Motivation Among The Youth

I admit it's not the most original idea to hit the world with, and that naming a song you've written "untitled" or "a song" isn't funny or clever, but admitting to the world you had no idea what you really wanted to say. Today I'm joining those self aware artists and writing a blog post based on motivation. The reason, of which I'm sure you're burning away at the core not knowing, is to try and get motivated myself. I think to combat any motivational flaws, you first need to understand what it is. Is it a highly functioning mental disorder that no drug or counselling can fix? Or just pure slobbery laziness. I'm no way qualified to suggest any answer to that question. But simply to try and self cure my illness, I'm going to suggest its the latter, and to be able to get on with my life, it's best to pull the socks up and work. I have life goals. I have so many life goals and ambitions it often seems silly. But I am pretty sure this goes for 99% of the population as well. The majority of my time I spend thinking, as again hopefully most people do. But my thoughts are mostly on the future, my aspirations career-wise and how I'm going to get there. Along with a few grams of self hatred for not being there already. But thats a different blog. I always try and remember the bigger picture, try to take a few steps back every now and again, as I do really believe why so many people get lost in the various activities that they are trying to complete, is that they are too close in. If you've been working towards something and have hit a dead line, the answer is often not too hard to work out, it can be just so simple that you pass over it as "too easy". Take a step back, look at the bigger picture and remember the simple journey to completion you worked out back when you first started. So this is the time when I through my hands up in guilt, the reason why is to self cleanse of my sins, and do what all alcoholics have to do. I admit that I have a problem. Not with Alcohol. Well, that again is a different blog. But with motivation. I do hear the same cries from quite a few people around my neighbourhood. So many people perhaps the hipster inside of me is quite annoyed I've admitted to hosting the problem. But nevertheless, this is for my own good. I find myself with quite a lot of time on my hands. And I think no matter how busy we tell each other we are, deep down we are left with quite a lot of time alone to dwell on our bad habits. That's not the issue though. I'm not complaining about having too much time on my hands. In fact thats a quality I'd rather cherish while it still lasts. But rather having so much free time, and that I have so many ambitions that are still not complete. Those two things should go hand in hand. The amount of hard working people you hear stating that "if they had the time" that they would achieve so much. So it would be a blatant lie if I were to say that I don't feel guilty being in my situation. It is a big quality I hate about myself, and I am confident that one day it won't be this way, but I have extremely low self-control. I don't give in to peer pressure, and I'm happy to say my peers aren't the type to force bad things unwontedly. But having low self-control doesn't mean you're affected by cocaine, beer and prostitutes, but more subtle things that can also ruin ones life, but often go under the radar. It is astonishing the amount of bio's I see on different social media sites of people, particularly the youth and students, that feature the word procrastination. The reason why I'm so bothered by this, is that it's never written in a bad light. And no matter how you type out your Instagram bio, I don't believe you if you are seriously worried about being an extreme procrastinator if you've mentioned it. In this world of creating the "perfect" image of yourself and surrounded life online, all of the real negative aspects of your personality wouldn't be knowingly allowed anywhere near the surface. Instead we seem to have the trend of having "cute" flaws that really a normal human being shouldn't see as a flaw at all. "Im addicted to netflix" is one of them. Now the chances of that person really meaning that is very slim and I think that is really obvious. I mean, this specific person didn't say "I'm addicted to consuming televised media", they're only addicted to Netflix programmes. Why are they only addicted to Netflix? Where is the Hulu and Amazon Prime addictions? I'm exaggerating this analysis to try and make a point. That person isn't addicted to Netflix, they're subtly trying to tell you they are a normal human being who finds pleasure in watching the same shows as everyone else. Probably not too serious, just a fun loving normal human. And if thats all they have to say in their account to sum themselves up, are probably not winning any interesting personality awards. Back to the original point. Why do people make light of procrastination? And I don't want to aim this on young people either. Yes, there is more media and entertainment now more than ever to consume, and more options of procrastination. I believe quite a large percentage of the population have always struggled with motivation. Look at the ratio of overachievers vs underachievers, there is no big changes there. Now, again there are so many factors that go in to achieving something, I just think motivation is a large one. But just because it's easy now to tell people what you're up to and to let people know you're thoughts, it does't mean that what you're feeling is completely original to you. No matter what you're feeling, the chances are that pretty much everyone before you who were in the same position has felt exactly the same. Procrastination scares me. Youtube, Netflix, online gaming, even music is all a distraction to you main goal. Unless your goal lies within those areas, of course. The internet, as well as a fantastic place that I would be nowhere without, is a constant distraction. Through adverts and links to more media that drag you in by the thumbnail. I can speak from both experience and observation that the internet can be the only reason on why there is a big distance between a person and their ambition. So during this blog I've pointed out the obvious, and it must just sound like one big moan to my own brain. Why am I not successful? Well there are a number of reasons to that, but I do one to be my motivation is stopping me making the progress I deep down want to. Now that we have that sentence down on the table, we can dissect it. With being young, one of the prospects that come with it are more opportunities to listen to many other young people with big dreams. I'm no exception. That is in both respects. I am certain I have bored half a hundred people at least with my goals and plans and how I'm going to get there. But on the flip side have also been a none judgemental ear to cast your thoughts on. This person, exactly like me, struggles with motivation. But unfortunately copes with it, a way which I feel to be incorrect. The reason for this post is that I've been wanting to begin jotting my thoughts and ideas down in to written form for a while, so here I am. I wanted to try and start reading, to get better with reading as I feel that skill has incredibly decreased since leaving school. So I found an old book I bought that looked interesting, and started reading. What I'm trying to say, is that I am trying to get over this. I am trying very hard to step back and remember the big picture, the big goal that I put every second of thought in to. To keep ploughing through the journey, and now harder and faster than ever before. Unfortunately that person I mentioned before, is still blaming the world at why they're not successful yet. It's a hard pill to swallow, but it's better to try and tackle it now, rather than it being unswallowable, If that's a word. What I mean is, identify the problem before it is too late. Stop complaining about your day job and saying it is the reason you're not where you want to be, when you have played 20+ hours of the PS4 this week alone once you get home. Yes, after a hard day of doing something you don't want to do, a rest is utterly needed and deserved. But surely being successful in the career you want is more deserving than a quick PS4 session? This example can be found repeated around the globe, and to the people who really do care and get upset at themselves for not finding the motivation to do it. Then the only way to get over that, is to just do it. I didn't really want to write this blog post, but deep down it is a task mentally I had to do. And to be quite honest, I'm rather enjoying it. Identify the problem within yourself, and then change it. Peace.