The day almost got away from me, until I found some notes from a draft about some intrinsic gifts inside all of us. The notes were inspired by Rian Doris' YouTube video How to force your brain to crave doing hard things. Then, I dug down deep to find these intrinsic gifts---these "interior motivators", and I started typing away about them.
In the craziness of the holiday season when marketers are doing all they can to motivate us to buy gifts, I wanted to talk about some gifts of true value. Imagine, if you will, five treasures—each a radiant and rare gem too valuable to be placed in any store or on any website.
These are no ordinary commodities, but they are available to anyone willing to dive deep into the depths of their own mind and rise back up to the surface of reality with them. They cannot be bought, nor sold, nor traded. Yet, they are available to all, waiting only to be discovered and cherished. They have been called the five interior motivators, but they are treasures of the heart and mind, given to us as precious heirlooms from generations of human struggle and perseverance. They are:
Curiosity
Mastery
Autoleticity
Purpose
Autonomy
Here I will explore what each interior motivator is about, and offer a little tip on how to find each one within your own mind and heart.
1. Curiosity – The Key to Wonder
Curiosity is the key that unlocks the world of truth. It could be defined as an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and mastery in your area of passion. You may have an initial interest in something, but Curiosity keeps the spark alive, driving you to learn, explore, and grow even after the workday ends.
Curiosity invites us to wander beyond the borders of what we know, to seek and uncover truths hidden beneath the veil of the ordinary. With Curiosity, no day is dull, no task is mundane, since every corner of life becomes like an unexplored continent. When you hold this key, the workday doesn’t merely end—it transforms into a voyage where the pursuit of mastery knows no clock.
If you're interested in acquiring the key of Curiosity, it's free of cost. However, it takes a little digging to find at first. On drab days, the main struggle is getting started. Luckily, the search for the key of Curiosity requires but little effort to begin. It starts with humility. Before we begin our quest to learn things, we have to be humble enough to admit that there is still a great deal we don't know. For the humble person, this is exciting! It means there is still so much more to discover.
So, my tip for finding that key of Curiosity is to just be humble.
Get started today! Curiosity is free of cost.
2. Mastery – The Artisan’s Compass
Mastery, like a finely tuned compass, points unerringly toward excellence. It whispers, "What more can you create? How can you refine this creation further?" It's the inner voice that drives an artist to add another stroke, a writer to perfect another sentence, a philosopher to ponder a question just a little longer. Mastery turns work into craft, and craft into art that leads to another person's profound inspiration. This desire for mastery allows us to pursue our passion not for applause but for the sheer joy of improvement.
To get in touch with this interior motivator, think of some masters of the skill you wish to acquire, then learn a little more about their work. As a writer, I simply pick up some of my favorite books or look up some inspiring quotes from my favorite authors. I am then reminded of the wisdom and uniqueness that made them great, and it gives me ideas on how to hone my own voice into one that's more authentic.
So, to ignite that desire of mastery within yourself, study the masters of your craft.
Today's price for Mastery: free!
3. Autotelicity – The Purest Joy
With Autotelicity, the work you do becomes its own reward. The love of doing, and finding pleasure in the process, is not only an interior motivator but one of the secrets to getting through a hard day. Time becomes a fleeting thing in its presence; hours slip by unnoticed, as you immerse yourself in projects that inspire and energize you. Autotelicity makes toil feel like play and turns obligation into inspiration. With the Autotelicity interior motivator, the hours fly by as you work on projects that deeply inspire you. It has been said that love is the most powerful thing in the universe. That makes sense, since it is sheer love for your work that makes Autotelicity so powerful.
My tip: Dust off an old creative project you haven't touched in a while. Try to remember what inspired you to start it. You don't need some grand plan to finish it. Embrace the doing part. A funny thing happens when you just keep doing the thing you love: It turns into a beautiful finished product almost inadvertently.
You can get your dose of Autotelicity today at the convenient price of $0.
4. Purpose – The North Star of Meaning
Believing that the work you're doing contributes to something bigger is the essence of this interior motivator. Human beings are communal. We exist in community, and we intrinsically want to be part of something greater than ourselves, something that can improve the human condition for all.
This innate desire is often suppressed in us today, as we are expected to pursue personal goals and vain ambitions. These, however, are not our Purpose. Personal goals and vain ambitions can run dry, because they are not connected to the font of selfless love that springs eternal.
Without Purpose, our lives become like ships adrift at sea. With Purpose though, we can weigh all the hazards of the sea and still embark because our Purpose considers it worth the risk.
Purpose is the North Star that steadies the heart, that makes labor worthwhile and effort profound. To know that your work contributes to something greater—to a cause, a community, a vision—is to imbue every task with a sense of divine significance. With Purpose, even the smallest of actions can echo with eternity. Since it is a belief that your work contributes to something greater than yourself, Purpose gives your efforts meaning, connecting them to a broader impact.
I find that a good way to reconnect with my Purpose is by praying. God reminds me who I am and why he created me when I reach out to him. The best thing about prayer is that it's always free. Well, maybe that's not the best thing about it, but I wanted to continue with my theme here:
Check out now,
Offer up a prayer.
In your cart: Your purpose.
Your price: Nothing!
5. Autonomy – The Wings of Freedom
Autonomy grants you the grace to decide when, how, and where to shape your days. Especially with creative projects, a person has to be free of the constraints of a strict schedule and workplace in order to thrive. True, it does help to have some structure to your day, and we can go overboard with too much autonomy, but this interior motivator strikes a healthy balance when used properly.
With healthy autonomy, work becomes not a chore but a canvas. It is the freedom to align your efforts with your nature, to flourish in your own unique rhythm. Autonomy is not freedom from work, but freedom to work whenever, however, and wherever works for you.
With this interior motivator, you'll be empowered to shape your work environment, aligning it with your personal rhythms and preferences. As a tip, I suggest changing up where you work for just a day or so, for starters. If you work in your home office, just go to a local restaurant or cafe for a change. Or, if you typically do most of your work in the morning, try doing it in the evening instead. Even a slight change in your environment or schedule can do wonders on the mind.
Bonus tip for Autonomy: If you're working on a loose schedule, take advantage of the moments when you're thinking clearly, even if you just jot down a few words. Those few words might be the jumpstart you need to get going on a day when you're not thinking as clearly. A good clear thought could be the start of a whole article, even if you just wrote it down in a hurry while rushing out the door, or with your eyes struggling to stay open as you fall asleep.
Cost for Autonomy: None, but it does require a bit of courage.
They're All Priceless
All of the most precious things in life tend to be free. These treasures hiding within every heart and mind are no different. They reside not in distant lands or posh boutiques, but within each of us—available the moment we choose to embrace them.
Seek them, nurture them, and let them guide you. These motivators are the gifts that transform mere work into a calling, and a life of obligation into one of inspiration. In their presence, every day holds the promise of wonder, growth, and joy. And that, dear reader, is worth more than any product you will find on the internet today, or anywhere else ever.
This content was written with the help of Chat GPT. AI is not The One Ring. It was created by us, not some dark lord. As such, we can wield it to do good.
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