Debunking the Self-Motivation Myths

Today I sat down to do a little research about self-motivation. I knew I would run across a few websites on the subject and figured they would be a great place to start. Unfortunately, I learned there’s a lot of crap out there. My job, I quickly came to understand, was to come up with some real stuff that can help us light a fire under our proverbial hind-quarters.

Myth: Self-motivation > Life’s difficulties

• While self-motivation can help one overcome trying times and difficulties, I think probably a more important ingredient here is having half a brain. Maybe things suck right now because your brother-in-law talked you into sinking your savings into a “sure thing” investment scheme of composting and subsequent sales of pachyderm manure fertilizer. This caused several difficulties for you, the worse of which definitely was not finding the space to store all of that elephant poo while the composters did their thing for a couple of months. Tsk tsk (or tusk tusk, to stay on topic) you sure were motivated to make money, but that half a brain would have come in handy BEFORE you launched yourself into entrepreneurship of this type.
• Sometimes life’s difficulties lead to times of great sadness. I don’t know about you but I’ve had a few good sads and I don’t care how self-motivated I have the potential to be nothing could have changed those sads before I was good and ready to let a little happy in. But, then again, I am sort of stubborn sometimes.

Myth: Having a cause/dreaming big leads to self-motivation

• Nope. Not feeling this one either. There are a lot of things that are very important to me: my family, the environment, cooking and eating healthy. These are all “causes”, things to focus my attention on. But they don’t help me self-motivation-wise.
• And dreaming big, well that’s led to more wasted days spent daydreaming than I care to divulge in a medium that may well exist in time and space far longer than I will. I would hate to embarrass my great- great- great-grandkids.
• Actually, it feels to me like you need a fair amount of self-motivation to be able to have a cause or dream big in the first place. I think they’re putting the cart before the horse on this one.

Myth: Be hungry

• Ok. Yes. I get how figurative “hunger” could lead to a semblance of motivating oneself. As I am a very literal person, however, this piece of advice just motivated me to go raid the pantry and eat a whole bag of chips, thank you very much. I was trying to save those chips as a reward for finishing the assignment I’ve been searching for motivation to start!
• And now I feel fat, so I’m going to need even more motivation to go hit the treadmill. Oy.

Myth: Self-confidence leads to self-motivation

• Hmmm. I see a connection here, a common theme, with the whole “self” thing. But that’s about where it ends for me. Screeching halt. Yes.
• Self-confidence surely can make you believe that the ideas you have are worth trying out. Which might lead to you writing those ideas down, in detail.  It could also lead to you sharing your ideas with friends and neighbors, maybe even business associates. However, your self-confidence may also have led you to believe that pachyderm composted waste is the next eco-friendly product of the year. This would certainly lead to you taking a major hit in both the self-confidence AND the self-motivation realms of your psyche. I believe this is not a good idea. At all.

De. Bunked.

Ok, so I know what you’re thinking “Ok brainiac. If all those other guys are wrong about self-motivation how do you think we get it?” And now you’re also thinking, “How does she do that?? Get out of my HEAD you pushy broad!” All of which is completely beside the point and has once again distracted me from my task at hand… momentarily.

My favorite Zen quotation is this: “Seek not to follow in the footsteps of the masters; seek what they sought.” Ah, I love a good, randomly inserted, quote. However I am actually trying to make a point here, too. Self-motivation is just what it sounds like: motivation that comes from inside you. As such, I have no bloomin’ idea what motivates you because your motivation is yours alone. And anyone who tries to sell you on how to get you some self-motivation is a shyster and should not be taken as any type of guru. I will gladly accept the cash you might want to shovel into that other guy’s pocket. Really, I don’t mind!

There are ways you can help build self-motivation into your life and the things you do, though. Or at least I’ve found this to be true. Here’s a short list:

1. Make what’s important to you a priority. I like to help people, so nursing is a really great career for me. Maybe you absolutely LOVE the smell of grease and the feel of cold metal in your hands. Perhaps mechanics is your bag. Whatever, though, if you build your life and the things you do around what is most important to you, deep down as a person, self-motivation won’t be much of an issue. Unless, of course, what’s important to you is proving that composted pachyderm poo is the very best fertilizer on the face of our green earth. If that’s the case then this may be a point where you’ll want to do some reprioritizing there Skippy.
2. Have fun, dammit. Nothing in life should constantly cause unrelieved and unrelievable stress. How are you supposed to stay motivated in those circumstances? I’m not talking about things that are beyond your control, I’m talking about the choices you make. They should be fun! They should be good for your soul! They should make you laugh madly and wildly and make all your friends wonder what the hell you’re on and where they can get them some’athat!
3. Be easy on yourself (because life probably won’t be). If you failed at least you had some fun doing it, if you were smart enough to heed suggestion #2, anyway. And failure just shows you where the hell you shouldn’t go again. Ever. Like those people who marry the same person twice? WTF? If it didn’t work the first time what makes you think it will a second? That’s just insanity if you ask me.
4. Take baby steps. And in this instance again I, Ms. Literal Thinker, feel I must warn you: Do not try actual baby steps. Adults who walk like babies generally fall frequently and the incidence of head injury and “Muhammed Ali speech syndrome” may increase exponentially*. The baby steps I am referring to are the kind wherein you break your task down into small parts. Small enough for a baby to step over? Yes. You’ve got the picture.

Self-motivation? In four easy steps? Sure why not? I mean the 10-Minute Workout was all the rage a few years ago, why can’t self-motivation be attained in four steps? Americans sure are a fickle bunch, jeez. However, if you still don’t feel like four steps is enough, go here and you’ll get eight! Yes, two for the price of one! You lucky, lucky reader. And if you’re still not motivated after that, well, I don’t know what to tell ya. I guess you’re screwed.

*While writing this sentence, my brain wouldn’t go anywhere else but “may increase existentially”. While I absolutely knew that increasing something existentially is not at all what I wanted for the sentence that concept is STUCK in my head now! Look for another post SOON on increasing existentially. Oh, and, in case you’re wondering, no, it will not be a post about male enhancement drugs. Thanks.
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