I sat with my roommate and her boyfriend today as we chatted about the first of 30 posts. That first was going to be on the topic of motivation. As my motivation for writing decreased I began to wonder how I would strike up drive each day for 30 days in order to finish the task of writing into the New Year. Writing about motivation today seemed ironic. I sat watching old Friends reruns and ate a Hershey’s bar as I pondered, what drives us to accomplish things?
Then half a Hershey’s Bar later, I figured out some of the keys to motivation: Accountability, Inspiration, Humor, and Amy.
Accountability: I was accountable to each and every reader to write one post for 30 days and by announcing it, I was holding myself to a standard to be accountable to myself and others. Accountability is different from goals. Goals are often measurable, but accountability is part of our ethical beings.
Inspiration: I often read articles and watch video clips to get ideas flowing. We can be inspired by stories, people, or other’s motivation. Inspiration is a way to provide a jump-start to motivation.
Humor: Keep laughing. No one can be motivated by the actual lemons life tends to give us. So if you can keep laughing, you tend to be able to keep going.
Amy: (Insert your desired friend here). Amy is my little sister and best friend, whom has been a hero of mine for a long time. When I am too emotional about something, I know she will be the voice of reason. She has always taken initiative and does so with so much humor and grace that I am honored to have her in my life. Having someone in your life who can be your pseudo-rational self in emotional times is essential. Motivation takes place in ration, emotional states leave us crippled and jaded.
If I hadn’t understood my ability to search for my motivation, you would not be reading this post. I’d be an unhappy, unaccomplished writer with a candy wrapper and a second season of Friends playing. Motivation doesn’t just happen, it needs to be promoted. Accountability, inspiration, humor, and being surrounded by good people are essential. Motivation is not intrinsic. You have to work for it.