Why You Will Never Get Motivated – Episode 480
Ted reads another chapter from his book The Ultimate Guide to Letting Go of Negative and Fear and Loving Life. (available on Amazon.com)
Are you trying to get motivated? It’s not going to happen. Motivation is not something you get. Ted tells the funny story of how he figured that out as well as what it takes to be motivated.
Check out this episode for the fundamental necessities to cultivate energy and motivation.
Listen to this podcast episode now:
I’ll never forget the time that I got instant motivation. For a while I’d been trying to find the motivation to get started on all the things I wanted to do. I’d be sitting in front of the television thinking “If only I could find the motivation to get off this couch, my life would be a lot better.” I felt depressed and unmotivated.
One day while watching Family Guy and eating Captain Crunch cereal, someone knocked at my door. Too tired to get up, I shouted “Come in!” The UPS guy ran in with a package and dropped it right in my lap.
I was too tired to get up and a get a knife to open the package, so during the commercial breaks I used my spoon to saw through the tape. I pulled out the packing peanuts to uncover a strange glow wrapped up in some paper. I unwrapped the paper and to my surprise, it was a box of motivation! I finally had some!
I jumped right up and cleaned the house. Then I wrote up my resume and went out and found my dream job. The money started rolling in. I started working out regularly, got real buff, and started dating a model. I learned to play guitar and joined a band. We made a record and went on a whirlwind European tour that included staying at expensive hotels and fine dining at the fanciest…
I awoke to the opening tune of SpongeBob SquarePants. My bowl of Captain Crunch was all over my lap. It was just a dream.
“God, I have no energy and I’m so unmotivated!” I said.
The minute I said that, my eyes got real droopy. I thought about taking a nap right then and there, but the thought of Captain Crunch all dried and crumbly on my pants was more than I could bear. I jumped up and shouted “NO!” I’m 32 years old! When is my life going to start?”
Then I noticed something interesting. Just standing up and shouting gave me some energy! I found some paper and a crayon and wrote down my discovery: “Movement = energy = motivation.”
I realized that to be motivated, I had to cultivate more energy.
I realized something else: the minute I said, “I have no energy and I’m so unmotivated”, I felt immediately felt tired and unmotivated! I wrote down this realization as well. “Whatever I say, my mind will obey. Motivational and energetic language = motivation.”
I have a confession. This was not the first time I had fallen asleep while eating sugary cereal. One time I awoke on the couch to find my mouth open with unchewed Cocoa Puffs. I swear I thought I saw a fly flying away. It seemed that every time I ate a lot of sugar I got sleepy. I got my crayon and wrote this down: “Good nutrition = energy and motivation.”
I was feeling a bit motivated now. I felt the stirring of energy inside me. I decided to make a list of some things I would do with my growing motivation:
- Change pants
- Take all 12 cereal bowls off the coffee table and put them in sink.
- Wash dishes while listening to Rush’s “Moving Pictures” album really loud
- Sort through the three-week-old pile of mail
Now I had some direction; some things I wanted to do. Curiously, this gave me even more energy and motivation. I had another insight and wrote this down: “Having a plan = motivation.”
I was sorting through my mail when I came across a letter from the landlord. “Ted, you are a month late on the rent. If you don’t pay the rent by this Friday, I will evict you. Signed, Your Landlord. (p.s. Judging by the overflowing garbage cans in your yard you obviously have enough money for a wide variety of cold cereal, cookies, and pastries. Suggestion: get a life.)”
The nerve! I was annoyed but also majorly freaked out. Eviction! How could I pay the rent on time if Wendy’s wouldn’t give me a raise? I would have to find a better paying job and fast. I took the abandoned bird’s nest out of the spokes of my bicycle and rode down to the mall and collected a bunch of applications. When I got home, I wrote this down: “Purpose = energy and motivation”
I filled out a bunch of applications to drop off the next morning.
It had been a busy day so I was feeling stressed out and tired. I wanted to sit in front of the tube. I played my guitar instead and that energized me. I read a book and that was relaxing. I felt a calm energy now. Before I went to bed at 10:30 pm, I wrote down two things: “Fun and de-stressing = energy”
The next day I woke up at 6:30. I felt refreshed. I scribbled “Good Sleep = Good energy and motivation”. Out of habit I turned on the news: The Economy. The War. Terrorists. Floods. Car Accidents. I turned off the television, unplugged it and stomped on the remote. It occurred to me that compared to most of the world, I had a pretty good life. I was healthy, I had a place to live, and I had opportunity and freedom to take advantage of my luck if I chose to. There was nobody bombing my house or my city. I felt blessed and was moved by this feeling. I wrote down “Gratitude = energy and motivation”.
I eventually took all my insights and made a sign that I hung on my wall:
“I Am Energetic and Motivated”
- I have abundant energy and motivation because I move my body by walking daily.
- I have abundant energy and motivation because I say that I do. I refuse to say the opposite.
- I have abundant energy and motivation because I have an energy producing diet.
- I have abundant energy and motivation because I have a plan.
- I have abundant energy and motivation because I have a purpose.
- I have abundant energy and motivation because I have a good balance of work, play and relaxation.
- I have abundant energy and motivation because I manage my stress.
- I have abundant energy and motivation because I get enough sleep.
- I have abundant energy and motivation because I focus on what is right with my life and I am grateful.
I started reading this every morning out loud because it energized and motivated me.
Having motivation doesn’t always mean wanting to do something. Real motivation is the ability to do something even if you don’t feel like doing it.
You will never get motivated. Nothing can give you motivation except maybe the imminent prospect of catastrophe and you don’t want to wait for that. YOU MUST DEVELOP THE HABIT OF GENERATING MOTIVATION AND ENERGY. You must learn to create it. It must come from inside of you.
Today, at 65, I’m grateful that I have a lot of energy and motivation. I’ve found a sleep schedule that works for me (10:30-6). I walk every morning, stretch every day and work out two days a week.
I’m very conscious of how valuable time is. I have a purpose, I try to have a daily plan, and I have written down goals. I never, ever say I’m tired unless I’m ready to go to bed. If a health issue comes up and I feel low on energy, I get my butt to my doctor, my chiropractor, and my acupuncturist, and get it back. I do everything I can to keep my stress level manageable. I try to stay connected with the people I love. And most importantly, I cultivate the attitude of gratitude every day.
“Energy will do anything that can be done in the world; and no talents, no circumstances, no opportunities will make a two-legged animal a man without it.”
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing, that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar
(Disclaimer: With the exception of the last paragraph, the preceding story is for educational purposes only and is mostly a work of fiction. To the best of my recollection, I have never fallen asleep with unchewed breakfast cereal of any brand in my mouth. However, I did once have to remove a bird’s nest from the spokes of my bike. Also, I really liked working at Wendy’s and they always paid me well.)
Thanks for reading this!
Ted
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