I do not know about you, but I invariably start my day with a hot cup of ambition. I refer to it as ambition because it motivates me, wakes me up, my mind becomes lucid, and puts me in the moment. This is part one of how we can be self-motivating and not so dependent on others or other things such as the aforementioned.

It is always best to start with the most difficult first and that is our fears. Psychologists have indicated that the most debilitating to our emotional wellbeing are our personal fears and uncertainties. Unfortunately, most people put a band-aid on their fears, but this is only ephemeral or short-lived. We must be courageous enough to identify it by putting our finger on the “real” personal challenge, and if you will note, I refer to them as challenges and not problems, because challenges can always be overcome so that we can move forward professionally and otherwise.

​Did you know that your surroundings have an impact on how you think and feel? Studies have shown that this is unequivocally true, it is called psychogeography. How do you feel when you venture into nature? It is not coincidental that city planners require a public urban park for a specific number of populations. Also, let me ask, would you prefer to climb a stairway that spirals or one that rigidly goes straight up? If we want motivation to become a habit, we need to consider our surroundings at our place of work or at home.

Shapes, configurations, and the contours of our surroundings have a psychological and visceral impact on all of us whether we want to admit it or not.

​A famous American statesman and author once said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail,” Benjamin Franklyn. The word carries the idea, to make ready, to accomplish a desired purpose or finale  

I find it interesting that humans are the only creatures that do not ingest food as it appears entirely in nature we prepare our food, by chopping, cutting, dicing, and not to mention preparing a clean surface beforehand. 

No matter what we do professionally or otherwise, when we prepare, we are setting ourselves up for success of which it lends itself to making motivation a habit. It is a matter of planning, for instance, the post that you are reading was reduced to writing a few days before, allowing me time to wonder and ponder about expressing myself succinctly.

​What is it that inspires you? The definition of inspiration is anything that you find mentally stimulating, anything that has a positive influence in what you say or do. From a personal standpoint, I find reading exciting, especially, when it teaches me a principle I can put into practice right away, and if you have not notice, I also enjoy writing of which it tends to get my creative juices going. For many it is music, viewing or listening to a program that provokes the inner world of thought, or a stroll around the neighborhood. But whatever you do, surround yourself with what you find stimulating and motivation will become a habit.

​If I were to ask you to describe your place of work or where you spend most of your time, what would you say? If you allow me to share with you, I spend most of my time in my home office which is always clean, with plenty of natural lighting and surrounded with earth tone colors. It also contains all the accouterments necessary to accomplish my business. However, since we do not live in a perfect world, issues with my computer or internet, not to mention other distractions, occur from time to time. Therefore, to make motivation a habit, we need to minimize or avoid anything that can impede or deter our productivity.

The rule of thumb that I try to follow is, if my issue is going to take more than ten minutes, suggesting I may not have the expertise, I get someone that is more qualified to take care of the matter. Otherwise, I would be allowing exasperation to diminish my self-motivation.