Let's Talk Motivation with: That Motivated Kid
Written By: Destany Filicetti
Motivation is an important aspect in all of our lives. Going to work every day, watching a television series, or perhaps preparing a meal are all performed with underlying motivations. Whether it be to live a healthier lifestyle, entertainment, or to pay for the cost of living, our motivation is always present. It is the reason behind everything we do on a daily basis and helps drive us to achieve great things. To discuss how to stay motivated, we interviewed the Motivated Kid himself, Marcus Smith.
Marcus Smith, also known as That Motivated Kid discusses how his challenges have played a significant role in his life, ultimately helping him learn the importance of motivation and discipline to drive him to be better every day.
Marcus attended Brock University on a full 5 year scholarship for soccer. Shortly after, he was faced with a serious injury, forcing him to take some recovery time. He was then challenged with a lack of direction and ended up in a dark place. Knowing that this was not where he wanted to be, he continued to push forward eventually returning to the field in his 4th year. He proved the doubters wrong and became a leader for his teammates. In order to do this, Marcus took the initiative to dive deeper into the emotional aspect of leadership. He said “let me show you through my experience, speaking my truth”. Overcoming the obstacles he was faced with has positioned Marcus as a strong leader who continues to motivate others on and off the field.
As humans, we may often struggle to keep ourselves motivated, so we asked Marcus how he comes back from times when he is feeling down or unmotivated and here is what he had to say: “Speak about it. Having uncomfortable conversations will help you become more mature.”
When you are feeling down, speaking about it allows you to express your emotions which can take the emotional weight off of your shoulders. Suppressing emotions has become normal but this can also hurt your mental health and contribute to unhealthy coping methods. Discussing your emotions is liberating and can also be very insightful. There may be someone who has experienced a similar situation and therefore sharing your experiences can provide you with guidance. Communication is the key foundation to building anything and most importantly to getting motivated.
When we asked Marcus about his beliefs around motivation, here’s what he had to say: “Motivation is self driven and friend supported. Having people there to support you throughout your journey is so important because we are stronger together. I don’t care about followers, I care about supporters. You can still have an impact on the people that follow you and connecting the bridge between the two has really helped me.”
Marcus continues to highlight the importance of having support throughout your journey with the following construction metaphor. Marcus said, “when you build a house, you don't want to build it on a sh***y foundation, you want to build it on a strong foundation.” Through this example, we are able to see just how important the foundation (our support system) is to our overall stability. When you are surrounded by individuals that appreciate what you do and continue to support you throughout your endeavours, your motivation will remain.
We asked Marcus, “What do you suggest for those who have little to no motivation and have no friends or family they can turn to for support?” and he shared a four step process as a solution.
This four step method includes:
Passion
Speaking
Calculated Action
Impact
Passion
Being passionate about something will help you stay motivated. The natural interest or love that you have for the activity or hobby will be the motivating factor and help keep you going.
Speaking
Marcus highlights the importance of discussing how you are feeling with others. Your emotions have a large impact on you as a person therefore speaking about situations that are uncomfortable will allow you to better work through your emotions.
Calculated Action
Now that the uncomfortable topics have been brought to light, it is time to take what you have learned and apply it. Plan out what you are going to do and make sure your actions have purpose. You are capable of doing great things, however great things only happen when we take calculated action.
Impact
All of our actions have an impact. It is important to consider what impact your actions will have on others or how your actions could influence others.
Motivation is the “why” behind our decisions and is the spark that ignites our action. Marcus shows us through his experiences how motivation and discipline have shaped him, allowing him to push himself to be better. Though motivation can be difficult to maintain, Marcus lets us in on the challenges he has faced throughout his journey and offers valuable methods to help keep you motivated. To close the interview, Marcus left us with a very important yet inspiring message. He said, “you are not alone on this journey, we can do great things together. The friendship is just beginning.”
If you want to connect or contact That Motivated Kid you can follow him on instagram at @thatmotivatedkid or visit his website: https://thatmotivatedkid.com/
For more information on how to boost your motivation and increase satisfaction in your life, click here.
