You watch a movie, listen to a song, or read something and get inspired. Then what do you do? Can you do anything with it or do you let it die? Being inspired and motivated is useless if you cannot act.

Costs of Motivation

While you are being motivated, you are prevented from doing anything else. Choosing to do one thing (receive motivation) over another (producing) always creates an opportunity cost. You sacrifice your potential productivity to receive motivation.

It is fine to sacrifice potential productivity when you are not motivated, because you already know you will not be productive. In such a circumstance, the choice is between gaining motivation or continue doing nothing. Neither is productive in itself, but increasing motivation will lead to greater future productivity.

On the other hand, it is harmful to continue seeking motivation if you are already motivated. Being inspired is exhilarating, causing you to be excited and motivated to act. This feeling can be addictive, causing some people to constantly move from one source of inspiration to the next.

Addictive behaviors are problematic when they cause harm to the individual. Those addicted to inspiration continually invest their resources, yet are unable to capitalize on their investment. They live in a fantasy world, where they feel that they can do anything, but never actually do anything.

Inspiration Precedes Action

The point of inspiration is to shift you from inaction to action. Left alone, you would not have done anything. You look for inspiration to force you from the path you were heading and place you on the path you desire to travel.

When seeking inspiration, make sure that you are able to act after you become motivated. It does you no good to get fired up after a speech and then go to sleep. When the desire strikes, you must be able to act or the inspiration is wasted.

Since inspiration is used to change your direction of action, you do not need to be inspired to do something you are already doing. Seeking further inspiration may make you feel better about what you are doing, but it will probably not make you more productive.

Being productive requires that you are moving along a desired path. Therefore productivity has two components: desire and movement. Sometimes you stop and need a push to get you going again. Be aware that the same force that brings you out of a rut can be abused, preventing you from achieving that which you desire.