’s fair to say that motivation comes from within us and from outside, and that there are things that nourish motivation as well as things that have a negative impact on motivation.
For each of us personally, the key to strengthening motivation will be different.
But there are many common factors, too. These sessions are designed to help you learn more about what motivates you individually and how you can build motivation to accomplish important life goals that lead to the future you want to enjoy.
For many, this may include making changes in drug and alcohol use as well as other changes you may want to tackle during treatment.
The important thing to focus on is that motivation is not a mystery and it isn’t something people are just born with. Motivation is learned and grown, it can be developed and there are things we can do to increase our motivation and put it to work for us.
[continued]
Excerpted from Getting Motivated To Change - A collection of materials for leading counseling sessions that address motivation and readiness for change.
http://www.ibr.tcu.edu/_private/manuals/BriefInterventions/BI(06Sept)-mot.pdf
The Art of Self-Motivation provides clients with further ideas about increasing motivation. Clients are encouraged to discuss progress and challenges in working on their “target” – the behavior or attitude they desire to change as part of the motivation group.
Clients are introduced to the thought processes and action phases of motivation and change. They complete mapping worksheets that focus on impacting decisional balance and commitment to change.
The session features a leader’s script, with notes and suggested discussion questions. In addition, handout materials and worksheets for participants are included at the end of the session.
Source: TCU / Institute of Behavioral Research. Original material, plus cognitive strategies from the Brief Intervention Mapping the Journey. TCU Brief Interventions
Step 1 Welcome participants. Introduce highlights of today’s session. Today we’ll explore more about motivation and talk about how things are going with your targets.
The focus today will be on self-motivation – this includes developing self-awareness so we can tune into thoughts and actions that can increase our commitment to making changes and reaching goals.
To start, I want to tell you a “teaching story” – a story that describes a situation and outcome that can be thought about in different ways. It’s a story that might change in its meaning every time you think it over.
In other words, after you first hear it, you might think it means one thing. Then the next time you think about it, you might find another different meaning. And you might tell it to someone else, and they will see another meaning altogether.
It goes like this: There was a young man who found himself inside a large barn with two doors by which he could exit. But he couldn’t make up his mind which door to use. He thought and thought, and pondered and pondered, and couldn’t decide.
He spent the entire day like this – gnashing his teeth, crying, pacing, picking one, then the other, then more pacing. It was torture to choose.
Directly, he became tired and lay down in front of one of the doors to sleep. The floor was hard, and during the night he rose many times to put down hay and straw to make himself more comfortable.
When he arose the next day to continue his deliberation, he surveyed the situation. He noticed that he had managed to pile hay and straw so high that it now completely blocked one of the doors.
He stood back and observed this, and then he began to pace, and cry, and wring his hands in despair.
“Now I have no choice!!” he cried, “now I have no choice.”
Briefly discuss the story with participants: What do you make of this story? What do you think it is trying to “teach?” What do you think it has to do with motivation?
Transition to review of Target Logs with participants: This story may have different meanings the more you think about it. One possible meaning might be that sometimes motivation can be influenced by simply having to make a choice, especially when the choice is between two things that we see as having both good and bad points.
We’ll explore that later today, but first let’s review how things are going with your targets and what went on through the week
Step 2 Invite participants to discuss their Target Logs for the previous week. First, go around the room and have participants briefly remind the group what target they are working on.
Ask the group: What is one thing you did during the past week, no matter how small, that you think helped move you toward your target?
Take the time to ask a few follow-up questions to each participant who answers the opening question. Follow-ups should be based on the participant’s response and designed to reinforce the success described.
Examples of follow-up questions: How did you make that happen? What did you keep telling yourself to make that happen? How did you know that was a good first step to take? Wow! What kept you so committed to your goal?
What personal quality helped you the most? What do you need to tell yourself more often to stay on target?
Transition to discussion of issues of self-motivation: We’ll keep working on our targets and review things again next week.
Remember that small steps and successes are the keys both to reaching goals and staying motivated. As we discussed earlier in the session, sometimes hesitancy over taking the first step can get in the way of motivation.
Let’s take a look at some of the reasons for this and what we can do about it.
Step 3 Distribute Motivation and Change handout and review the phases that most people experience as they become motivated and begin the process of making a change and maintaining it.
Use flip chart or erasable board to draw out the parts of the map as discussed.
NO THOUGHT OF CHANGE – “Maybe other people can’t do it, but it’s not a problem for me, I can handle meth.”
To become motivated, there almost always has to be a “need” or a “want” to start the ball rolling. If someone doesn’t have a need or want, we can assume that they have no thoughts about changing or have thoughts that support the way things are. In the case of someone who has become involved with methamphetamine, if there are thoughts at all, they might be thoughts that defend drug use.
THOUGHTS OF CHANGE – “Maybe meth isn’t worth it. I lost my family; the next thing I’m going to lose is my life.” Once the spark of a need or want crosses some one’s mind, thoughts of change become possible.
These thoughts begin to make an argument of changing, even if it is very softly. Events and circumstances can influence the strength of these thoughts. In the case of our meth user, the thoughts begin to reflect worry about loss and health.
COMMITMENT TO CHANGE – “Being a good Dad is more important to me than meth ever was. I’m quitting for good.” As the thoughts of change become louder and harder to ignore, we commit to take action and our reasons for taking action seem clearer.
When with those people with whom we can have a serious talk, we are likely to talk about our determination and commitment. So the meth user in our example commits to quit for good in order to be a good father and model his children.
ACTION: EARLY CHANGE– “I’ve been going to some 12-step meetings and not using. It makes me feel like I can make it.” Self-talk and commitment set the stage for taking action – we begin to take the steps associated with the change we need or desire.
Often this involves doing more of or less of a targeted behavior or attitude. Someone wanting to quit smoking might stop lighting up and wear a patch; someone desiring a better relationship with their spouse begins to catch themselves when they start to criticize; etc.
For the meth user, staying clean and going to meetings gives him hope he can make it.
ACTION: ADOPT CHANGE – “Let’s not go to that party. There are some “old friends” there I’d sooner not be around.” As we gain more experience and comfort with our change in behavior or attitude, the new behavior begins to become more automatic and “normal” to our routine. We make sure we lift those weights at least 3 times a week; we avoid going to “all you can eat” restaurants; we ask people not to smoke around us, etc. We have worked the change into our lives and take steps to avoid set backs.
ACTION: MAINTAIN CHANGE – “Damn! It’s been over 5 years since I used meth. I can’t believe I was into that stuff – quitting was the best move I ever made.” For many changes and new behaviors, the test of time becomes the main marker of success.
Although it is always possible to revert to “old ways”, generally speaking, the more time we put between the old behavior and the new behavior, the less likely it becomes that we will go back. The ex-meth user lives his life free of the drug, is glad he stuck it out, and has stayed with it for 5 years.
[continued]
Excerpted from Getting Motivated To Change - A collection of materials for leading counseling sessions that
address motivation and readiness for change.
http://www.ibr.tcu.edu/_private/manuals/BriefInterventions/BI(06Sept)-mot.pdf
Staying Motivated encourages the exploration of strategies for strengthening the commitment to change. Clients begin by discussing progress and challenges in working on their “target” – the behavior or attitude they desire to change as part of the motivation group.
Participants are invited to play a brief game that reinforces potential reasons for changing drug behaviors and to practice cognitive techniques that promote self-efficacy and confidence.
The session features a leader’s script, with notes and suggested discussion questions. In addition, handout materials and worksheets for participants are included at the end of the session.
Step 1 Welcome participants. Introduce highlights of today’s session. As in past weeks, today we will continue looking at ideas to strengthen motivation and determination to make changes.
After talking about your Target Logs for this week, we’ll play a short game that explores the costs of continuing drug involvement and the benefits of change.
After that we will focus on strategies for changing our self-talk. Self-talk refers to the thoughts and beliefs we have about our ability to manage the changes we want to make. It’s the things we think and say to ourselves that pump us up or drag us down. Believing we can do something makes a difference and how we talk to ourselves can influence these beliefs.
We’re not saying that simply believing you can do something means you can do it instantly. But learning to address thoughts and self-talk that tell us we are doomed to fail can clear the air so we can realistically assess what we need to do to change.
Remember the American Indian story about the eagle: A man found an eagle's egg and hatched it with a brood of chicks and it grew up with them. All his life the eagle did what the chickens did, thinking he was a chicken.
He scratched and pecked and clucked the best he could. He would flap and try to fly, but would soon give it up. The years passed. One day he saw a huge, majestic bird above him circling in the sky.
It glided gracefully on the wind and the sun reflected off of his strong golden wings. The chicken eagle looked up: "Who's that?” he asked. "That's an eagle, the king of the birds,” said his neighbor. “He can fly like the wind, but we're chickens, we have to stay on the ground. So the chicken eagle lived and died, never allowing himself to realize that he, too, could fly.
Briefly discuss the story with participants: What do you make of this story? What do you think it is trying to tell us about the things we tell ourselves? What do you think it has to do with motivation?
Transition to review of Target Logs with participants: As we’ve discussed already, determination and commitment are key players in staying motivated. And giving clear mental attention to the things you want to change.
That includes believing that you can figure out how to have the future you want for yourself. Let’s review your targets and what successes you had through the week.
Step 2 Invite participants to discuss their Target Logs for the previous week. First, go around the room and have participants briefly remind the group what target they are working on.
Ask the group: What is one thing you did during the past week, no matter how small, that you think helped move you toward your target?
Take the time to ask a few follow-up questions to each participant who answers the opening question. Follow-ups should be based on the participant’s response and designed to reinforce the success described.
Examples of follow-up questions: How did you make that happen? What did you keep telling yourself to make that happen? How did you know that was a good first step to take?
Wow! What kept you so committed to your goal? What personal quality helped you the most? What do you need to tell yourself more often to stay on target?
Transition to You Can Do It game: Keep working on your targets and stay focused on those small steps and tiny gains.
Small successful steps help us become more sure-footed which in turn increases our belief that we can reach goals.
Step 3 Introduce You Can Do It game by asking participants to complete Balancing Change worksheets. We’re going to play a game (a learning game) to continue our exploration of determination and commitment to making important changes.
Let’s pick up where we were last week in discussing changing drug-related behaviors in the future. To get started, give some serious thought to the directions on the worksheet and write down your thoughts.
When participants have completed their worksheets, give directions for the You Can Do It game: For this activity, we will be doing role plays.
You will role play with another group member for about 5 minutes– we’ll call that person’s role the “Devil’s Advocate” or DA, for short.
This person’s job will be to argue with you and attempt to convince you that your reasons for avoiding drug involvement are not valid, and you really should get back into “the scene.”
Your job is to use as many of the reasons, losses, and gains from your worksheet in your response. Then you and your partner will switch roles, and you will play the DA and your partner will use his/her list to respond to you.
The set-up is fairly simple. Each of you will play yourself when it is your turn. And next you will play the DA.
When it is your turn, remember to use what you wrote down on your worksheet to answer back to the DA – your most important reasons for avoiding drug-involvement, things you will lose, and things you will gain if you avoid drugs.
Then decide who will go first and who will play the DA. Keep the conversation realistic and natural.
Model how the set-up and exchange might unfold. After partners have had about 5 minutes, call time and ask them change roles.
After another 5 minutes, call time again.
To process, ask for volunteers to do their role plays in front of the group as a whole. Ask the “player” to describe a “high-risk” person or situation that they have thought about that might present a challenge or temptation.
Encourage DA to use this information in forming arguments to persuade the player.
Lead 1 or 2 volunteer role plays, as time allows. After each role play, stop and process the experience with the role players and the group. Debrief “player” role first, DA next, then get feedback from the group as a whole.
Ideas for process questions:
For Player: What did you learn about yourself from this role play? Was it easy or difficult for you to stay focused on your reasons and tune out the persuasion? What do you see as your key reason for changing your thinking about drug involvement in the future?
For DA role: How did you choose your strategy for trying to persuade the player? How did the player’s responses influence you? What did you learn from playing this role?
For Group: How well did the player do in mentioning all reasons on his/her list? What did you like best about how the player handled things? What did you learn from watching this role play?
Summarize using key points and useful ideas generated by group members.
Step 4 Introduce the idea of paying attention to “self-talk” as a strategy for helping ourselves gain a better sense of our abilities and capabilities.
Brainstorm the kinds of self-talk (what we say to ourselves; our thoughts) that interfere with motivation or sticking with a change once the changing has started.
Ask participants for examples of thoughts they have had in the past when they were considering “giving up.”
Use a map outline as described in earlier sessions to chart responses. When we think about making important changes, and when we begin taking the first steps toward determination, commitment, and action for that change, we can sometimes get tangled up in doubt.
Maybe we have tried and failed before, so we doubt we can do it this time. Maybe some of the people around us are negative and critical, so we start thinking the way they think about us.
Maybe we know absolutely that we want to change our lives, but we become nervous or scared when we try to think about how different things might be after the change.
These doubts often get played out in the kind of negative “self-talk” we have just reviewed. The question becomes – what can we do to change the selftalk so that our self-talk supports the positive changes we are considering to make our lives better.
Step 5 Distribute Negative Self-Talk handout. Introduce discussion using some of the following ideas: There are several kinds of negative self-talk that can get in the way of staying on track with our goals.
[continued]
Excerpted from Getting Motivated To Change - A collection of materials for leading counseling sessions that address motivation and readiness for change.
http://www.ibr.tcu.edu/_private/manuals/BriefInterventions/BI(06Sept)-mot.pdf