Arjun Khemani

Have you ever watched some “motivational video” and just felt the adrenaline flow through your veins? Perhaps you even get up after watching it and land some push-ups on the ground just like the ripped guy on YouTube you saw do a few seconds ago, talking about “HARD WORK” and “NO EXCUSES”. Or some other external motivation like the New Year coming around made you make a decision (one which would be very regretful later) of buying a years’ worth of gym membership, only for you to never use it after February. Or the time when you get motivated to learn something new but somehow that motivation just doesn’t last. Or when … okay I think you get the point.

If you do a clichéd search for “motivation” or “motivational videos” on the Internet there are countless pieces of content out there to fill your inherent void of desiring motivation and purpose. Yet, at the same time of fulfilling that desire, those “motivational videos” as they are, are a complete waste of time and serve no purpose (to put it mildly, by the way). And well, we know what those videos do … nothing. The motivation fades away as soon as you close YouTube or wherever you get your external dose of motivation from.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of motivation. As I said above, as human beings we do have a characteristic need for motivation, and that is very significant to fill up. But, I believe in some different kind of motivation to fulfill our inherent desires. No it’s not self motivation. This is what motivation is all about.

First, think about the things in your life you can do where you don’t need any motivation. Go on, I’m waiting… Everyone has something they can do without needing any motivation.

Okay now, why do you think you don’t need any motivation to do that sort of thing of yours? Why is it you’re able to do that without needing a dose of some certain external motivation, a force if you like?

I’m guessing the conclusion you may have reached (upon thought, hopefully) is something like: I really love to do _____ and so I don’t need any motivation to do it.
That’s fair enough. And now you may be catching on to what I’m getting to.
If you can do something without needing any external motivation, then why can’t you do everything without needing motivation. You might say, because you don’t love to do everything and have to do certain things “necessarily” for some reason. To that I’d say then you can do it with keeping in mind the result of your actions. Because they surely must be favorable for you. That outcome itself should “motivate” you to act. You don’t need any motivation to act. You need to act to get motivated.

I hope this article doesn’t turn out to be an inspiring or motivating article, because now you know if you didn’t now what external motivation does. Nothing.