Getting Motivated Now

There are many great articles, great speeches, great books about motivation. The importance of being motivated and how much of a difference it makes, between doing average work and doing great work. The importance of aligning your values with your goals and truly determining what is important, so that you can have ongoing motivation. The importance of seeing the big picture in whatever you do, the grunt work that you do and how that fits into the grand scheme of your planned mission in life.

What happens when you have all of that? Sure, broadly you might have a grand motivation but sometimes that just isn't enough. That for me, is now, on the cusp of an exam tomorrow and no motivation to study. Feels like I've given up, like it's just wasted time for an exam that might not be of any relevance to my future career. It's times like these that not even seeing the big picture of why I'm sitting this exam is not enough.

This becomes personal, perhaps a bit controversial and certainly cheesy. However the strongest method I've used to get motivated to do that dreary legwork at the time when I know I have to start, but don't want to start, is motivational speeches on Youtube.

Hold on for a second, you say. Motivational speeches? The stuff with grandeur classical music with epic climaxes and reflective times of quiet? The stuff with an often male voice speaking about your motivation, your dreams, your goals? The stuff that has thousands of "Likes" and you feel you're just above all of it, you're too good for it?

Yes, exactly. Stop being snobby. If it works, don't be afraid to keep doing it. Don't be afraid to wear something embarrassing when you know it makes you feel great. Don't be afraid to do cheesy things that fill you with enjoyment and laughter. Don't be afraid to live life without fear of judgement by others.

I personally love the high. I love that urgency in the speakers' voice, daring me to dream. I love the strings building up to powerful notes that scream MOTIVATION. Most of all, I love the comments. The young boys that want to be professional league football players. The high schoolers wanting to be engineers, doctors, neuroscientists. The dreams of aspiring youth, and the youth at heart. The unquestionable desire they all are bridled with. It doesn't matter that they've done it yet. It doesn't matter how realistic their dreams may or may not be. It does matter than they haven't given up on the purpose of life and living it the biggest way they can. It does matter that they inspire themselves and others to fight for their lives - perhaps not their physical lives as those in much more unfortunate circumstances may find themselves in - but fighting for their spiritual lives.

Feel the burning desire. Let it envelope you. Then be empowered and do what you know you need to do.