This article appeared in the Arizona Daily Star 7/28/98 on p.1 section C, “Laying down the laws of motivation”, by Jeff Herring of Knight Ridder Newspapers. It does not have references. However, it is very good in my opinion. So rather than summarize it I present it mostly verbatim.
“Here are the universal laws for motivation: The law of taste – motivation comes from wanting something so bad ‘you can taste it.’ The law of a way – … when you want something this much, you can always find a way. The law of leverage – here are some questions that can give you leverage – If I keep on going the way I am going, what will life be like six months from now? In a year? … In five years? The law of music – surround yourself with music that motivates you. The law of state – being motivated is simply a state of mind and nothing more. Reflect on the times in your life when you were the most motivated. Notice what you were thinking, how you carried yourself, what you focused on, what you spent your time doing. The law of trying – the words used most often by the unmotivated are, ‘Well I tried.’ Do a little experiment with me. Try to pick up the newspaper you are reading. Did you pick it up? You either picked it up or you didn’t. Either one is an outcome, a result. Trying is not an outcome or result, it’s an excuse. The law of doing – dare to do! What’s daring about doing? Everything! Most people just think, wish, dream or talk about doing. It’s the rare person who dares to do. The law of momentum – motivation and momentum follow doing. Once you begin doing, something very interesting happens. Momentum begins to build, and things that up until now seemed insurmountable become the next challenge, that’s when accomplished, builds even more momentum. The law of kick in the pants – we all need a kick in the pants from time to time. The enemies of motivation – laziness, distraction, feeling over-whelmed, etc. – attack each one of us. A swift kick, whether from a friend, a boss, a family member, or best of all, from ourselves, can get us back in the game. The law of desperation – some folks are motivated only by a sense of desperation. While it may work for some people, it doesn’t appear to be a very successful way to live. The law of inspiration – a more empowering source of motivation is inspiration. This is because with inspiration the motivation comes from inside us. Desperation usually comes from an outside source, and becomes a ‘have to’. Inspiration is a choice we make, and is therefore a ‘want to’, or better yet, a ‘get to’. The law of design – have you ever considered what it might be like to design a life? Most of us get so caught up in making a living that we never think about designing a life. So consider the question: ‘What would motivate you more, making a living or designing of life?’ The law of a dream – most people remain unmotivated because they are not pursuing a big enough dream or have no dream at all. If you have a big and compelling enough idea, the motivation will come naturally.”