The Problem With Inspiration

People who are trying to get their life together and build that future they have always dreamed of, probably see inspirational quotes and success stories of people who went from rags to riches all over their social media. I follow countless happy and successful people on Instagram and I like to read biographies written by people whose life looks like a miracle from the outside. And sometimes I watch a motivational video on Youtube before getting to work. All of this is just fine, to a certain extent. What’s wrong with some inspiration?

Inspiration is something that comes from the within, it’s a desire to create something or to do something extraordinary. Sounds good, right? In this post, I will tell you what’s good about inspiration and what is the problem with it. If you realize what inspiration really is and how to best use it, you don’t need to fall into the trap of inspiration. Instead, you can use it to your advantage.

What is good about inspiration

In many ways, inspiration is great. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with it. After all, it gives you energy and strength. It makes you believe in yourself and your goals. It makes you enjoy your work. It’s especially good at the beginning of your project or when you decide on a goal. At that point, inspiration is what gives you the courage to start, even though you have many miles ahead.

If you have been thinking about starting a company, but the thought of working around the clock, not getting any income in the beginning, and the possibility of complete failure are in your mind, inspiration can help. Maybe you watch a documentary about a successful entrepreneur and finally get the courage you need and start believing in your idea.

Inspiration is also good when you feel stuck in your project or when something has gone wrong. It can remind you of the fact, that failing from time to time is inevitable and not scary, and that the only way forward is to take action. Being inspired also gives you energy and makes you enjoy life more. In other words, inspiration really is something that gives life meaning.

The problem with inspiration

Despite inspiration being seen as a good thing, it is also a trap. All these inspirational quotes and positive talk can make you think that inspiration is something you need, something you have to have. As if without it you couldn’t work or be creative. But that isn’t true. The people who succeeded on their path did so because they did what had to be done and worked when it was time to work. They didn’t wait for inspiration.

The problem with inspiration is that it is often seen as something you should have all the time and as something that is needed in order to work hard. The truth is, that while inspiration is nice and can help you, especially in the beginning, it shouldn’t be something that you spend time looking for when you already know what you are supposed to do.

While it can give you energy and make you believe in yourself, the progress you make does the same. What you can really benefit from, is being motivated by your goals and the journey itself.

Why you don’t need it

If you are serious about your goals and you are ready to work for them, don’t concentrate too much on feeling inspired or motivated. Even if you are in a place where you feel extremely inspired to work on your project, that feeling is only going to take you so far.

You might feel inspired when you start, but there will be a time (probably pretty soon) when you feel like doing something else and forgetting all about your plans and goals. That is alright because to reach your goals, all you really need to do is to sit down and do the next thing you know you should get done. After that, you do the next one.

Whether you are feeling like it or not, the things you need to do to succeed will remain the same. You have all you need to succeed even without constant inspiration. You just need discipline, stamina, and time, and you’re on the right track.

What to do instead

To repeat, there is nothing wrong with inspiration or looking to feel inspired. Just make sure not to concentrate on that, or to spend excess time trying to be pumped up about your goals and work. Anything more than a couple of minutes is a waste of time when you are serious about your goals.

To be productive and to get things done, just tell yourself, that all you need to do, is to sit down and start to work. Just start. The first step is the hardest, but once you’ve started, it is easier to continue. And the next steps will be a bit easier since you have already taken the first one.

Since it is still nice to feel inspired and hear stories of successful people, go ahead and watch some videos of your role models. Or scroll through those inspirational Instagram accounts every once in a while. Just make sure you don’t do it when you’re supposed to be working.

I know it can be daunting to start and to keep on going when you feel insecure about your skills or when you’re not quite sure what you should do next. But believe in yourself. You will learn all the skills you need. And if you’re not quite sure about what you should do next, do what you think is best. And don’t be afraid to make mistakes. After all, success comes to those, who sit down and take the first step.

Conclusion

Share your thoughts below! Do you have a habit of watching videos of successful people on Youtube? Or scrolling through inspirational accounts on Instagram before you start to work (or when you’re supposed to be working)? Or do you just get straight to work?

What I recommend you do next, is watch these motivational TED Talks about productivity!