I seem to have misplaced motivation...

So you've got an essay to write, or the messiest bedroom to clean, a goal to lose 10kgs, a bunch of chords to learn on the guitar, a stack of paper work to attend to, a book to read, a debt to pay off, or just a million different things on a to-do list...argh! Too much mental energy required, so tedious, uncomfortable, too many decisions, physically draining, so time consuming...as my good friend Sharee would say "too hard basket".

Ok so anytime these kinds of responsibilities/obligations/expectations enter my mind, all of a sudden, checking Facebook is super important! Or it becomes lunchtime all day long (for the sake of the break and for the food). It's way too natural for me to find every reason under the sun for why that task is just impossible. Procrastination, doubt, insecurity, fear of boredom, all of the above.

There's this thing called "motivation"...I've experienced it a couple of times, but I'm convinced it's a master at hiding in places it can never be found. It plays hard to get, and is rarely available when I need it. SO unreliable! So when it doesn’t come to us, most of the time we have to hunt it down.

I’ve come to discover some really good bait for motivation...enough to get me to the point where I can’t put the book down, when a piece of chocolate doesn’t even interest me, and when I’m addicted to ticking off my list. Because after I had lost the first kg, I felt amazing and couldn’t wait to see what I’d look like after I’d lost the next one...after I’d written the first 500 words of my essay, I was in the zone and ready to write 500 more...once I had paid of one debt, I was ready to ban myself from shopping so I’s save the money to pay the next one...after I conquered the first thing, I wanted to do it again...it’s as if the thrill of the achievement stirs excitement to attack the next challenge.

Sometimes it’s a matter of just finding the easiest or smallest things on our to-do list and make them happen first. Ticking them off the list is SUCH a great feeling and we’ll most often find the motivation to attempt the other things. We can set little achievable goals...don’t think about the 10kg, just think about 1kg...stop thinking about the 3000 word limit and just attack the first paragraph...don’t worry about the fact that you can’t see your bedroom floor, just put 5 items of clothing away.

Just start somewhere. Then once you’ve done something, stop and look at your progress. Recognising your achievement is the key to momentum. We like to be productive. A healthy sense of pride in success initiates the energy and confidence to be even more successful. And one day you'll look back, the hard work will be over and your goal will be COMPLETE! Yeeeah!

I’d be living a fantasy to think that a spoon full of sugar will make the medicine go down every time, or that the application of a seemingly simple solution will solve every challenge we face...but I do believe we can decide on our approach to a lot of our challenges in life, and we can set ourselves up to THRIVE! Motivation actually isn’t as far away as you think...I’m pretty sure it’s just standing right behind you.

Note to Self...

So I decided to start a blog...

Writing could be fun. I really have an over-active imagination & so often feel super creatively stirred use it. I find this hard to admit after just finishing years and years of tedious study, and after complaining way too much of having too many essays to write...but I actually really do love writing. I'm actually slightly concerned about the potential for me to get addicted to it. I reckon I might just be excited about this.

I also know that God has been speaking to me SO much over the last few years and has help me understand some pretty amazing things...principles, ideas, perspectives and insights that have literally changed my life...made life so much easier, but SO much more fun too. I know they've had to be God initiated thoughts, cos they're seriously way too incredible for me to have made them up myself. And I feel almost as if it's unfair to keep these life changing thoughts to myself...I get excited by the idea of sharing them with others.

I'm SO passionate about TRUTH and living according to God's design for us...there are just WAY too many lies been thrown at us every single day...we get caught up in mind-sets, perspectives, lifestyles, habits and beliefs that are just so misguided. Like advertising tells me that I NEED a new wardrobe of clothes every season...but do I really? Is there a hole in my cupboard that consumed all my clothes from the last season? Do I really have nothing to wear? Ok I definitely LOVE fashion and get a fairly big thrill out of buying and wearing a new outfit, so I haven't really implemented this new thinking very successfully...but there are so many things we think and do that are just not logical because we haven't stopped to really think about it.

I'm a big fan of breakthrough...the idea that we could discover the lies in our minds that stop us from living in freedom, but only steal our joy...it's the BEST feeling when the light bulb goes on in our minds when we realise that God created joy, freedom, fun and cake, and that we're allowed to experience success, excitement, adventure, confidence, fulfillment and SO many other cool things. In fact He insists we do. Let's embrace it yeah?!!

I've come to realise that God takes us on a journey so we can discover all this truth...oh my goodness what a roller coaster! So far mine has been painful but so exciting at the same time, and I have learnt SO much! Yieeew! And I've only got so much more to learn.

I actually don't mind if I never gain any followers for this blog...cos I kinda feel like writing all this down helps me discover even more truth...revelation just seems to get deeper and deeper every time I think about these things...or talk or write about them. I LOVE it! I used to write in a Word document I called "note to self" so I'd remember these valuable insights...but now it shall be a blog.

And if you are someone reading this blog...I do not take it for granted that I may have the opportunity to encourage, challenge or teach you something. I really pray that you are stirred...that you might find hope you've been looking for...that you are inspired to search for God's purpose for your life and live confidently in it...or that maybe you're just entertained and have some fun with me. I really like laughing.