Oh, sweet, I get to bust out a bunch of the crazy shit I learn at my job.
If I read the thread correctly (I wasn't motivated to pay full attention) then you have an issue with finishing projects that you start. You get an idea, start working towards a goal, and then think "Woah, this feels like work" and stop. If I'm wrong, correct me later. But that's what I'll use for now.
First, I'd like to say that you can't draw a line between motivation and not following through with something you put your mind to. That's because you had something
driving you towards starting something, and then once you started you had something
driving you towards stopping it. That driving power was essentially the same in both instances, except that it just ran against your intentions. I say it's the same because that driving power is emotion.
Y'see, this is something I've been thinking about for a while. Emotions are fuel for us doing things. If you feel absolutely nothing towards cleaning yourself and making yourself look presentable, then you will not pay attention to your appearance. If you feel anxiety over how others think of you, then you will have motivation to look good. And if you feel anger towards your peers, then you will have motivation to make yourself look bad or not fit in. The stronger the emotion, the stronger the drive to get something done. And, likewise, the harder you will work.
So in your case, it's obvious that you have an emotion driving you to create some creative projects or whatever. That's great! But once you start it, you suddenly go against your intent and sabatoge your efforts. From the way you described it, it sounds as though you have some emotions that are actually motivating you to not complete things once you start them. Chances are that you don't even fully realize what these are, or where these emotions come into play. But if you just analyze your habits, look at your actions, you'll be able to see the actions that took you out, and then you can begin wondering as to what the emotions that motivated those actions were.
So, my advice to you is to not try to see what others do to keep themselves in the game. But rather see what you do to take yourself out of the game. Trying to apply other people's tricks and trades to staying motivated will just get you to tread water. You won't be motivated to finish what you're doing, you'll be motivated to try out what works for them. If that motivation to try out something new overpowers your motivation to not follow through, then you will succeed in attaining a goal. Maybe you'll change, maybe not. I would assume that any changes you undergo in applying other people's methods will be purely superficial, as your underlying cause of not following through will remain exactly where it is and it will not be affected. <p>
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