What keeps you so motivated?

I just received this message from Kaitlyn: How do you have such motivation to do so much in life? Do you have any kids? How do you find the time?

To answer the easy questions. Yes, I have two young children. To find the time? I believe that you need to prioritize the important things in life. I actually spend a lot of time with our young children because they are my priority. Then on my “work days,” I am very diligent about prioritizing the things that need to be done. And I am able to fit work into the days I have my kids. For example, right now they are both napping. Each week I schedule out my time and fit in what is most important.

I laughed out loud when I read this message. Am I really motivated I thought?

Then I realized that I am pretty motivated. Why I am I motivated I wondered?

At a very young age, I had a relative that was very unmotivated. I saw that he was not helping anyone and made many excuses about what he could not do, rather than what he could do. This propelled me into working as hard as I could at whatever I set my mind to. I’d read more books than any of my friends in school. I’d research and write the most complicated report that I could in high school…which my teacher did NOT appreciate and I got a B (side note: it was about socio-economic status impacts on children. I worked for many years and I know this early report and research helped fuel my passion for helping our youngest most vulnerable children and it helped me advocate for them to state legislators. I’m okay with the ‘B’ now English teacher. LOL!). 

When I went off to college I started off in engineering because I knew it would challenge me. It did. Michigan Technological University is one of the top engineering schools in the nation. GM, Ford, Kimberly Clark, Exxon and many other big companies recruit directly from Tech for their employees. I did not become an engineer. I actually went into Scientific and Technical Communications with a concentration in Engineering. Sounds like a pretty fun and exciting degree right? HA!

After I graduated from college I had an amazing job offer to work at one of the nation’s “best places to work” in Texas as a technical writer. It was an awesome honor to be asked. But I turned it down. I found myself living in northern Wisconsin with my new husband unemployed. I was very motivated to find a job. I applied every single day to many jobs. I received more rejection letters than any other person. I knew that I would be so dedicated to any job that would present itself to me. But none came to me. I wanted to give up.

I think it is at these times in life when we want to give up that we have a decision to make. Am I going to “give up” or “go-up?” I knew that I was not a person that gave up. I was going to push myself to “go-up.” This is where my motivation comes from!!!

At age twenty-three I started my first business a marketing firm. The ironic thing is that I had never taken a marketing course in college. Not one. However, I am really, really, really good at teaching myself and seeking out resources to learn from. So that is what I did. I motivated myself to do the best I possibly could for my clients. It worked! I found some amazing clients to work with and felt so blessed to help them market their businesses. I soon was making much more that I would if I would have gone to Texas. I guess it worked out okay.

For me, motivation is taking the next right step. Moving a little bit closer to your next goal. Doing the thing that you keep questioning in your head if you can or can’t do. Deciding that you are not going to “give-up” but instead you are going put all of your energy into “going-up.”

Thanks so much for asking this question, Kaitlyn. I hope this helped. You can do whatever you set your mind up to do.

 Your friend, Allison