The Science of Motivation | PART 11 - Time Processing - Are you Past-, Present- or Future-Focused?

One line recap (of previous module)

In yesterday’s episode, we looked at Vashan the Visionary, Penny the Planner and Emri the Executor, and what motivates them when it comes to their approach to work.

Today, we’ll look at a ‘triad’ too, but more towards the aspect of time. Do you recall about the good-old-days, live-in-the-present or believer of the power of tomorrow?

Objectives:

• Discover if you’re more geared towards the past, present and future?
• Find out what others may think of you depending on prefered mode of motivation

Tell me if this is familiar:

Danial: In the old days, we would have done the project this way. So much easier, and everyone was happy with the results.

Judy: What can we focus on now? Is there something we can do, someone we can call, somewhere we can go now?

Sethi: Let’s map out the plan and the actionables for the next few weeks to come.

Chances are if you ask yourself, you’ll find that you’re perhaps leaning towards Danial, Judy or Sethi. Is there a right or wrong? Nope.

But there are some pros and cons, though, especially in how people will view you and your “work-mode”.

While Danial is one who can draw lessons from past projects and experience, his constant reference to the yesterdays may lead others to think he’s stuck in the past and can’t accept new changes.

Judy’s focus on the NOW enables her to identify the immediate things she can do for a project, but others may say she don’t look to the past for reference or gaze into the future for clearer direction.

Sethi, like Vashan the Visionary in the previous chapter, is probably the highest ‘concept’ person in the group, but on his emphasis towards the days to come, his team mates may remarked that he has his head stuck in the clouds too often.

Truth is, an effective team is one that has all of these three characters in them. If you’re a solo player, even if you have your bias towards the past, present or future, your ability to shift between the different modes will make you an effective strategist, visionary and executioner, rolled-into-one.

Action Step or Recap:

I bet by now you’re familiar with this part of the course. Yup, it’s reflection time!

Take a moment during the drive home (while waiting for the traffic lights to turn green, please), and run a simple simulation: imagine when you’re given a task, do you immediate refer to the past to derive learning points, look at the present for things you can immediately do, or paint the future?