Five examples of natural motivations versus superficial ones, off the top of my head:
- Cleaning your kitchen because you love your space versus because you fear you're a slob.
- Dedicating yourself to your work because you care about what you're doing versus because you want to get rich.
- Going on a walk because your body feels stiff versus because you're afraid you're being lazy.
- Being generous because you love someone versus because you want to be seen as a good person.
All of these various reasons can motivate, but not all of them lead to a pleasant or sustainably pleasant life. To me it's clear that the best motivations are natural ones. And counter to every LinkedIn hustler bro's multi-pronged strategy for getting shit done, the best motives don't actually require much of you. You basically just have to chill out and listen to your desire, and trust there's wisdom in it.