What is the thing motivating you to do what you do? To get up each day, go to class, do to your job, to sacrifice, serve and give. What is the thing motivating you to continue on? To keep pushing and press through the harder days?
Many of us have the “end goal” motivation in mind. Finally getting to retire and doing what you want, when you want to with whoever you want for as long as you want. And we need this in our lives, a point on the horizon we are constantly looking at and moving toward, shaping most of what we do right now.
But there is also the current, the present, the thing right now motivating us to keep going.
I’ve often thought about the end of my working life and how I want it to look. I use it to fuel my day to day, giving me purpose. But sometimes, we need a closer point to focus on to kick ourselves into the next gear.
The answer to “what motivates you?” is probably different today than it was 3 years ago. And if you looked back in 5 years to your answer now, it probably isn’t the same.
We need to find the motivation for us right now, as well as “on the horizon”. While we need both, they aren’t separate. They inform each other and are built off one another.
“What motivates you right now?”
I was asked this question the other day, and I wasn’t expecting the answer I gave. I’m always thinking about that freedom phase in life because, well, it’s fun! But I needed to speak what’s driving and motivating me now because it’s the fuel pushing me on.
You most likely have daily things pop up in your life that are annoying, pesky and not fulfilling. Distractions to your end goal or little hurdles you won’t even remember two years from now.
But when those distractions arise, what motivates you to persist, push through or remove it from your life?
I loved answering this question because it allowed me to speak out the thoughts I was having subconsciously and then measure them up to what I’m trying to accomplish.
If you have never tried to picture and plan your horizon, retirement or final chapter, that’s the place to start. But life is made up of seasons and we need to be aware of the seasons and stages we are in and find our motivation!
And not to simply get through, but to better ourselves for the next season, and what lies in the distance of our future.
What does your horizon look like? What do you want it to look like? What are some things you need to change or implement in your life right now to set you on that path?
And then, what is motivating you right now? What gives you energy and purpose to do the difficult things, to learn, grow and get better?
Find it, say it and apply it.
What motivates you?
