What Lights Your Fire 🔥:Putting Meaning/Motivation in Your Life

Many times, it seems as if I am going through the motions of life as if I am on auto-pilot. Part of the issue is that every day requires the same routine at home or at work. Work, coffee, work, home, dinner, laundry, read, sleep and do it all over again...or some version of it. Although I am very grateful to have the simple and calm life I now have, it becomes important to pay attention to "why” I do the things I do so that my life still has meaning.

There are numerous reasons to work, volunteer, or do the daily tasks that life generally requires of us. People with "intrinsic motivation" are driven by curiosity, interest, and the desire to develop skills from within. They are not satisfied to stay at the same level throughout life. There is a need to be better and to continue to improve the self. Others need recognition from those around them. Their validation and motivation come from being recognized by outside sources. Money is also definitely a big motivator as well. Wanting to have a certain lifestyle or needing to maintain a lifestyle leads a person to strive towards goals to make the most of life. Although there are hundreds of factors that can be the motivation behind why we do the things we do, I have narrowed down the extensive list that I found during my research to the following four that I want to focus on. 

1. Money/Pay Bills

Often times, people work because they need to. Others work because they want to sustain the type of lifestyle they are currently living in or aspire to attain. These people do not necessarily get a strong sense of joy or fulfillment out of the work that they do. Necessity is not the best motivator. There has to be more to attain the feeling of fulfillment.

2. Self-Improvement

A highly motivated individual continuously pushes themselves to beat their own personal best and be better every single day. They want to be the best possible version of themselves and are willing to go above and beyond what is comfortable to achieve that level of success. Their desire to be better comes from within and recognition - although acknowledgement and appreciation is nice - is not the motivation. It is the need to become better as an individual and to make the most of life.

3. To be the "Super-Star"

Some individuals need rewards, recognition and accolades to assign meaning to the work they do. They have the self-confidence to know what they are capable of yet outward acknowledgement is needed to feel validation.

4. Help Others

Some individuals are truly motivated by selflessly helping people. They gain a high level of satisfaction from solving problems and are sincere and empathetic throughout the process. They pride themselves not just on the relationship building process, but in knowing that they are truly making a difference in the lives of the people that they have helped. 

In order to figure out what motivates me, I looked for some resources in the Mercer County Library System. I happened to find several books that give great advice on how to find motivation in my everyday life and how to keep myself motivated and not get fatigued. The author of You Are a Badass Every Day, Jen Sincero, says you have to strengthen the muscles of courage and sense of purpose by going to the "spiritual gym." Just like the muscles of your body don't stay strong by themselves, we need to regularly work out our spiritual muscles by meditating, making gratitude lists, reading biographies of people who inspire, and writing down goals or what you see yourself aspiring to do or be. These tips will not only help in finding what motivates, but also with continuing to find motivation in daily life.

From Paycheck to Purpose by Ken Coleman outlines a clear path to understanding that doing what you love can definitely develop into a viable career. He addresses practical questions about the cost of getting higher education/certification courses, changing careers, using any connections that may be able to get your foot in the door. For a person who may want to get ahead in career goals, the main motivation should be to focus on learning, not just advancing in your career. Once the learning, knowledge, and skillset progresses, the career path will eventually take off as well.

Another well written book is called Love + Work by Marcus Buckingham. There are stories of many famous individuals who decided to change careers because the paths they were on were not giving them that satisfaction and sense of purpose everyone craves to become the best they can be. These stories are inspiring and made me realize that it is never too late to become better and thrive in life.

Make sure to look at the digital resources for lifelong learning available to you through the library - Lifelong Learning - Mercer County Library System (mcl.org). You may also earn Northstar Digital Literacy Certification through the Lawrence Headquarters Branch’s Technology Instruction curriculum - Technology Instruction - Mercer County Library System (mcl.org)

- by Kaneeze, Hightstown