Motivation.
February 7, 2022
There are a lot of clichés about motivation. The one which I think about the most is this:
“There is a huge misconception that you need motivation to get started. This is wrong. You need to start in order to get motivation.”
Like in most situations, there is probably truth to both sides; in other words, there is a need for some motivation.
At the very least, there is a need to care. You can’t build much with total apathy.
As a “coach/teacher”, I am consistently aware of this dance within, and of how I present myself publicly with respect to it.
Especially for men, I notice a lot of trends in this regard. They may be true for all of us, but I’m gonna stick with what I know best…
“Be tough.”
“Show your vulnerability.”
“Make sure they know you also cry!”
“Don’t let them think it’s all rainbows and butterflies.”
“Don’t be too Pollyanna.”
“Don’t be Mr. Fix it!”
“Always be committed to service.”
“Be more selfish!”
“Be more selfless!”
And so on and so forth…
From what I can tell, all of these clichés are both relevant and irrelevant and sometimes it’s a combination of some of them or none of them. In other words, CONTEXT.
Do I somedays want to just stay in bed, or just watch Succession all day, or just forget about it all? YES. And, guess what? Some days, I do!
It’s not feasible to always be in one mode, though, and it’s also not good.
Sometimes it’s important to be in one mode, and then sometimes another. What’s also definitely true, though, is that once you do get started, it does get easier. It gets easier, and it feels better, and it becomes more fun. You feel better, that is, and life becomes more fun, to say the least.
Consider this, perhaps:
Going “inward” and focusing on a sense of self is necessary, but eventually you better “go outward” and commit to co-creating, communicating, collaborating and cooperating (while also competing, in a way) with each other.
Otherwise, really, what is the point? Otherwise, it’s probably just replacing some old pattern with OCD.
