Adult Truth #16

“I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.”

I don't frequent bars. I'm not a beer drinker. Now, this isn't to say I haven't imbibed and if you ask the right friends, they'll tell you tales of times when I've, uh, well...let's just say I overindulged a bit. However, this brings up an interesting point. Motivation.

Unfortunately, with this case of, uh, overindulgence (back in 1999 or was it 2000) I was motivated by depression. I know, bad idea to drink when depressed, and I won't go into details. Rest assured, I paid for my bad choice.

Anyway, motivation. This truth came at a perfect time. As I write this, I'm thinking back upon the previous day. I received another draft of Alpha from my publisher and I was hoping to get through it in record time to complete final edits. I started about 3 in the morning, worked until 6:30, went home and slept until 3 in the afternoon, checked my email, and dove right back into the story. I was nine pages from the end at 10:30 when I went back to work. My motivation: to get it done and back to my publisher so she can get it published within the next two weeks.

Motivation. I've mentioned my exercise regimen in a past blog. I started it back in the spring of 2012. Why: I wanted to get serious about getting in shape. Since then I've lost ten pounds, am a lot stronger, and I'm motivated to keep going.

Motivation. I reached out to more local and area businesses and groups for the promotion of Alpha. Why: because my marketing plan for the last two books didn't go so well. I want to reach more people, be more in the public eye. I'm motivated by the desire to sell more books.

Motivation. At the time of this writing, I'm almost half finished with the next Mallory Petersen story. Why: because I am excited about this next book and I want to write it and feel emotional about Mallory's experiences. When I was reading through Alpha for the umpteenth time last night, I still choked up at certain points and still laughed at the humorous scenes. I want to feel this way for the next book. I'm motivated to complete it and get onto the rewrites.

Motivation. I'm reading the sequel to Night Shadows to my critique group. Why: because I want to complete this story. I want the struggles to end. I want to either get this story done or realize that it never will be. I want to write this story and the critique group is helping me see I still have some work to do on it.

Motivation. I should have tested for Sixth Degree Black Belt in 2012 but I didn't. Why: not motivated enough. I have two more mid-term testings to pass, plus, I have to fulfill several other requirements before I will be allowed to test for the next rank. I need to get motivated to reach that higher rank.

Motivation. I don't know where I'll be when this particular blog gets posted. Why: the owners of the motel where I'm working at the time of this writing are selling the property. I don't know whether I'll have a job when a new employer takes control and if I do, how many hours I'll have. I'm motivated by uncertainty to find other employment.

Motivation. I'm motivated to be debt free. To help myself I thought long and hard about tapping into funds not meant to be touched for years to come. Yes, I'll pay a penalty, but I don't want to go on for more years than necessary paying bill after bill after bill. I went more into debt with the purchase of four new tires for my vehicle. So, once my medical bills are paid off, I'll have more money to attack the bigger debts.

What motivates you? Why do you set out to accomplish certain things? We share commonalities, but motivations are personal and individual. They're not to be taken lightly and, for the most part, there are no easy roads to accomplishment. When you achieve success, though, then you can celebrate.

Now, if I could find an attractive woman who was motivated enough to want to have me as a boyfriend...