Question: "What Motivates You?"

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Discussions in other threads got me to thinking ...

Uh-oh! Fnord's thinking again!

... about what motivates different people to fail, to succeed, or to just get through the day. For example, what motivates me is the visceral urge to prove my childhood bullies and detractors wrong.  Even though most of them have passed away, I still feel the need to keep going, to do my best, and to "take the prize" (whatever it may be) just so they have no reason to ever again tell me that I'm only a loser who would never make it on his own, who would never have friends, and who would never enjoy life above the poverty level.

(Sometimes I also feel the urge to go and p*** on their graves, but that's another story.)

So what motivates you?



(Please try to keep your replies on a positive note. If you want to complain and be miserable, then please start your own thread. Thank you.)

There are a few different motivations that lead me different ways.

My internal life motivates my external life. I'm generally powered from within.
Curiosity is a very strong drive. I want to be right. I want to be wise. I want to live up to what I believe - and I want to know what I believe.
A simple "If I don't do it, it won't be done and I need it done" kind of responsibility is another drive, esp. to do chores.
I'm also extremely motivated by knowing someone needs my help - provided I really can do something to make a difference. At the moment, my children are consuming the majority of my power by this drive.

At the moment? To move. Just, move.

I've literally have no underlying reason to, nor had any real goal set in mind. Except to do, or to be.

What motivates me is that I want my own place for privacy. I also want to improve my self cause I just enjoy self-improvement! My friend motivates me to be the best person I can be. So my motivation is privacy, self-improvement, and my best friend.

By the way Fnord, your reasons for motivation sound VERY similar to Marknis motivation. Odd that you two haven't become friends and used the motivation to help each other...

A large part of my depression is feeling like I'm nothing but a burden to others, so a large part of my motivation to move toward independence comes from not wanting to be a burden anymore. I also am motivated by a desire to prove at least to myself that I'm not just a worthless layabout who doesn't give a pair of fetid dingo's kidneys about anything other than whatever her current obsession is, like I grew up being told I was because I couldn't meet NT standards.

Pure stubbornness motivates me, always has. Sometimes well past the point where it would have been wiser to just quit.

I have virtually no motivation to accomplish any long-term goals anymore. Just trying to live like most other people my age is an insanely difficult accomplishment enough.

I guess for me it was overhearing basically what a vegetable I would be and taking that as a challenge to become as capable as possible instead of letting my circumstances dictate my life. That initial drive continues to motivate me.

Trains, model trains, the next exciting car journey, bicycles and God.

$$$ used to motivate me

Now nothing seems to motivate me

Everything is like, cost benefit analysis

The energy required to do something is often more for me, than lil dipshit extroverts

The result is not guaranteed

If you fail , you are sometimes worse off than when you started



f**k mister redelings

When I was younger the desire to get away from my parents was a huge motivator.

Nowadays what motivates me is the prospect that there may be better days ahead. To live for my loved ones. Live to create (I am an artist).

Of course there's the usual motivators, money, dinner, to fulfill the more visceral needs

I used to get my news from reddit...Every day I'd check the app on my phone and the daily barrage of headline after headline of the most depressing, terrible and infuriating news wreaked havoc on my mood.

I want to be able to look back on that and be glad we survived and overcame it.