Without a clear vision of where we’re going, it’s easy to get sidetracked. Without a goal of who and where we want to be, our efforts begin to lose their effectiveness, slowly taking us in different directions without validating if those actions are helping us move in a desirable direction.
When we lose sight of our aims and allow ourselves to get caught in the apathy and anxiety that being a human can often entail, it becomes increasingly difficult to motivate ourselves to take action. Without an intrinsic motivating force, it would seem, life loses its purpose and our once fiery spirits are extinguished by meaninglessness.
An antidote to this comes through constant reminders of why we have first chosen to go down this specific path, whatever it may be. In nearly all cases, being reminded of our own mortality can be a wake-up call in even the most downtrodden states. In times of happiness, it helps to increase our appreciation of life. In sadness, it offers a hopeful whisper that this life will end and our time is ticking. At its most basic form, reminding ourselves “you are going to die” each morning will provide motivation like no other. Not motivation for anything particular in this life, but motivation to soak in every last bit of this life before it ends. Memento mori—remember your death.