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# Motivation isn't necessary
- URL: https://www.gilespcroft.com/motivation-isnt-necessary/
- Published: 2026-01-16T07:00:05.000Z
- Updated: 2026-01-16T07:00:07.000Z
- Description: Follow-up to the one about motivating yourself 😁
- Author: Giles P Croft
- Tags: Productivity, Procrastination, Creativity, Decision-making, Focus, Goals, Moods, Psychology, Real stories, Writing

Today's Daily Reminder is a bit like corrections corner.

Because there's every chance that when you read the piece from the other day—[*Why ‘Motivate yourself’ is a trap*](https://www.gilespcroft.com/why-motivate-yourself-is-a-trap/)—your mind took that and ran with it… but in the wrong direction.

For which I take responsibility. 'Cos I wrote it!

It's not that I disagree with what I wrote… it's just that, in order not to make it about *two* things, instead of one, I left it incomplete.

So here's the simple truth of what's missing from that piece:

🔥

****You don't** ****need** **to feel motivated to get stuff done**

This is one of the biggest misconceptions going; in fact it's classic outside-in thinking, isn't it? But instead of *‘I'll be happy when…’* it's:

> 📦🗣️: *‘I'll be productive when I feel motivated.’*

😳

I'll let you into a little secret: right now I don't feel motivated in the slightest (I mean, who really *wants* to write and tell someone they made an error?!) … and yet, here I am.

I think if I'd waited to feel motivated before writing each Daily Reminder, they'd be more like Weekly Reminders (or maybe even *Monthly* ones… that's the state my writing had got to before I started the Reminders)!

Usually, the best way to get motivated to do something, is to actually start doing it, irrespective of how you feel.

(I'm literally just three paragraphs further down the page and I already feel different.)

So don't wait to get started.

Just start, and see what happens.

💟

Giles

### Read more on this…

[Waiting for a good feelingWaiting ≠ Taking action ⏰![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/9b/f3/9bf3d316-7d32-494b-814f-a7d94d6358c3/content/images/icon/DR_Lockup-Black-3-280.png)The Daily RemindersGiles P Croft![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/9b/f3/9bf3d316-7d32-494b-814f-a7d94d6358c3/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1427348693976-99e4aca06bb9.jpeg)](https://www.gilespcroft.com/waiting-for-a-good-feeling/)

“Look for a feeling,” they say. And you're like… ⏳👀

[Inspiration and creativityHow to create when you’re not feeling inspired 😞![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/9b/f3/9bf3d316-7d32-494b-814f-a7d94d6358c3/content/images/icon/DR_Lockup-Black-3-282.png)The Daily RemindersGiles P Croft![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/9b/f3/9bf3d316-7d32-494b-814f-a7d94d6358c3/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1547782793-e1444139967a-1.jpeg)](https://www.gilespcroft.com/inspiration-and-creativity/)

Understand what inspiration **is*, and how to use it.