Part 1 It turns out that both Finding Nemo and Finding Dori are great ways of understanding motivation.  Both animated films by Pixar demonstrate how we deal with our life goals. Sometimes we have to be more like Dori just trying for the next step.  Sometimes we have to be like Marlin, Nemo’s dad, reaching for bigger goals and being single-minded about them. That’s how I see motivation in my daily struggle to balance work, family and life itself.  Multi-tasking is hard and finding the will to keep everything happening is magic.  A parent kind of magic. Dori goes for the shorter goals; she has a short memory span.  She forgets what she is doing very quickly, but she doesn’t lose her inner compulsion.  She knows she must accomplish something, even when she can’t remember what.  This means that her sense of achievement comes from each small step she makes. When I get ready in time for work and my child is dressed and has had breakfast, that’s a Dori moment for me.  I also started to celebrate life a bit more like Dori.  I cheer myself up by appreciating  the little everyday things.
  • Remember to send a birthday wish
  • Take that extra time to help someone
  • Keep going no matter what even when I lose sight of what was I doing in the first place.
Yay!  I arrived at the crossing just when the green man said I can cross!  Yay! I was home in time for my child’s bedtime routine!  Yay! I managed to get the laundry sorted this week (well, that’s a big hurray because it does not always happen!) Dori is all about getting through her life in small steps.  I like that.  I celebrate every step of my child’s progress like Dori would.  Getting small tasks done makes me feel like I can handle a lot more and motivates me to keep going. Read Part 2 of this blog next week.