... on motivation and inspiration ...

The weeks are flying by at a rate of knots and my good intention to post weekly has flown away with the weeks!

Why is it ... that no matter what our good intentions are, and how badly we think we want to do something ... do we still not do it? Yep, there are a multitude of reasons, some quite valid .. but at the end of the day, motivation can be extremely elusive.

Another blogger I know wrote a whole blog on internal vs. external motivation .. that is, are we the type of person who is motivated by our own thoughts and drives, or are we motivated by others gee-ing us along and keeping on our backs? End of the day, in my reasoning, it seems they are one and the same, and we get intrinsic and extrinsic rewards no matter how you look at it.

In my work I am constantly faced with helping people to 'find' their motivation ... not an easy task. I don't even know what motivates me sometimes .. all I know is that the desire to do whatever I want to do, has to outweigh the desire not to do it! But it's more than that too .. self-esteem plays a huge role. Not in the way that you need to be a super-confident person to achieve things, but that you need to believe that you can step outside your comfort zone, and the self-imposed boundaries that you set .. and just have a look to see if you are safe out there in unchartered territory. Start with 'dipping your toe in the water' .. when you know that it is in fact safe to go there, you go a bit further .. and so on, building confidence as you go.

So, you say, what happens when I'm not safe and I get hurt or it doesn't work etc etc? ... I say .. redefine your goals, go back to the drawing board, and aim for something that IS achievable. You know what doesn't work for you .. but how about searching for what DOES work?

Inspiration is a different animal .. but it makes us feel warm and fuzzy, and can help to provide motivation. I don't have enough hours to describe the capacity to which people continuously inspire me, but without a doubt at all, my family is full of inspirational people who make me extremely proud.

So .. again my blog has turned into some philosophical musings by me .. but I do hope I can also be a source of inspiration and motivation to others. I believe that every tiny little step in the direction toward realising your goals is a big achievement in itself, and it is so important to acknowledge what you HAVE achieved .. that will provide the impetus to keep moving forward.

Jac

... oh, and a special thanks to Stacey, gave me the inspiration to post this blog :) x