20 Oct Motivation

This guest blog entry is by Jerry Brown PsyD, LMFT.

Please note that the opinions presented in the article are that of the author and not necessarily the opinions of RHN. RHN chooses to publish articles and share individual sites to evoke discussion and show all options, ideas and beliefs.

Life is not the station down the track where you are going, it’s the train your on.  People who are at the end of their lives spend a lot of time on spirituality.  It’s probably because they are cramming for finals.  People who are young think they have their whole life ahead of them.  They don’t realize our lives are made from the series of days, weeks, months and years  we spend doing the same things: Going to school, but continuing to learn after we graduate; Loving and continuing to learn to love and be loved and—- SETTING GOALS.  Although much more complicated than this, depression is the absence of goals.

A number of years ago, I set a goal with some bike riders to do a 100 mile charity bike ride for MS.  It got me off the couch, riding, losing 40 lbs of couch fat, and finishing the ride.  I kept going, and 26,000+ miles later I understood the scenes in Forest Gump when he began to run for no apparent reason.  How did I do it?  I didn’t do it because I am an outstanding athlete—I am not, (and sometimes I come in last).    I didn’t do it because I am young—I am 67.   I did it by setting a series of goals and completing them, always looking for the next goal.

I am not a rocket scientist, but I am persistent.  It is motivation and persistence, and not talent that drive us forward. If your on the right track and you don’t get moving, the train will still run over you.   Books have been written in the past and are still being written that help us understand it is motivation and persistence that make people successful, not talent, wealth, or excellent grades. (Write to me and I will list the books).  In 45 years in the counseling field, I have never had a patient ask me what grade I got in a specific class or my overall GPA in college or graduate schools. Lucky thing, I might not be as successful at this thing.

Motivation is lost if not directed toward something.  People with OCD are motivated, but get caught up in endless repetitive tasks which are like running around in circles with your foot nailed to the floor.  If you want to drive a person with OCD crazy, stand in front of them and fold a map wrong.

Set Goals!!   When you complete them, set another one.