Boundaries

For a really long time, I thought motivation was just something I either had or didn’t have. On good days, I got kind of driven and energized; on bad days, I felt drained and kinda unfocused. What I didn’t get was how much of my motivation was getting quietly sucked into stuff I didn’t question— like being available all the time, trying to please people, taking on too much work, and not being able to say no. I figured being helpful, being flexible, and always available was actually a good thing. But really, it started draining my energy. I basically gave my attention away way too easily, so there was almost nothing left for me, my growth, or even my well-being. When motivation just disappeared, I got mad at myself instead of thinking about how my energy was pretty wide open.

It wasn’t till I started getting some ideas about boundaries that things started making sense. Setting boundaries wasn’t just about pushing people away or getting a bit selfish– it was actually about keeping an eye on your mental and emotional energy if you want to stay motivated. I realized motivation doesn’t just happen out of thin air. It needs some space, some clarity, and maybe even feeling safe to get going. When I actually started setting boundaries – inside my head and also with others- I saw a big change. I got more focused, stopped getting resentful, and suddenly I could try to motivate myself over time. Watching my energy became like one of the biggest self-motivation jobs I ever got working on.