A passing interest in something is not enough to produce anything substantial in the long run. At best, it will result in a few stories you can tell to people about the time you dabbled in it.

It’s not enough to be extrinsically motivated to make something work, either. While rewards are good in the short term to get the motivation going, they eventually wear off and the complaint is typically there is never enough. One only needs to look at people in amicable job situations who complain about what they’re lacking to see what I’m talking about here.

Obsession is the intrinsic motivator that drives a person to great heights with what they’re doing.

While this can result in catastrophic results if the obsession isn’t metered in some way, it transcends a quick hit of inspiration. It’s not a call to action because your life revolves around making this happen.

Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David spent 99% of their time behind closed doors, writing, while completely ignoring the other things they were supposed to do (taking phone calls, going to meetings, etc.). Is it any wonder Seinfeld was such a massive hit with each subsequent season?

The most prolific writers in the world don’t write one piece of work and hope for the best. They never stop writing (even when they’re not at the keyboard) and are always reading other works to find a technique they can use for future works. There’s a joke that a writer would sell their children for a line… which isn’t far off for some (this writer excluded).

Olympic athletes are always focused on performance and ultra-marathoners, extreme sports stars and the people we watch with jaws wide open live and breathe what they do.

You don’t need a motivational jumpstart to get going – you need to get obsessed. The train will move itself.