What Motivates Me To Do Things And Get Shit Done.

When you’re motivated, you do better at most things. You work longer, think of better ideas. When you feel motivated, doing things is a little easier, and has a little extra energy. You can work a little harder, stay a little longer, try a little more.

Motivation is a weird thing. Sometimes it can leave you for days, weeks or months on end, and everything just feels so hard.

Sometimes you get super motivated because of something that happens, what someone says to you or just by a random thought.

I get motivated by weird things. What I have found is that it is important to keep connecting to the things that motivate me. If I do that, I keep feeling that positive Let’s Do Dope Shit and Get Shit Done type thing, and that flow keeps me working.

Today I wanted to give you a (rather intimate) peek into the people, places, memories and things that motivate me. I think about them, and I get a little surge of energy to do more, work harder, go an extra mile.

Some of it’s interpersonal, sentimental, and other things are materialistic or just simpleton silly stuff. But hey. If it works, it works.

MY PARENTS Top of the list of my biggest motivators, without a doubt my mom and dad. The rents. The folks. The parental units.

My parents raised me well. Their love, support, wisdom and encouragement of both traditional education and personal development is what made me who I am.

I want to be someone they would be proud of, because I know they’d be proud of me for the right reasons: When I’m a hard working, kind person with my ducks in a row, and my priorities in line.

My mom and I are really close, and I can talk to her about anything. I really look upto her when it comes to work ethic, family values and strength. My dad has always been this constant source of encouragement and enthusiasm. Even though not all areas were his expertise, he stimulated me in all areas I was interested in (reading, writing, the English language, psychology, personal development) and I can always come to him for intelligent advice and suggestions — I just have to accept the dad-jokes that come with it.

My parents are a very big part of my life and a huge, positive influence. They are very supportive. My mom has cycled along for most of my long distance runs and I know I can call her in the middle of the night should it be necessary. My dad still calls me with suggestions for projects or blogs.

Thinking of them makes me work hard(er). They gave me so much, and I want to honour their support and their love to the best of my ability, by using my abilities in the best way. That’s why my parents are big motivators to me.

MY FG FOOD LAB LUNCH In March on a Sunday, I had a date with the person I am now with, and was kind of in charge of the activities. I was browsing the Internet for things to do in Rotterdam and learned it was Restaurant Week. On a whim I made a reservation at FG Food Labs, high on my culinary wish list, and texted my date with the words “I did a thing, I booked a table at FG Food Labs for lunch, hope that’s okay” Good sport as he is, he texted back “No idea, sounds fun, let’s do it.”

What ensued on this random Sunday afternoon, was three hours of pure joy Eating and drinking and talking while the wonderful staff worked wonders around us.

It is one of my happiest, most cherished memories of 2015 to date. Thinking back on it, I get so happy and psyched I want to write forever, join a band and revolutionise academic efficiency — good cheese can do that to a person.

It motivates me because it was so wonderful, and I want to be able to do more of those wonderful things, and I want to be able to make more memories like that with the people I love. And if I want to have the resources to do that, I have to work hard.

JEN DZIURA/GET BULLISH Thank God for this kinda snarky, supersmart no-nonsense influence on the Internet. One that goes beyond pink sparkles and feeling good as the holy cure for everything, and one that actually tells you “some of your dreams are stupid” and “run your career like a business” and “design your career with goals”

Whenever I’m in a slump, work wise or otherwise, I go spelunking in the great big Get Bullish Archive. What I read there never fails to get me back to work. That’s probably because the gist of most Get Bullish articles is Be Smart About It, Suck It Up, or Get To Work.

THE POMODORO APP AND MY TO DO LIST It is just SO damn satisfying to use my time effectively and to cross items off my to do list. Time is an ally when you work with the Pomodoro app, and being active is fun with a to do list.

BOSE NOISE CANCELING HEAD PHONES I don’t actually have these yet. I just put them on in a store and my GOD. The complete absence of noise was an almost religious experience.

I texted Annemerel, who I know owns them, that I was a changed woman. I actually think an awful lots about fucking head phones now.

I love peace and quiet, and listening to music without any external interference, so OBVIOUSLY these head phones are on my wish list. Somehow, the idea of buying them at some point in the future motivates me too.

THE FUTURE And finally, but maybe what motivates me the most is the future.

See, one thing I know for sure is that anything can happen. There are so many things out of your control, beyond what you can influence.

It would be insane to say that your future is definitely full of success/health/money/friendship/love. You don’t know that. Not to be all doomy and gloomy, but anything could happen to you, to your job, your partner, your will, your mental or physical health. You don’t control everything.

Positivity and productivity are great values, but nothing is a guarantee for greatness.

But the one thing I do know, is that whatever happens, I just want to do what is in my power so that my future doesn’t SUCK because of me.

And sometimes, that idea of “this is effort trying to make my future not-suck as hard as it possibly could” can be the one thing to keep me going.

One thing I have found is that it’s good to keep thinking a lot about what motivates you, and ride that momentum while working on your shit. Doing things creates more momentum to do things, finish projects, and all of that.

Think of what motivates you, whether it’s your parents, that amazing holiday you once went on, or that designer bag you eventually want to buy. Use the positive mental energy it creates for all the dope shit you want to do and want to get done.

Have a great week.

See ya later dudes.