While wandering the w.w.w to look for the Pomodoro Technique (ah, the web — so suited for digression, so inappropriate for my tired state of mind) I ran into this:

“So, what is motivation? Let’s take one step at a time. Motivation is made up of two factors: personal structure – meaning values and principles learned in family, things learned studying or making experiences – and consciousness – meaning the capacity of recognizing and dealing with problems.”

www.francescocirillo.com/2009/10/i-dont-want-to-be-motivated-by-anyone-but-myself.html

I was excited at first — “a clue! a clue!” — but now I’m much less so. I think the wording could be useful, but the definitions? Nope.

Personal structure isn’t just the cultural habits acquired over a lifetime… it’s the structures one personally establishes. These days, I’m liking the word “scaffolding” instead. The people in my daughter A’s life use this one quite a bit: scaffolding is the structure we provide for her while she gets the hang of (a) managing her ADHD and (b) “doing school” like the high school honors student she inherently is.
And this kind of scaffolding shows up in Your Brain At Work, too. If executive function is a crowded stage with only so much energy to run the players, then doesn’t it behoove us to move everything we can off-stage? Only makes sense.

Consciousness could be so many things… and might even be relevant here… if it weren’t shackled by “problems.” Personally, I prefer mindfulness. As in, what you’re giving your full mind to. Why only give your mind over to problems?

How’s the redo?
Motivation is made up of two structures: scaffolding and mindfulness.
Still nope. But my energy – and with it my mindfulness – is fading, my scaffolding is actually propped up on a completely different wall (!), and my motivation to pursue this is kaput.

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