My lack of motivation inspired me

 I recently attended a talk and the presenter, not really a motivational speaker, said, "Motivation does not work." There was silence, but mainly because it was on Zoom and everyone was on mute. But behind the disabled microphones, I'm sure there were people scratching their heads and gasps of disbelief.

What he said later though was so true and revealing that I thought I'd write it down here not only for your reference but also mine. So get your pens ready.

Motivation does not work as a long term strategy.

Why? It does not last.

Motivation is like a drug, maybe steroids. It gives you a boost and gets you moving. But with any drug, it will wear off and fade away - and what's left is your old tired self - uninspired and exhausted from life. You also need bigger doses each time - the same old pep talks and morale-boosting speeches won't be effective any longer.

People spend most of their lives unmotivated. Humans are rationally lazy and would typically do the minimum to get by. Although this has led to innovation, it has also made us look for the easiest way out, and I'm guilty of that too.

Bottom-line: We cannot rely on being motivated. Nothing will get done. It is what we try to accomplish when sleepy, fatigued and ordinarily lifeless that is the magic bullet - pulling ourselves out of bed, reluctantly lacing up our running shoes, sifting through stacks of worksheets - these small daily moments of struggle and labour, put together as a whole, push us forward moment by moment towards our goals, even if it's a tiny inch at a time.

But how do we get all this done without being motivated or inspired? That is where building habits come in. I'll write more next time because right now, I've run out of motivation. 🤣