Motivation

It's a funny old thing, motivation.

Usually i'm quite tight with its worst enemies - procrastination, laziness and uninterest - but a few things recently have started to inspire me to become motivated. I would have said more motivation but that would erroneously suggest that I had some motivation to begin with.

Making a trip to our area office in Oxford yesterday and seeing how they do much of the same work, has led me to changing a few practises in the office today. Firstly, it's shown up how on some things we aren't always matching the National Standards that we should be, secondly that some of the things we do are actually very good. Thirdly, it always helps to discuss issues/problems/similarities/best practise with others doing the same job as you (Especially when you're working alone much of the time) and lastly, it's made me realise that there is opportunity within this organisation. The restructuring in the very near future should be a chance to take up those opportunities.

Since our manager is leaving next week however, and it will just be two of us running this scheme, i'm not sure how much momentum we'll make on getting closer to the Standards. I'll give it a go though, even if I am just the junior staff here.

So that's the work side of motivation aided and abetted by yesterdays visit and put into practise a bit today. Which is good, since while doing the job expected of me, I tend to spend too much time pissing around on the internet.

What's helping the motivational side of personal things is not just that thedacs as a family are bloody gorgeous and great (We're having a great time at home recently) but that we're in control financially. Don't confuse that with being in the black, although it is only a matter of months now that C has beaten her demons, confronted and taken control of her finances.

No, what's helped the motivation on the home front is the decision we made to get a second shed.

Not the most glamourous of news by any means, and possibly even confusing to you, but it opens up another world of opportunity. Namely the chance to use it solely as a studio for art, which D needs to take up again on a regular basis. It will allow thedacs to expunge their creative drive, double-up as the smoking shed and even hopefully lead to another avenue of pin money.

We shall see....