Being unmotivated is a difficult position to be in. You see other people who are much more motivated than yourself–people who are going places and doing things–and you wonder, why them and not me?

You start to think, “trying is pointless” and you become less than enthusiastic. But the answer to “Why them?”  is in the question. They are getting the promotions, meeting the perfect mate, or finding the perfect job because they are forcing themselves to do it. Perhaps not forcing themselves any longer, but at some point, they had to work for it.

Energy

There are two types of energy in the world, Potential Energy and Kinetic Energy.

A simple explanation of the two is: A book sitting atop a desk is Potential Energy. It is doing nothing, but it has the potential. If someone bumps the desk and the book falls, the motion is Kinetic Energy.

Motivation falls into one of these two categories as well. Personal motivation is like a large rock sitting on top of a mountain. All of the energy is potential energy.  Something must happen to get the rock moving. A small bump may be all it takes to start that rock slide. The further the rock tumbles, the faster it moves, the more momentum it builds. Eventually, there is no stopping it until it gets exactly where it was going.

In the beginning, though, the moving force must be enough to overcome the effects of gravity and friction. Ever tried to roll a snowball down a hill just to see it stop after a couple of feet? If so, you know what I mean. A person’s motivation is always a mixture of kinetic and potential energies. Perhaps you are a virtual slug right now, spending most of your time on the sofa, drinking Woe-is-me cola and eating PityMe chips. You may be operating at 1% kinetic energy, but at least you have enough motivation to wake up, walk to the fridge, walk to the bathroom at the appropriate times, etc.

The good news about this is that it means you are 99% potential energy! Once that energy gets cranked up, you’ll be unstoppable.

Rolling that rock

I’m about to tell you what some of the motivational gurus will not. Ready? Getting motivated is a lot easier said than done. I can tell you:

• Just do it
• Plan your work and work your plan
• Set goals
• Blahblahblah

But the truth is, these are just words. Nothing will roll that rock until you are ready for it to move! God may try to move it–He may put something good in your life. A spouse may try to move it, offering suggestions or ultimatums. A mother, sister, brother or friend may try, but until you are ready to change your situation, nothing let me repeat that, nothing is going to change.

You have to want to be motivated. You have to want to see a change in your life. You must wanta better job, car, tv, computer, or whatever. These wants are pure energy. They are a wonderful mix of Potential and Kinetic. Each want adds a few degrees to your mountain, making it steeper and steeper. Eventually, it will get so steep that rock can no longer sit still. Gravity and momentum will make it move–and fast!

What to do

Take some time for yourself. Take at least ten minutes to do this. Think about the things you have. Think about all the changes you want in your life. You want a girlfriend, a new wardrobe, to lose three dress sizes, a raise, a first house, a new car. Whatever they are, write them down. Use two, three, twelve sheets of paper if you need to, but write down all the things you want. And remember that our wants are never only financial. We all have spiritual, mental, physical, emotional, and financial wants. So, try to be all encompassing.

When you complete your list, stick it to your refrigerator or your bathroom wall. Post it somewhere where you will be forced to look at it at least a couple times each day. Keep a pen near it so you can add things like that new DVD that just came out or the extra RAM for your computer.

It’s how we roll

Once you start moving and changing, cross some things off your list. Get that RAM–swish–line right through it. Break down that new wardrobe to several items and line through each of them as they enter your closet. You will soon find that the more you move, the faster you move and the easier it becomes.