Motivation Is The Key

What gets your juices flowing? What inspires you? What triggers your desire to try something different? When you’re motivated, particularly by inspiration, you will go the extra mile to try new and different things and take your efforts as far as you possibly can.

 

If you are uninspired and bored by your daily routine it can lead to a lack of motivation. You know? That feeling you get when you absolutely don’t want to get out of bet in the morning, dread the day ahead, think your life is too routine and dull, and world events aren’t making you feel any better either, so you just want to pull the covers over your head and hide!! You want to ignore the world

 

Everybody’s been there. Usually, the feelings are temporary and we resume our lives, maybe making a few changes to “switch things up,” like take a different route to work, or try a new place to eat. Others may choose to do something a bit more intense to cut through “the funk,” like hiking in the desert, or waterskiing in shark-infested waters.

 

For some people, that malaise lasts a lot longer. It isn’t a long leap from being bored and a bit bummed-out by life’s daily hurdles to fall into real depression. If you, or someone you know has been in that state for an extended period, encourage them to reach out for professional help. In California, the mental health crisis hotline is 988, a toll free call. Nationally, there’s the SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 800 662 4357. Don’t hesitate to share this information.

 

So, how do you find that spark, that inspiration, that motivation?

 

There are as many answers as there are people! But maybe we can point you in a direction that is worthy of your own pursuit.

 

Let’s start by agreeing that almost everyone’s chief motivator is the need to provide food, shelter and clothing for themselves, and possibly others. Whether it’s just to attain the basics or a life filled with the frills and chills. Some are happy with what they have, and others always want more. If you want more you better find the motivation to reach those goals, whatever they are!

 

I’ve always been a believer that the best vocations are achieved by those with the strongest avocations. Mark Twain wrote: “Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” While I don’t believe that to be 100% true, the need to work is much more bearable when you’re doing something you really enjoy! There are those who believe that these two should remain separate; that pursuing your “non-work passions” for gainful employment can often be unfulfilling and not produce the same stability and financial results that most often come from more traditional work roles. This isn’t to say that it isn’t possible, but it is a hard road. Just ask any working musician with a day job, or graphic artist, clothing designer, writer or other solo-enterprise pursuer. Most would tell you they’d love for their passion-pursuits to be more financially rewarding. They’ll also tell you there is a lot of hard work involved to make to reach your goals. And, many would continue those pursuits for less because of their passion for what they do.

 

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been working at the same job for years, or recently entered or re-entered the workforce, ask yourself these questions:

     What makes you happy?
     What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
     What parts of your job do you really enjoy?
     Whose work do you really admire?
     Who are your mentors and work heroes?
     What did you enjoy studying most in school?
     What do you look forward to most?

 

Being honest with yourself about the answers to these questions can be a step in the right direction. How can you apply the answers to these questions to your daily pursuits? Are there aspects to your answers that can be interjected into your job or routine? What part(s) of your day can you do differently to achieve the same or better results? Use your imagination! Can you create a game from a tedious task? You don’t have to compete with anyone but yourself. Find ways to up-end your stagnation.

 

Your efforts don’t have to be grandiose. Small changes can do wonders for your perspective. Give it a try: Try making a small change to the way you do any regular task, like washing dishes or doing laundry. Challenge your brain and your assumptions. Switching things up may be just the key to finding and renewing your motivation.

 

#      #      #