Hi Tony, thanks for commenting. Of course it’s brilliant when inspiration strikes at the right time and you can get to it. But I have three kids, a business and a busy house to run. Sometimes I can’t write when I most want to or I need to work even when motivation is low and that’s when these tricks come in handy:)

If i take a closer look at these article, i can’t find the true motivational reasons in your examples. I agree, your tricks will work and they even made me smile while reading them. They will work temporarily , maybe once or twice, because the true motivation is missing. You’re right these are tricks.

For example: If you want to break big jobs in smaller chuncks, or create a deadline for the 8th time you need a reason, a motivation again.

In my opinion true motivation can only be found in others. Everybody needs a kind of spark to get started anyway. In some cases it causes an explosion, others cause a eternal flame.

What motivates me to write this comment?
Do i know you,the person who reeds this? > No
Do i like you? > Dunno…i dont know you
Will you reward me for this comment? > Not with money..thats for sure. Maybe you will with a follow up.

I could go on for hours with thinking of reasons that don’t motivate me. Only one motivating reason i’m pretty sure of, is that 1 person, maybe more, will start thinking about the few sentences i wrote down here. And perhaps even will contribute to improve that persons 1 minute of his live. Knowing this makes me feel good and motivates me. In other words: I believe that writing this comment is usefull, it has a meaning.

Even washing dishes and cleaning up the house or getting up for work are meaningful if motivated by the right people.

If have to be convinsed that what i do is meaningful and useful to others. Otherwise it’s a waste of my precious time here and now.
And that brings me to my next statement: One can’t be motivated by himslef, only by others.

What do you think?

There may be some useful information in the post, (And sadly your last?!) however there’s a deeper solution in my humble opinion.

When you’re inspired you don’t require external motivation. (i.e. alarm clocks, imaginary deadlines etc)

When you’re inspired you stay up late and get up early because you want to. No one has to tell you to get up, be on time and get after it.

We all have higher values we operate from and we don’t have to be begged or find motivation to do them. We just do them, because well, they are important to us. (Hence “higher values” we value them and what they mean to us)… See More

If you require external motivation then perhaps you may want to revisit just why exactly you’re doing what you’re doing and if it serves your higher values.

Just my 2 cents worth :-)