What Keeps You Motivated?

[The13thMan]

[COLOR=DarkOrange][FONT=Century Gothic]I sometimes have trouble finding a reason to keep on trying. Things often times seem pointless... or shallow at best. Why do we do what we do? Usually the answer to this question isn't anything deep at all. Why do i brush my teeth? So i don't get cavities. Why do i go to school? To get a cushy job and make money. Why do i eat? I'm hungry, darn it!

Of course, for many people (i imagine), this isn't enough. There has to be some greater goal in mind. Something that has some meaning. When i was young and believed in Santa (and God) i stayed motivated by the promise of gifts on Christmas. Now, what greater goal am i trying to achieve? I don't know. Most of the time i simply convince myself that the immediate goal is enough.

So, my question is simply how you feel on the matter. Do you have some great goal that you're always trying to achieve? Are you drifting along lifeless without motivation? Does something like this even matter to you? Or are the immediate rewards sufficient?

Personally, i'm usually fine with things. I work for secular rewards and this is usually just dandy. But every now and then i get a little down when i realize i can't imagine any reason greater than that. I guess most things i do come down to the desires to make money and have sex. There's also the L word that comes to play sometimes, but that's only on occasion. I go to college to get a nice job and make money. I brush my teeth because i know yellow teeth are unnatractive. I work out to lose weight and become more attractive. There are other motivators out there though. Sometimes i learn for the sake of learning. I read for the sake of knowledge. I argue to gain understanding. I be nice for the sake of good morals. It changes from day to day, task to task. All in all, i'm content.
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[Odin M Yggdrasi]

Money and objects never motivated me for more than a few days. Actually, I only know of one thing that motivates me and keeps me motivated...
When it's for my lady, I keep working until I can't work any more.

[Boo]

[size=1]I'm to stubborn and curious to stop. As an example that's easy on the brain: My friend bought me this horrible videogame "Butcher" a while ago and I beat it in one afternoon, just to see how horrible the rest of the game would be like. Heck, there wasn't even a horrible cinematic, so I was left even more disappointed than I was. But I beat it! And it even said that I was one of the best butchers in the world! :)[/size]

[Rachmaninoff]

[quote name='The13thMan'][COLOR=DarkOrange][FONT=Century Gothic]So, my question is simply how you feel on the matter. Do you have some great goal that you're always trying to achieve? Are you drifting along lifeless without motivation? Does something like this even matter to you? Or are the immediate rewards sufficient?[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]What motivates me? Why do I keep working on my education and music? It's really hard to explain other than I like doing it. It's that simple. My goal if you will is to finish and do part of what I already do, teach. I like giving lessons and teaching classes as well as playing. The only question at the moment is whether or not I'll do much in the way of travel or performing outside of where I currently live. That one I'm kind of undecided on since I'm perfectly content with simply working as a teacher and performer locally.

My biggest motivation right now is to finish college, something that if it goes well will happen in the next two years. Though by finish I mean getting my Ph.D I already have my bachelor's and in just three weeks I'll have my Master's degree. After that my next motivation will be to find a job I like and settle down or rather move into the next phase of my life so to speak.

If we're talking about immediate rewards, sure getting paid is nice but the long term one of finishing my education is of course better or more motivating in my case.

[Retribution]

[font=Arial]I once attempted to define the purpose of my life, and while I didn't answer all my questions, I made a lot of progress.

More or less, what keeps me motivated is the idea that the purpose of my life is to contribute to the human collective. I want my efforts on this earth to improve the quality of life of others in one capacity or another, and I want to help the struggle to keep the wheels of progress moving.

Everyone can do this in different ways. Janitors cleaning floors well is part of this. Philosophers writing and inspiring others is a part of this. Scientists discovering and inventing is a part of this.

For me, I want to become a politician. Not a corrupt bureaucrat, but one that is genuinely concerned with the welfare of others. All things I do in life are working towards the end where I will be influential enough to change the world. Getting into a good college was a step. Graduating is the next step. Going to law school after that (for the qualification). Working in DC after that. Running for local election within my state is after that.

This is just one possible path in my life, and of course I can positively influence the world in innumerable ways. However, I will consider my life wasted if I do not pave a path for those who come later to tread more easily.[/font]

[Shy]

[center][size=1][img]http://otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=26454&stc=1&d=1196184166[/img]
This poster.[/center]

Also: fear of poverty and/or boredom. But mostly it's just the poster.

-Shy[/size]

[Roxie Faye]

[color=#9933ff]I guess my "life goal" if you could call it that is to work for the EPA, and then get into politics. So, I'm in school and I do all my work with that goal in mind (of course, I also do my work so that I can keep my scholarship, not fail classes, etc.).

Sometimes I don't really believe in the eternal, thus, whatever I do in this life doesn't matter for the next cos there is no next. Or, I know the Earth and universe will get wiped out someday, so in the end, a lot of it seems pointless. But even then, I'm still motivated to get up and go about life and achieve my goals. For whatever reason, we're stuck here on this Earth - it's just as well that we'd better make the most of it, for our sakes and future generations, until the end comes. No sense in moping forever. Happy > sad.[/color]

[Odin M Yggdrasi]

[quote name='MistressRoxie'][color=#9933ff]I guess my "life goal" if you could call it that is to work for the EPA, and then get into politics. So, I'm in school and I do all my work with that goal in mind (of course, I also do my work so that I can keep my scholarship, not fail classes, etc.).
[/color][/QUOTE]

Which EPA? The Environmental Protection Agency? It sounds like a good goal to have.

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"]What motivates me more than anything is seeing victims of domestic abuse recover and get on with their lives. Or seeing couples who's marriage was suffering move back into a more healthy relationship. As frustrating as it can be at times, as annoying or tiring as school can be, or dealing with people who are self destructive, in the end those cases where things go well and you are successful in helping someone improve their life for the better is what convinces me to continue.

It's not a grand goal or anything like that, I just enjoy doing it and seeing the positive outcomes even though there are those that don't end so well. And for now that's more than enough for me.[/COLOR]

[Andrew]

[size=1]At one point I would have agreed with most of you on the whole 'self-sacrificing, help the world' mumbo-jumbo. But I've been trying to do that for years and it always (in my personal experience) ends up either in failure or people throwing my generousity/sensitivity/caring right back in my face so I couldn't really care less about other people these days.

What motivates me now is bettering myself. I'm well into my enjoyable, soon to be high-paying job, going to the gym a lot more and broadening my mind to new learning experiences, all in the name of being better than everyone else.

Call me selfish or whatever, but at this point, I really couldn't care less.[/size]

[Aaryanna_Mom]

What motivates me? My kids. And some music theory and teaching books I'm working on for publication, or at the very least I hope to eventually publish. But for the most part I have no grand goal other than to enjoy my life and watch my kids grow up and enjoy theirs. There are some religious ones as well, but there's no need to expand on that since I'm sure most of you understand what I mean.

[eleanor]

[font="trebuchet ms"] Getting into a career I will genuinely enjoy. Whether it's screenwriting or film production, if I love my job, I think I'll have a pretty good life. [/font]

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]The fact that I know there is nothing to fear, and that I can do anything. I also like being reminded that there are people who care about my opinion and what I do.[/COLOR]

[Zen]

[color=darkred][size=1]

I'm a Buddhist, so I don't really have the idea of Heaven to ensure me a reward. The best I got is Nirvana (if I sacrafice all wordly things from this point forth) or a nicer life after I die, which doesn't exactly mean rich.

The thing that motivates me is my desire to make the most out of the life that I have right now. I have a healthy body, a functioning mind, and a moderately comfortable living arrangement. Things could be much worse for me, so I don't see a reason not to do something with the tools I got.

But then again, I'm a romantic. My ultimate goal in life is to be remembered after I'm dead, through some impact on the world scene (preferably a positive impact). I'd like to write a great book, make a great film, be a great muscisian, or a great champion, and leave an impact on the world that will be positive after I'm dead. I want to die knowing that I somehow made a difference. I always said if I were rich, I'd give away most of my money, if not for the fame, but for the personal knowledge that I did something better with my money than spend it on a cool car.

If there is no afterlife, or reincarnation, then being famous is the closest thing to immortality that a person will ever get. So chasing a dream of fame doesn't seem all too bad.

As for immediate, day to day things, I'll say it without being ashamed. I want to look good, find a good woman to love me, and to be admired by my peers. It may sound a bit shallow, but really, its just a smaller version of the former. I want people to remember me in a positive way, because I grew up in a rather impermanent enviroment, moving around growing up. So I figured, your only as good as your last impression on a person. If I'm going to be remembered by someone, I want to be missed.

I don't want to be rich, I don't want "the easy life" or some super-stardom. I just want to leave a positive impact on the world, and be remembered for that. That's my motivation through out life.

Sometimes, I think to myself "Man, what's the point in all this anyway? It's gonna blow up eventually anyway, so why do I care about the way the world remembers me?". Sometimes you just want to give up, not go about, make up excuses to for-go your life. But really, as long as I'm alive and healthy, things could be much, much worse. So I don't see why I shouldn't take advantage of what I got, put it to good use, and try to make some kind of difference in the world, great or small.... Preferably great, though.[/color][/size]