Light a Fire under Your Own Ass:

The Magic of Motivation

 

 

Motivation is a funny thing: It seems like when you need it the most, it’s not there for you to draw from. Many of us struggle with motivation in various areas of life, a problem that, when left unchecked, can suck us down even further into a lazy hole of “I don’t wanna!”

There’s also a special relationship between depression and motivation that can leave high hopes feeling like a neglected third wheel. Depression can make even the simplest tasks, like getting out of bed, a monumental challenge. And as the things around you that you should be doing start to pile up, your motivation gets trapped under a torrent of neglected responsibilities…. It’s the perfect recipe for even more depressed feelings.

However, it’s not just depression that can hinder motivation. There’s a variety of reasons you may feel unmotivated, including personality factors (being the type that wants results and wants them now!), feeling underappreciated (such as in workplace scenarios), or simply because you haven’t found a good reason to get all red up and make shit happen.

One of the biggest barriers I’ve found to motivation is in looking ahead at the whole—the desired outcome. People can often get stuck on this end goal and how far it seems from where they are currently. It’s like standing at the base of a mountain, gazing up at the top, and thinking “Fuck, I gotta get way up there?!” It’s enough to make you give up before you begin. This is why so many struggle to make healthy lifestyle changes, start new routines, and crawl out of toxic patterns: We’re motivated by the end result rather than the mundane actions needed to actually get there.

Although there’s no magic bullet for reclaiming your motivation, the truth is that you don’t actually need a ton of it in order to make an impact in your life. Big or small, the responsibilities and desires you have are simply collections of items that can be knocked off your to-do list individually. You only need to muster up teensy bits of motivation at any given time to take a step toward getting stuff done. Giving each one of those small tasks your full attention rather than looking ahead at the big picture can be just the thing you need to light a spark under your ass.

Another key to motivation is discipline. Although it would be great if we could look deep inside and find the motivational spark from within, some tasks just aren’t the type to fire you up. Many of the tedious things in our lives weigh on us like a wet blanket, and as we avoid doing them due to that lack of motivation, we can end up digging ourselves into a pit that feels impossible to crawl out of. The hard pill to swallow is that sometimes you have to start before you’re motivated. Begin, and try to dig up some oomph to put behind it along the way.

 

A Motivational Spell

To complete this spell, you’ll need:

• A large lemon
• A sharp object, like a knife or clean thumbtack

• A bottle of cold water or mug of hot water
• 1 teaspoon honey (optional)

1. 1. Do some grounding and cleansing so the Universe can see you’re getting down to business and not to be messed with.
   2. Hold the lemon in your hands. Picture what your life would look like with motivation. What would you do? What would your routine be? Visualize this as strongly and specifically as you can.
   3. Use the sharp object to carve a message into your lemon, something simple like “I am motivated.”
   4. You now have a motivational lemon. I bet you’re the first in your friend group to have an emotional support fruit; congrats!
   5. Cut the lemon into slices. If working with a glass of cold water, add a slice to the water, stating, “I am motivated AF; I can tackle anything today.” If you are using a mug of hot water, you can add the optional honey after the lemon slice to sweeten your attitude toward doing things.
   6. Go forth and get shit done!

Repeat this spell whenever you need a boost of motivation. The lemon is yellow like the sun (a reliable kinda bitch), and its tangy tartness will put a little pep in your step.

*Excerpted from Witchcraft Therapy by Mandi Em. Copyright © 2021 by Amanda MacLean. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.

 

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