By Kim Cameron
Kim has been a member of IAIP since 2000 and has held various offices on the local, council, and Regional levels. She has served on and chaired various Task Forces at the International Level as well. Kim is currently employed with Agri-Center in Fresno, California, as a Commercial Lines Customer Service Representative/Office Manager. She likes spending time with her children and grandchildren.. Her other interests include anything Elvis or Barbie, shoes, reading, crocheting, Harleys, and spending time with her family and friends.
Motivation can be a slippery thing. One day you wake up ready to take on the world, and the next… even folding laundry feels like climbing Everest in flip-flops. We often treat motivation like some mystical force that either shows up or doesn’t—as if we’re powerless until it strikes.
But here’s the truth most people don’t realize:
Motivation isn’t something you wait for. It’s something you choose.
And the best part? You can choose it any day. Even today.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to bulldoze through every task with superhero-level energy. Sometimes motivation begins with the tiniest spark—one small action, one gentle shift, one simple win. And that’s more than enough to change the entire direction of your day.
Here are three ways to help kick-start that momentum and remind yourself that motivation is something you make, not something you lose.
- Start With Something Fun or Easy
We’re taught to “eat the frog”—to do the hardest task first. And sure, that works for some people. But if the frog looks extra slimy today, forcing yourself to take a huge bite can kill your momentum before you even begin.
Instead, try this:
👉 Start with something fun, easy, or satisfying.
It could be answering a simple message, tidying a tiny area, watering your plants, or even making your favorite morning drink. Doing something small and enjoyable first creates movement. And once you’re moving, the bigger tasks feel a little less like mountains and more like hills you can absolutely climb.
Momentum beats willpower every single time.
- Set a “Done for the Day” Time
Most of us focus on when we start something, but we rarely think about when we get to stop. And without an endpoint, the day stretches endlessly. Everything feels heavier, more stressful, and more urgent.
Try flipping the script:
👉 Decide what time you’re officially “done” for the day.
Knowing you have a finish line does something incredible—it removes the vague dread that you’re supposed to be doing more all day long. It gives your brain clarity. It gives your body permission to relax. And weirdly enough, it actually makes you more productive because the day has structure—not pressure.
Rest is part of the work. And having a clear cutoff time turns your rest into something guilt-free and energizing.
- Remember Your “Why”
When motivation disappears, it’s usually because we’ve lost sight of the reason we started in the first place.
Your why is your anchor.
👉 Are you trying to create more space?
👉 Feel better in your body?
👉 Build a habit that makes life smoother?
👉 Reach a goal that matters to you?
👉 Become a version of yourself you’re proud of?
Whatever the reason, reconnecting with that purpose turns everything from “I have to” into “I’m choosing to.”
And that shift alone can reignite the spark.
Your Motivation Starts Now
The world tells us to “find motivation,” as if it’s hiding somewhere under the couch with lost socks and spare change. But motivation isn’t lost. It’s made—moment by moment, choice by choice.
When you start small, set your boundaries, and reconnect with your why, you’re not waiting for motivation anymore…
You’re creating it. You’re claiming it. You’re choosing it.
And the beautiful thing is—
you can choose motivation today.
Right now.
In this moment.
Here’s to choosing the version of you who shows up, even on the messy days.
Here’s to the spark.
Here’s to the momentum.
Here’s to choosing motivation—one small win at a time.