Inspiration, a communal experience
February 20, 2008 | by Zach | Permalink
Last night I got home from work at about 8:00 with every intention of going to the gym. But, after making dinner, clearing a multiday dish pile up, starting laundry and packing for a work trip I found my ambition fading. When I finally sat down to relax I caught the second half of the movie “Invincible”. It’s a cheese ball sports movie with all the customary elements; an underdog story, the term “heart” used like it’s going out of style and a miraculous come from behind win validating the main character and the struggle they’ve endured. Regardless of these facts, all apparent to me at the time, I found myself throwing on my workout clothes and leaving for the gym at 11:00.
My point is that inspiration is a funny thing. The biochemically driven, hormonal jump start that get’s us off our… rear and enables us to accomplish something is a powerful tool. While my story is a silly and trivial example of this it speaks to a bigger concept.
For most of us accomplishing our goals is simply an issue of motivation. It’s not often a question of skill (innate or practiced) or even opportunity. The real issue is that anything worth having takes work. This can mean a lot of time and sacrifice before you get any real satisfaction. I’ll venture to guess that most of us have set out to try something with a genuine inspiration that ensured our success. However, as that initial jolt of motivation faded so did our efforts. So how can we avoid the pitfalls of time induced apathy?
While I won’t pretend to know the answer I do have a theory. Long term success and realization of goals is heavily dependent on environment. Most of the people we interviewed on our trip had been involved with some individual, organization or community that held them accountable to what they wanted and fostered their ambitions when personal motivation died down. It’s the idea that not only should you love what you do but make sure you’re doing what you love. Everybody’s excitement has peaks and valleys, no matter how sincere. If you aren’t around people who remind you why you are working so hard, quitting becomes a far more attractive option.
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