“Ok, now what?”
That’s what I often find myself asking when I finish listening to something that’s full of motivation but devoid of direction. I believe motivation is important for working regularly at something, but I also believe that having a good reason for doing that thing in the first place is crucial. Motivational speeches are great for getting people pumped up, but that emotional high is temporary. If that’s the only thing keeping someone interested in any given project, then they’ll quit when their emotions return to normal. I can think of many such experiences in my own life where I felt great after listening to someone but had nothing I could really take away from it. I remember those experiences because of the strong emotions I felt during them even though they failed to change my life in any meaningful or lasting way.
I’ve found plenty of motivating resources and, while I’ve enjoyed ones that have nice sentiments, the ones that have benefited me the most have also contained a great deal of practical things to do. For instance, I use life hacks I’ve learned from books such as The Power of Now, The Four Agreements, and The Power of Positive Thinking nearly every day; these books have helped me make rough situations more bearable and good situations more enjoyable. Whenever I find a particularly useful book, video, or article, I like to share it in case anyone else finds it beneficial. Even if only one person says it helped them, it’s worth the effort, and usually several people respond positively to it. So if you enjoy listening to motivational resources, I recommend you find ones that give you something solid that you can use in your life. That’s what’ll keep your fire burning bright long after the pep talk wears off.