Motivation is a tricky thing to pin down. It's not just about the desire to do something, but more about the ability to carry out a task. We all have goals, but aren't always motivated to go after them. So what does it take to get going? What does it take to motivate yourself?
Perhaps the most important way to find motivation is to recognize that you have none at all.
Motivation can be external or internal. External motivation is when you're motivated by something outside you, like money or praise.
Internal motivation is different. With internal motivation, you're driven from within--you do something because it's important to you and because you want to do it. The problem with external motivation is that it's not always there for us when we need it, so we're left without the drive we need.
So how do we find our internal motivation?
First, we have to figure out what really matters to us, what our values are. Then we can use those values as fuel for our drive - we can ask ourselves if what we're working towards, aligns with our values, and if it doesn't, maybe take some time to rethink your goals, plan and purpose for your life.
If you feel like you are motivated to do something, it means there is an external reason that makes you want to do it. If you don't feel like doing something, it means there isn't.
Motivation is an emotional state that can be affected by several things: fear, hope, and anger. But most of the time it is a combination of all three. Fear says "I'm not going to do this." Hope says "I'll do it if I try hard." Anger says "Why are you doing this to me?"
If you want to find motivation - or if you just want to feel better about yourself - make small efforts to change your environment. For example, you can spend more time with people who bring out the best in you.
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