What is my motivation? Writing lists and making schedules for myself is what I keep coming back to every time I get determined to make something of myself, to do something with my life. It never works, not for very long anyway. This time has to be different. I have to really mean it. What makes it different for me this time is having the accountability of other people. I am not able to do life on my own. I need encouragement. I need appreciation. I need connection with other people. I need to feel like what I do matters, like I’m contributing something to the world, like I’m making a difference. It’s so easy for me to fall into isolation. I can be invisible. I can spend my days curled up on the couch eating protein bars and not exercising or showering for days or even weeks on end, and no one else would care or even notice. If I want other people to notice and care about what I do, where I go, how I spend my days, then I need to reach out and care about them. I need to ask how they’re doing. I need to pay attention to whether they leave the house, exercise, or shower. Caring about other people is my motivation; that’s what makes all the difference.