Motivation is not enough...

Unique Perspectives: Motivation is not enough...

By Kim Stevens

Motivation isn’t enough… but there is something else that is.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the difference between motivation and inspiration. Because most of us were taught to chase one, when the other is what actually sustains us.

We live in a very motivated world. Motivated by goals. Motivated by pressure. Motivated by fear, deadlines, money, comparison, and expectations. And to be fair—motivation works. It can get us moving. It can get results. But it comes at a cost.

Motivation is external, and eventually, it runs out. It almost always comes from the outside and sounds like: I should. I have to. I can’t afford not to. Once I get there, then I’ll feel okay. Motivation is fueled by reward and consequence—approval and avoidance, success and fear of failure. And while it can be effective in short bursts, it’s not sustainable. Because the moment the reward fades, the praise stops, or the fear loses its grip, so does the motivation.

That’s why so many capable, intelligent, successful people feel burned out, stuck, or strangely empty—even when things look “good” on the outside. They’re trying to power a soul-level life with surface-level fuel.

All you have to do is look at New Year's resolutions to know that motivation only goes so far. It’s why the One Word phenomenon works so much better. We pick our word by looking up and looking in. That’s inspiration.

The word inspire itself tells us everything we need to know. In-spirit. In-spired. Breathed from the inside. Inspiration doesn’t yell. It doesn’t threaten. It doesn’t demand. It whispers. It sounds like: This matters to me. I feel drawn to this. I don’t know why, but I know it’s true.

When I’m inspired, effort feels lighter. Time collapses. I keep going—even when no one is watching. Not because I should, but because I want to.

Motivation needs constant refueling. Inspiration is self-renewing. When something is connected to meaning, truth, and purpose, it doesn’t burn me out—it sustains me. I don’t need discipline to stay inspired. I need honesty. Because inspiration shows up naturally when I’m aligned with what’s true for me.

This reframe changed everything for me. Motivation asks, “What do I need to push myself to do?” Inspiration asks, “What wants to move through me?” Motivation says, Try harder. Inspiration says, Listen closer.

I’ve become less and less interested in forcing my way through life. I’m interested in living from inspiration—from that quiet, steady, inner knowing that doesn’t shout or shove, but rises from a certainty I can’t ignore. inspiration is what sustains a life that actually feels like mine. When I’m inspired, I’m not chasing anything. I’m remembering something.

That’s what Unique Perspectives is for me—a way of looking at things that helps me remember something inside that I already know. This is what inspiration feels like.

Motivation often assumes struggle is normal—even virtuous. Inspiration dissolves struggle by changing the fuel source. Joy is a compass—not a reward. I’ve written about this so many times because I just love it. Joy is not saved for later… it’s something that guides me now. Motivation says, Do this now so you can feel good later. Inspiration says, This feels true now—so I move.

There’s nothing wrong with motivation—it’s just limited. It belongs to the mind.

But Inspiration… that belongs to the soul. And the soul doesn’t need to be pushed. It only needs to be listened to.