Sunday, May 1, 2011

Motivation

Or should I say lack of motivation.

Lately I've been really unmotivated when it comes to certain things. When I was in New Zealand, I did a lot of outdoor activities which made me realize how absent exercise has been in my Aussie life. Newcastle has a wonderful gym down the street which I can get a free week membership at. I've been thinking about doing a half marathon this fall. Yet I've been completely unmotivated to work out or run. Every morning I plan to wake up early, I just end up hitting the snooze button ten times. I am just having a hard time starting.

Also with Uni work, I've been procrastinating till the last moment. Prime example, I have a 2,000 word paper due tomorrow and yet I'm writing this post about motivation. {Irony, yes.} It's really hard to push myself to do work because all my classes in Australia are pass/fail. So as long as I get above a 50%, the class credit will transfer back to South Carolina.

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Reflecting on the sad state of my affairs makes me think of a saying my dad has told me since I was little. In his office, he has a card that reads 'DIN DIP' which stands for 'Do It Now; Do It Properly.' This has always served as an inspiration to me when I just can't get over that hump of actually starting something. It really does sum up what I need to accomplish and how. Thank you Dad for that one! Dad got the DIN DIP phrase from Austrailian pro golfer Greg Norman. Go Aussie!

Even at church, motivation has been a key theme. Tonight at UniChurch, sermon started off with this question: What motivates you in your Christian faith? This is kind of a deep question. Most times I go to church not really looking to grow in my relationship with God, but more to grow as a person. I want to use the Gospel to better just myself. Although that's not a bad thing, I need to look beyond just me.

The Scripture verses included 1 Corinthians 15:58 which reads "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." The preacher hammered home the fact that being a Christian isn't easy. Labor is an uncomfortable word because we associate it with fatigue and exhaustion. Completely sacrificing your life to God is a hard thing and if you don't have the motivation, you will most likely fail.

Knowing that I have God on my side makes me realize that I can accomplish everything that I put my mind to. . . even this International Relations paper on the dropping of the atomic bomb. {Zzzz} Oh well DIN DIP. **Update: God truly is amazing. I just looked at my email and our teacher gave us a two day extension on our paper!**

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Where does your motivation come from? Do you have an mantras that keep you motivated?

Cheers for now,
Kim

This verse from Chapter 16 really stuck with me and I wanted to share it with you.
"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do EVERYTHING in love."
{1 Cor. 16:13-14}

3 comments:

Abby said...

I totally understand about not having motivation. That snooze button is so tempting. And it is so easy to buildup all the things you plan to do in your head but then when push comes to shove you don't feel like making the effort to do them. It certainly is a challenge!

Its Official said...

I love DIN DIP -- I've never heard that before, its so true and real I love it!! Great advice.

Alexandra Bee Blog said...

I second your lack of motivation, ha! I have barely worked out this semester, which is odd because I usually work out 4-5 days a week. I've just been so busy that when I do have some spare time I want to use it to relax! I wouldn't beat yourself up though, now is the time to see new things!