Inspiration is like a disease, and its symptoms are the words “I don’t feel like it right now.” What can you do when you need a boost of creative inspiration, and it just isn’t coming? Work anyway.
That’s probably not the most inspiring advice you’ve gotten today, but working regardless of how you feel has serious benefits. So read on and enjoy this post about how to jump-start your career and your inspiration.
1. You’ll have something to show. It might suck, but it’s a start
You don’t feel like writing tests today, but do it anyway (this is my business now: writing SAT questions). Sure, it won’t be your best work, but editing is better than having nothing to show for your time.
If I were to read a quote, book, or attend a seminar in hopes of getting motivation, I would be fooling myself. Inspiration, maybe. Motivation, no. There’s a difference between the two, and it does matter.
So let’s see how books can give you inspiration, not motivation – and why the difference matters. I used to use those words interchangeably until I noticed a distinct difference. The most noteworthy differences are these:
Motivation is a purpose. Motivation requires actions
About a decade ago, I bought a train ticket and had $2.12 in my wallet. I had almost nothing, but I traveled 900 miles to ‘go see about a guy.’ It was more than that, though. I wanted a new start to my life, and I didn’t want to wait one more minute. That is motivation. It has a clear motive fueling the actions to support that motive.
If you do need help getting motivated, here’s something better than a book…
Mentors — they care, they push you in the right direction, they remind you of your motives in case you forget, they teach, but they also let go because they believe in you.
Peers — people who are working towards similar goals, empathize with your motives and want you to succeed, and have your back. I met my peers during evening GED® classes. Well, evening classes didn’t work at all for me, so I took the Onsego GED prep course and now, I’m the holder of a GED diploma who’s so proud of her achievement as she passed with college-ready scores!
This past spring, I took the GED course provided by Onsego. The content of the Onsego course is well-structured and includes many online video lessons, practice tests, and quizzes about the covered subject topics. I read a review of this GED program on mycareertools.com, and I really wanted to try it. So, I took the … Read more
Hi, I’m Jenny, and I used Cansego to pass my CAEC exam. I’m sharing my experience because I know firsthand how effective Cansego’s prep classes are. If you’re looking for the easiest way to pass the CAEC, this is it! I was adopted from Korea, and like many adoptees, I had a rough time in … Read more