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As you know, I like to share shit with you guys, and enjoy hearing your stories, so please post as well.

Since high school, I've had a severe lack of motivation, and when I would get motivated I would never pursue it. Some of you may think "Why not just do it?" but it's not that simple. I would have a constant battle in my head, debating whether to do it or not. It sounds like a bad case of laziness I know, but when I finally got around to motivating myself I wouldn't have a problem doing the task.

I fell into endless loop of doing nothing which has lasted for 4 years, and I still feel this way today.

I scheduled my first appointment with a psychiatrist to hopefully get better. In the meantime I keep myself motivated by having a job, and I have an interview for a second job this Monday. I am preparing to take the ACT again but I have to basically remember my whole education from high school, and try to perfect the ACT (aiming for a score of 33.) I have to get this done by November if I want to continue college this spring. I have taken up two productive but unnecessary hobbies, and that is to learn how to play the guitar, and speak fluent French. I've gotten much further with French though, and I'm planning to take 4+ years worth of it at Uni.

I felt like sharing this to help motivate myself even more, by telling you guys my expectations, not like most of you will know if I ever succeed or not, I feel now that I have to prove myself.

I'm sure some of you have come across the same issue as me, so how did you end up "fixing" it or do you still have that issue and if so, please talk about it.


tl;dr - I lack motivation but I'm doing better. Open to a relative discussion.

My life, especially in the last year and a half, has seen me go through some pretty rough times and I found myself having to overcome some tough obstacles. I'll share my story and, hopefully, you'll learn from the mistakes I have made along the way. If nothing else, I hope you can find some new perspective from it.

High school to me was always easy. I've always been pretty smart, for most subject I was in the top 15% of my year and top of the class in my prime subjects. So in my high school years I didn't try too much, but breezed through pretty easily. When it was all said and done I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and just started working for the hell of it.

I started working at the sawmill which is, without a doubt, one of the most disgusting environments I've ever been in. The labour at times is incredibly excruciating, the workers are at the bottom of the social-economic scale and really do reflect the stereotype. It's a rough, painful job with very little perks. I worked there full time for close to a year before I decided what I wanted to do in life: I thought I'd study IT and work as a Technician.

For the next 2 & 1/2 years I studied full time at Tafe (an Australian institute which runs practical-based trade courses) while still working part time at the mill. I needed money so I could hardly abandon my job, despite how much I loathed it. But my motivation was to make something of myself and leave that place for good. The problem for me was that Tafe was just too easy. I completed my Diploma in Systems Administration without any real challenge, I got distinctions in just about everything without any real application or effort. It was high school all over again. I didn't try, I wasn't all to passionate and I just completed it because I didn't have anything better to do.

6 months after finishing Tafe I got my big break; I got offered a job as an IT Technician for a company in Canberra, which was about 3 hours from where I lived. I moved to Canberra by myself and for the first few months was really enjoying life. I learned some new skills, I had leaderships responsibilities, I had independence from moving out of home. Soon my isolation and hatred for the co-operate world changed my outlook though. I became depressed, which lead to alcoholism. I was drinking every day of the week, no for pleasure but simply to numb myself. I hated my life and alcohol let me masque my self hatred as cynicism instead. Soon, I had a pretty bad mental breakdown and just fell off the rails completely. I despised the corrupt nature of the corporate world, I had no friends and my life revolved around a job I was no longer passionate about. Everything I worked towards came crushing down on me, forcing me to lay down as it's weight slowly crushed me.

I quit my job, moved back to my parents house and went back to the sawmill. This was the moment where I gave up. I told myself I would never work there again, but there I was. The place was exactly the same and I almost felt like all the positive change I had been working towards had vanished. At that moment in time I thought my life was over, that I'd be another lost soul in these vast open bushlands.

My inspiration ended up coming from what I believe to be one of the most important things in life; family. Being in Canberra for so long I never saw them much, so I hadn't had any meaningful conversations with them in a long time. I expressed exactly how I felt; my crushed dreams and doubts, and explained to them that I never want to work in a corporate environment again. I didn't want to spend the next 40 years working tirelessly just to make a bunch of CEO's rich, it was my biggest fear. My father, who was once proud of me, told me I was a failure. This hurt more than the isolation, the self hatred and the self doubt put together.

My mother told me that I was wasting my life and that if I really wanted to get out of this rut than I had to find motivation & dream and do whatever it takes to achieve it. I thought long and hard about what makes me happy, what I desire out of life and what I could look back on in 40 years and be proud of. I thought back to all my failures, the lack of support I had been given along the way, and knew exactly what I want to do in life. My dream is to inspire others to not make the same mistakes I did, to give support and guidance to those who needed it most. My dream is to be a teacher; to be the sort of teacher that I needed all along.

At this current point in time I have been accepted into the University of Western Sydney and will begin my bachelor in March of next year (I got guaranteed early acceptance due to my Tafe studies and get 1 year off the course, so those studies really did come in handy after all). In 3 & 1/2 years I will complete my Masters in Teaching, specialising in teaching both IT and English (which really should be called literature for all intents and purposes). I will be moving out of home again too live on campus, as the university is a bit of a travel from me. I know I won't make the same mistakes as I did with my other studies, though. I am passionate to become the best teacher that I can possibly be, to inspire others and guide them along in their path of life, to nurture their potential and stretch the limits of their imagination and knowledge. My two fields of passion are IT and literature and the prospect of helping people better understand these areas fills me with excitement. I know that this time I won't simply be studying because I have to, I know I won't simply be studying for a lack of better options. No, this time I will be studying because I want to. I've seen the depths of evil and despair that my soul contains, I've been to some dark places that I can't even begin to describe. I will never let myself return to that place, I will do everything physically possible to strive towards my dream. Most of all, though, I will do everything I can to stop someone else from making the same mistakes I did... to help them chase their dreams... to stop them from giving up on their life like I did.

I'm sorry for the awfully long post, I can't really bare to read over it so it may be a bit raw as well. It's not often that I post something this personal, it's not something I like talking about to others. I don't know if this is much help, sadly I fear it's not. Gaige, you can't let yourself keep slipping buddy. You have to pull yourself out of the slums and really think about what you want out of life. We only get one shot at life and if we waste it than there's no second chance. No matter how hard it may seem, no matter how scary it may be, you have to find and chase your dream. I know failure can be scary and it looms in the back of all our minds. But the cold grasp of regret... it will send shivers through your chest and leave a gaping hole in your heart as it struggles to find it's final beat. The beckoning wails of regret.. it's a sound much more terrifying than failure will ever be.

This last paragraph is what will stick with me for forever now. Very well written, and you've inspired at least me already just with this post.

Sir, my hat is off to you.

To answer Gaige:
Yes, I often want to do something with my life and get started really living. I make plans, I come up with ideas, friends get involved and we brainstorm, yet we just can't find the motivation to start it. We're too complacent just living our lives with our minimum wage jobs and not really going anywhere.

Twilliger said it better than I ever possibly could.

Gaige and Curve
Just tell me... What are your priorities and what do you value?

@

Beautiful....and the advice has been heeded. Also, good luck with your goals as well. Thank you for sharing all of that, it takes a lot to do that.



My priority is my son, and I value life.

I agree!

Btw: Let's say when you've found motivation.. It’s important to make sure someone is there to
keep you going to make that motivation a habit. "Your son"

I just ignore what is holding me back and do what I need to do.
Sometimes it's tough to just keep chugging on, but like MrTwilliger said - Regret is a thing you don't want in your life.

My priorities in life are to have fun and enjoy my time on this planet. I value my life and the lives of the people I surround myself with.

Reading this made me think about my life.

None of you probably know me, since I'm not a big poster here. This post will probably not be enjoyable to read. Im not good at expressing my thoughts on paper, so I will most likely be very incoherent. I just felt the need to write it down, I can't explain why.

Honestly I don't know where to start, or even what I want to write down.
I don't really have anything that interests me. I finished school without really doing anything, since I didn't care at all. Well, yea... I had to repeat 2 years, but like I said, I don't care. After finishing that I basically stopped doing everything. I've played the piano since I was 8 or so, but I just stopped. What DO i do nowadays? I sleep, a lot. I often sleep up to 16 hours a day. And I lurk on the internet, playing the occasional LoL game, mmo, or whatever.

I guess what it all comes down to is my lack of interest. If someone were to ask me what I enjoy doing, I couldn't come up with anything. I've been in and out of therapy for about 8 years now I think, and it hasn't gone anywhere. I always get tired of going, and just... fake being better I guess. And I get away with it. I hate dealing with people, so I don't. Then why am I posting this? I don't know you. You're not actual beings to me. While this may seem weird, its true. Because I can't physically see you, you have no emotions for me. Is this relevant? I don't know. Currently I'm writing down my thoughts hoping to find some insight in myself. So far it's making no sense and I'm sure it's confusing as hell to read so good job getting this far.

I hate contact with people. They're unpredictable and it makes me uncomfortable. Once again, I get away with not seeing anyone except for my parents who provide me with food. I guess it's selfish, but I can't care about it even if I try. I guess emptiness is the best way to describe me. My parents have been away for 2 weeks on vacation, making me have to take care of myself and man is it exhausting. Yes, that's what they are to me, they provide food, wash my clothes, etc. I wish there were machines for that. I don't mean like a dishwasher, I mean like a home which would just do everything from cooking to washing. That way I wouldn't have to do anything. I just don't have the energy to do it, and humans are too complicated. I just exist till this body gives up, which hopefully won't be too long, and the less people care about me the better.

TL;DR confusing post which I'll probably regret making later.

Deep thread is deep.

I get motivated when I think about my future and who will be affected by it.

There's always something motivating me like the milestones of your life. To me milestones were things like Starting Junior High, Starting High School, First Party, First Love, Sweet 16, Turning 18, Grad, University, etc. Those big life milestones is what keeps me going. I've turned 18 and graduated this year, looking forward to University.

Futuresight, I'd like to ask you a pretty simple question that I had to ask myself one day. If you could picture your ideal life, within a reasonable means of what's feasibly possible of course, what would you envision? That thought, that picture that pops into your mind, hold onto it. Don't just dismiss it as fantasy, but rather, see it as the future. You deserve to feel happiness and to live your life to your every desire, so you shouldn't rob yourself of that chance. Strive towards what you deserve!

I do know where your coming from, I have been in a similar place to you before. I just want you to know that we are here and that we do care. Sure, you can't see me, but I'm still a person. I'm a 22 year old boy, with pink hair, sitting in his work clothes at 4:58pm, in the middle of a country town in Australia, casually enjoying my dinner, with his niece and nephew running around with a level of hyperactivity which almost matches that of their uncle, sitting here at a computer trying to help out a stranger who is going through a rough time. I'm real, we are all real with our own stories to tell. Hell, here's an incredibly awkward and forced picture of myself that I had to take last week. Let it be a face to stare at!

What I'm trying to say is that despite your feeling towards other people, we are here regardless. No matter how pathetic we may be, no matter how filled with corruption and hatred you may perceive us to be, we are here to lend a hand regardless. As companions, as people with fellow interests, as a friend

My one piece of advice to you is to move out of home and live by yourself for a while. I know it may be exhausting, and perhaps it may require you to get a job (no more sleep!) but its an experience that I know will help you view the world with a new perspective. It's an incredibly fulfilling experience and it may help you to appreciate the self sacrifice and pure generosity that people bestow upon you without your notice. Some people in this world are revolting and disgusting creatures, I won't deny that nor will I even try to dispute that fact. But there are some kind spirits in this world and I know you'd truly appreciate them, like they would to you as well =]


Gaige, if your really do care for your son so much than you need to set an example for him. Every time you think of faltering, every time you think that your slipping, just picture him looking up to you in 10 years time with honour and respect for the tremendous feats you have achieved. Prove to him that this world is for the taking of anyone and that, with a lot of hard work and dedication, he can achieve even the most far-fetched goals. Be the beacon of light that guides the ships home on even the most foggy of nights



A big thanks to Gaige, Curve and anyone else who took the time to read my Mount Everest of text. I appreciate your kind words

@MrTwilliger

You're a cool guy. :o

I have no desire to change. No ambition, if you want to call it that.
I actually signed up for university and the start of last year, but got so anxious for the first day that I couldn't sleep properly therefor sleeping on the day itself. After that I gave up entirely. Also, reading back my last post I realise I forgot to mention I've been diagnosed with Aspergers. I guess I've kind of accepted that as a fact, that I'll always fail at social interaction no matter how hard I try. So I just try not to bother anyone anymore. I guess that's for the best.

Sorry for derailing your topic without helping gaige.

What's Aspergers? Don't want to google it on my phone.

Well said

glad everyone is chipping in with their own stories and advice

Deep thread is super deep man.

Sad thread is sad. Not because everyone is sharing stories from their heart, that's something I truly respect. It's not easy to put your actions out on the judging panel. No, what makes me sad is that I can't click my fingers and make everyone's pain go away. Most people here are so kind and lovely (except curve, he sucks ), they don't deserve such injustice

Having finished Highschool last year, I had to start seriously thinking about what to do with my life- Which career path I would like to go down; whether I head straight for University, or work full time getting minimum wage for an adult (I'm 18) at the local Macca's, supermarket, etc. Having never been employed, somewhere like this would be a nice place to start.

Now, I LOVE playing sports, and it has, and hopefully will play a massive role in whatever type of life I decide to lead (I don't mean becoming pro, but just for fun, and releaxation). While in Grade 8, 9, 10, and 11, I was playing training for soccer on Tuesday, and Thursday, and playing on Friday, and eventually, Saturday. Did Athletics in the soccer off-season on a Friday night, as well as cricket training on Wednesday, and game on Saturday. I also played touch football on a Tuesday night, and school sport was fit in on Friday during school hours. It seems a bit more hectic than it really was, but you get the gist. I also loved to hang with my mates who lived in the street, and we were together (along with my twin) pretty much every day that we got the chance (which was most). With all this, I always put off school work, and never studied; waited for the last ~3 days to do 90% of my assignments, and NEVER studied. Not one bit. Now, I'm not stupid, or overly smart, I would like to think I'm average, or just a bit better.

Heading into Grade 12 last year (last year of highschool), I knew that my work-ethic had to improve- I spent a lot of spare time playing Xbox, or hanging with street mates, and spent the rest of the time playing sport, and of course, it didn't improve at all. Now that I'm at Uni, after having a couple of months break after finishing school, I still cannot ever be motivated to study. I guess, having never done it, I don't really know how... Seems stupid, right? I was wondering, what helped you guys motivate yourself to study? I wish I could and hate the fact that I never do it, but week in week out, nothing changes. I would like to become a Geologist, and get a job over in the mines in Western Australia, for the sole reason of earning big money. My course will take another two years (after this one), so I should be 21 by the time I'm finished. Back to my questions- what did you guys do to start studying, and make sure it becomes almost a habit - like, you just got stuck into it? Whenver I decide to start something, I always seem to give up shortly after my first try (Like editing- tried for like 2 weeks, then just stopped). Any suggestions? Much appreciated.

tl;dr- What can I do to motivate myself to study/stay committed to a task, and see it through to the end?

I was forced at a very early age to study really hard by my strict arab parents. Not going to lie, I've hated them for a big part of my childhood but now I see why they were so strict. I always overstudy (not really a good thing as it made me a very stressed person) regardless of how important the subject is.

Today I get to enjoy a great social life, have time to enjoy some video games while still maintaining good grades

You and your friends need self-motivation "That's what it's all about!"
Well, self-motivation is known as the most "important factor" in your life. If you are looking for success in any area of your life, you need self-motivation.

I thought this article was pretty interesting

At first I skimmed through the the thread, but then I decided to read every word maybe I come out with some useful experience, guess most of us are at the age of (what to do with my life), I have the same question, so many choices, still got one more year of education then I have to make the decision, MrTwilliger's post made me think about teaching, maybe I'm going to waste some more years on extra studies based on what I'm going to do.
Inspiring thread indeed, keep 'em coming!

arg.....I hate these moments in life when things get shitty. What makes it worse is I have no one to talk, it feels all my close ties have faded away. The ups and downs of life I suppose. Anyone else get that feeling of shit, and there isn't even anyone to talk to?

you got us

It is possible to communicate outside this forum ya know.