One month of Monday Musings! Nice.
It's been cool to stick to this, so far. Writing is like pool, or golf. The more you do it, the easier it flows, and your skill sharpens.
Not that I know how to golf. And I'm pretty below average at pool. But the comparison was nice, you have to admit.
I wanted to spend this Monday musing about motivation.
I've always had a tricky relationship with motivation. In that I don't really believe in it. I was profoundly affected by a quote I read in a John Maxwell book that says,
“The whole idea of motivation is a trap. Forget motivation. Just do it. Exercise, lose weight, test your blood sugar, or whatever. Do it without motivation. And then, guess what? After you start doing the thing, that's when the motivation comes and makes it easy for you to keep on doing it.”
This resonated with me because I always hated the quick one-day bell curve of a spark of motivation:
- I read or see something motivational
- I'm motivated and I start the thing I was motivated to do
- My motivation runs out and I stop
It's like a sugar high and then a crash, and I think it's dangerous to wait for the "spark" of motivation to do something, because even if you start it, that motivation can disappear.
So I've always been pretty stubborn about watching "motivational videos" or buying into the quotes I see floating around instagram.
That all sounds pretty negative, but I don't feel like it is. I'm not trying to suggest we shouldn't look for sources of motivation, I'm just saying we shouldn't rely on them to provide the spark.
The method I've tried to adapt is:
- Do things consistently (like these blog posts)
- Keep a reserve of my favorite pieces of motivation or inspiration as "boosts", like energy drinks in the fridge.
There are three videos I keep bookmarked as my go-to motivational videos, and I'd like to share them with you here:
Steve Job's Commencement Speech - Stanford 2005
This is how I like and choose to remember Steve Jobs. There was no doubt he was a dick, but the man was a genius. This commencement speech covers three personal stories of his and reflects on the lessons he pulled from each. It's concise, beautiful, and tasteful. Much like the products he pioneered. This is my favorite quote from it:
Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.
Robin William's "Contribute a Verse" Speech in Dead Poet's Society
No explanation needed, just watch.
Jon Stewart's Testimony to Congress on Behalf of the 9/11 First Responders
This is such a powerful video. Jon Stewart, not looking at a single note, rails into congress for a cause that is deeply personal to him. It's so articulate, powerful, and true.
This isn't even political for me. It's just one of the best examples of how the best speeches come from the heart, not the brain, and how much power can come from speaking out about a cause you believe in. The bill was passed.
Favorite quote:
"Your indifference cost these men and women their most valuable commodity: time."
So, while I don't watch these all the time, they are always a great boost of nitrous oxide into my brain when it needs it.
I hope you enjoy.
What are your sources of motivation when you need them?
