Success Triggers by Ramit Sethi – Motivation

Sometimes, I suddenly feel inspired or feel a short burst of motivation to produce a song. If I act when it happens, I can finish anywhere from 80-100% of the song. I haven’t found a better system for producing music when inspiration hits. I just do it when it comes and get as much done as possible. But, these moments are rare. So, I don’t produce as much music as I could if I have some other systematic way to do so.

The last time I tried to produce a song without having a melody in mind or without feeling inspired, I didn’t do anything. I felt bored by the process without even trying. I thought about how long it would take and how I would have trouble finding the right sounds/instruments.

When I think of someone as highly motivated, I think of Steve Pavlina, Ramit Sethi, Marie Forleo, Hyolyn, and more. I feel like they are all passionate about what they do, but they all probably use systems to help them reach their goals. Hyolyn works with a team of people who help her produce her music, create her choreography, style her hair/makeup and more. Marie Forleo has a team of people too who help her produce Marie TV. Ramit Sethi also has a team of people who help him. Steve Pavlina mostly does things on his own, though he has Rachelle, and he gets feedback from his readers. But also, he uses systems that he’s learned from experimentation or learning through personal development products. Whenever he wants to try a new habit, he does a 30-day trial. He commits to doing the same task every day for 30 days, and if he likes how it is, he keeps the habit. He doesn’t break his commitment. I’ve tried 30-day trials before, but always broke them. I guess he adopts the mindset of “I have to stick to this no matter what.” For me, I always think, “It’s okay even if I mess up,” and so it becomes an excuse and I end up failing. I’m not so strict with myself. I feel like he’s more disciplined than me.

In the past, I have been able to find systems to help me do something. For example, I’d go to the grocery store once a week to have food for the rest of the week. Or, I’d sign up for a piano class in the morning so I’d have a reason to get up early. I just have to figure out a way to place a system when I have motivation for creating music so that I can make more music over several days rather than just one or two days.

Anyway, Ramit’s point of motivation is that it doesn’t last and that we shouldn’t rely on it so much to make long-term change. But if we can make systematic changes with that motivation so that we can make long-term change, that will be helpful. For example, hiring a personal trainer when you decide that you want to become fit. Or, purging your fridge and pantry of junk foods and replacing them with healthy foods so that you don’t feel tempted to eat poorly when you feel motivated to eating healthier. You can find creative ways to shape your environment so that even when your motivation fades, you can still continue making those new changes.