I’ve been doing a lot of reading on the subject of motivation lately. Mostly what I’ve found is that people are motivated by the desire to impress. We do silly things like go on starvation diets so we can fit into dresses and look good for our lovers. The desire to impress doesn’t stop at fitness or physical appearance. We’re motivated to work hard so we can keep our boss’s happy, make money and pay for things that will make others think we’re cool. Essentially we’re motivated by the need to “win” approval.

While the above seems a bit shallow to me, I am no different. I tell myself that I don’t care what others think, but I do. Life would be so much easier if I could ignore the need to be better than I am and just lay around all day drinking wine and eating cheese. Who cares if I get so big that the fire department would have to cut me out of my house when I die? There are so many interesting things I could do with my day if I didn’t have slave to impress “The Jones’s.”

It must have started earlier, but the first substantial effort I remember making to impress started with riding my bike. It started on a dare; my friend Michelle dared me to ride a century bike ride with her. I did it but not because I wanted to but because I didn’t want her to get the better of me. I wanted to “keep up.” Then came bike racing, if you think I ever wanted to race my bike you’re insane. Racing hurts like hell both emotionally and physically. But I started racing and continued to race for years because I wanted to impress and then I couldn’t stop because I’d then let the hordes of people down that I had worked so hard to impress. The circle is viscous and exhausting.

Anyway, the question posed is what motivates you? Right or wrong we all have our motives and hopefully they keep us from becoming big fat lazy, boring people. Over the years I’ve relaxed my desire to impress, in fact I often take the completely opposite route just to test people, or maybe it’s to shock them into being impressed? I’m not sure. The bottom line is, figure out what motivates you to take action and work it.

Motivate yourself and impress someone.