Strange title? I know. But it's something you might want to think about.
Once years back, I think I was 18 at the time, I was at a party in the family.
An aunt of mine was there and she made the comment:
'Sometimes I don't want to get out of bed in the morning, but then I look at my little daughter looking up at me and that gives me the strength to get out of bed anyway and do all my work. I wouldn't want to disappoint her anyway.'
At that moment I listened to her, but I didn't hear her.
After all, when you're 18, you're eager to live your life!
Now I am 10 years older and have to think back more often to the moment she made that comment.
Because how often don't I want to be lazy?
Lazy, while the assignment is waiting for me.
To sleep a little longer, while I still have to study 150 pages for the exam that I have to take in 12 hours.
Another nap, while the house needs to be cleaned. But oh well! We can do that tomorrow, can't we?
Waiting a little longer to cook, but then suddenly you're hungry and you drive out to get junk food.
Many of us do it. Waiting until tomorrow. We're not motivated and sometimes we don't see the point in doing the things we need to do.
But is it really helpful to look for extrinsic motivation? Isn't intrinsic motivation better?
For years I built on motivation from others. Not knowing that I needed to look within myself. And although I am now more often intrinsically motivated, I have those days when I still look for a motivational word from someone else. And that works for me. If I'm intrinsically motivated 90% of the time, I don't mind slacking off the other 10% of the time.
But sometimes I worry badly about my friends or others around me who are always looking for extrinsic motivation.
For example, I have friends who get top scores in their exams and then suddenly they score low again for everything, because they don't have anyone around them anymore to motivate them.
If you have that in your life, then you know something is not right. Then you know it's not working and something has to change.
However, I'm afraid that sometimes some people don't even realize where the problem lies.
That's why it's always good to ask yourself: Why do I do what I do?
Do you get out of bed in the morning because you want to achieve something and so you can be proud of yourself?
Or do you get out of bed in the morning because you don't want to disappoint others?
Thank you for reading.
Don't forget: Always be kind. Always be happy.
