Self Motivation: An Acquired Skill

Keeping your head above the water is a task and can be burdensome on the brain and on the body. As a Jamaican, I have learned to tell people "No Problem, man!" or "It's all good!" when sometimes its not. I notice that even on my darkest days, I still report that I'm fine. This has become so engrained in me that it has become a motivational strategy for me. 
On my down days, I'll become frustrated with school and fed-up with one of the myriad of jobs I have. I'll cry, throw my assignments across the room and close my door - in hopes of closing out the world that has upset me so much. However, lately I notice that my recovery rate is increasing. I speak life into myself. A typical conversation on a "down day" with a friend or an acquaintance at school often leaves them feeling motivated as well. By speaking life into myself, I have developed the ability to speak life into others.
"You're so strong, Jodi!" says Marie* to me one day... "That's one of the things I love about you. You are always so happy, you get things done... and always with a smile!" It's not that I'm crazy, or in peppy cheerleader mode; it's because I'm self-motivated.
I remember 10 years ago when I just started teaching; I only went to work out of the love I had for my students which was in addition to the obligation I had to fulfill on their behalf: I had to teach them. I wasn't self-motivated. I was motivated by external factors, which drove me to dig deeper and find out what it was that drove me. There was no one speaking life into me; there were just obstacles everywhere and it made a typical job harder. After being in the classroom for 6 years, and having worked with over 500 students and their parents and the government, I have learned not to depend on external sources for motivation. I developed the ability to lock out negative energy, smile more, be upbeat (even without caffeine!), and think positive thoughts. It becomes a routine; it becomes a habit; it becomes...natural!
It has also become a habit to regularly set new goals. Each semester in school, I face a challenging course with plans to kick its butt (sometimes I only manage to lift my foot without ever being able to kick it, but hey! I came close enough! *Don't judge me!! ), or I go to work with plans to not let anyone ruin my day! While its not a foolproof method of motivating oneself, it works majority of the time for me. 
So, surround yourself with positive thoughts. Yes, there are days you don't want to get out of bed. But think of this: "What keeps you going? What drives you?" After you've had a moment to think of that, get out of bed and start your day... on a positive note.



Jodi-Ann is an Environmental Studies Major in Nova Scotia, Canada.



*Name changed for privacy.
***Disclaimer: I'm not a psychiatrist, nor a professional in this field; I speak from my heart, using personal experiences and anecdotes to accompany my blogs.
**Photos acquired from various external sources. I do not own them.