If people take anything from my music, it should be motivation to know that anything is possible as long as you keep working at it and don't back down" -Eminem

It's about midnight, but I still wanted to type this topic, so we will see how this goes. The last topic I discussed was about "success" and how it is important to follow your hopes and dreams. This is all well and good, but it is also important to know how to keep going for those, no matter what. This is where motivation comes into play.
A lot of people ask how I stay motivated to go home after work and create a website like this, I've found the key to motivation is the environment you surround yourself with. This is most likely making the topic very light, but in order to feel motivated and creative, it is first good to feel relaxed and comfortable in your area. Sometimes this means playing into your different senses. For example, as I write this post, these are my surroundings:
Touch- I am sitting on my favorite couch which I enjoy sinking my feet in between the cushions
Sight- I'm surrounded by many colors and items that make me happy and empowered, I am typing in the soft glow of a dimmed lamp and a candle to my right.
Smell-The candle smells of kitchen spices which remind me of my good times at home when I was a child.
Taste- I am slowly sipping away at one of my favorite sodas, Fresca.
Sound- Almost complete silence, just the soft hum of my computer.
It may not seem like much but it makes me happy and motivated to write. I feel as content as Brandy would in her own little corner. Now if only there were more than five people who knew my reference!
The key to feeling motivated is to find what works for you and how that might change with your different moods. Some people rely on others to motivate them, some rely on working out, or listening to Stevie Wonder in the car. None of these examples are wrong, you just have to figure out what works for you. It doesn't need to make sense to others, it doesn't even need to make sense to you, if it works and makes you happy, go for it! To many a jar full of colored crayons in my studio (seen above) may not seem like much, but to me it brightens my day every time I see it. No idea why, they just do :) Get to know yourself, your likes, dislikes, hopes and dreams. Once you get to know you better, you'll be more likely to understand how to get yourself into the right mindset to be motivated, just takes some patience, but it's just around the corner.
Question time: What do you do to stay motivated?