Some people use motivational words and videos to go to the gym. Others use them to work harder. They dream of a perfect body. They dream of millions of dollars. They dream of mansions, they dream of cars.
But if you’re doing something only for the rewards, it will be impossible to keep your motivation in the long-term.
Anything worth doing will become hard at some point. It’s a fact of life.
Nothing comes easy. There’s always a learning curve. Even if you’re a natural, if you want to realize your potential, you’ll have to work hard.
Can Motivation Be Sustainable?
I’ve had to learn this lesson the hard way. As a computer science BSc graduate, I decided to build an application for a friend. A mobile gaming app.
But I don’t enjoy gaming. So my motivation was the potential of success. I had the skills, I had the time, so I decided to give it a go.
It was doomed to fail. I couldn’t sustain the motivation for the time needed to complete the project. I couldn’t sustain the motivation to keep working for something I wasn’t personally interested in.
Here are the lessons I learned from that project. If you’re interested in starting a project of your own, you can read my mistakes so you can avoid them.
My Reason for Working
I’m not afraid of failure. But I always try to learn as much as I can from it.
So after this failed attempt, I analyzed my mistakes and I know now this.
I should be doing my work out of duty, not money. I should be doing something that I would feel guilty if I didn’t do it. Monetization is important, but it can’t be my purpose.
I feel guilty if I don’t write articles. I feel guilty because I believe in what I’m doing.
So any time I don’t feel like working, I feel productive guilt.
A voice inside me says, “You could be writing right now. You could be learning valuable lessons from these articles. You could improve your writing. Why the hell are you not doing it?”
The motivation is instant. It’s sustainable and comes from within.
I like writing. I like producing content.
Of course, money plays a big role in my life. Money means freedom. I need money to pay the bills and put food on the table and my belly. I need money to feel secure and happy.
But money is not the only reason.
I would write even if I didn’t earn a penny. I would write less, but I would still share my thoughts and life lessons with you.
It’s something that is completing me. I’m learning more about myself as keep on sharing my thoughts with you.
Motivational Words Are Usually Shallow
Your motivation to work can’t come from something shallow. Can you force yourself to do work you don’t enjoy for years? What would be the reason?
To have millions? Sure, having millions is nice to think and dream about. But when you dislike your job, it won’t be enough to keep you going.
Motivational words try to get you to do something out of fear of missing out. Missing out on your potential. Missing out on your dream life.
I prefer to do my work out of duty, not fear.
If I’ve learned a valuable lesson in my life, I would feel guilty if I didn’t share it with you. If I had a thought that could help even one person, I would feel guilty not to post it.
One idea can act as a seed. People read something, and they start thinking. It’s a sacred procedure, and I’m proud to be contributing to it.
Discipline Isn’t Sustainable Either
Some people prefer discipline over shallow motivation.
If you can discipline yourself to do the hard work, you will find success, they claim.
Yet, how can you consistently discipline yourself if you’re the disciplinarian?
People try this all the time with diets, and they almost always fail.
Why? Because your feelings and moods will at some point win over your discipline.
And this is especially true if you don’t have a real purpose behind your work. A reason that matters to you. Something stronger than your everyday feelings.
Find Your Why
It’s very important to understand what motivates you to do your best work. If you don’t find the reason, you’ll always run around in circles.
There has to be a reason. Think of the word why often. It will lead to great things.
In my case, to feel complete with a career, I want it to fill these criteria.
- Being my own boss.
- Able to work from anywhere in the world.
- Has the potential to make six figures in 1 year.
- Enjoy the everyday work.
- Helping people.
- Being proud of my work.
This is why I’ve chosen to become a content creator on the internet. It has the potential to fill all the criteria. And this is why coaching is a career that I’m tempted to try.
I’ve written more extensively on picking a career. Here is an article that can help you if you’re looking for your dream job.
If you need to be inspired and motivated by a video, you’re probably doing it for all the wrong reasons.
You’ll probably fail at whatever you’re trying to do if you need to be motivated by external factors like motivational videos.
I’m not saying I haven’t watched them myself. I’ve motivated myself that way to go to the gym. But I quickly realized it’s not sustainable.
And if you’ve been reading my articles for a while, you know that I’m big on sustainability.
You will not be able to keep going if you don’t have a reason to work. You will not be able to keep going if you don’t enjoy your everyday struggle.