entry 006 | motivation & inspiration

the difference between motivation and inspiration

i feel like motivation and inspiration are two completely different things. people tend to group these together, using both words interchangeably, when that’s not really the case!

mo·ti·va·tion /ˌmōdəˈvāSH(ə)n / noun

the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way.

motivation is the reason why you do something. this could be something as simple as “i’m gonna watch an episode of percy jackson if i get my math homework done” and so you get the idea!! i talked a little bit about this last blogpost, where motivation can be INTRINSIC and EXTRINSIC! now watching percy jackson is definitely an extrinsic motivation because it’s short sweet and simple, whereas if you’re getting your math homework done because it’ll help your grades in the long run, thats intrinsic motivation!

in·spi·ra·tion /ˌinspəˈrāSH(ə)n / noun

the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.

inspiration is to actually do something, like “im inspired by percy jackson to create a new art piece!” and ofc again you get the idea!! inspiration is the idea or desire itself.

inspiration vs motivation

inspiration is a lot more spontaneous, comes in the moment, but motivation is predictable, knowing that it can be wherever and whenever you want it. another key difference is that motivation, more often than not, is extrinsically driven like peer pressure, societal expectations, etc. when inspiration is something that strikes you INDIVIUALLY.

inspiration & motivation

with the differences between the two distinguished, i need to make a fact clear. both MUST coexist, because one without the other is like trying to light a fire without a matchbox and just a match, and vice versa. motivation can be learned and inspiration can be manufactured, so if you’re running low on one, you can use the other! using the two together can be a LOT MORE BENEFICIAL when you do that! :)

and that’s it for today!

thank you so much for reading this, and see you next time…

sincerely, studybutterfly 🦋

fyi if you couldnt already tell im a huge percy jackson fan, PLEASE WATCH THE SHOW AND TELL ME YOUR THOUGHTS @sincerely.studybutterfly on insta!!