My week’s been a struggle. Between a project at work that’s been stealing my soul for the last seven weeks and is finally over tomorrow, a sick household, and so many commitments I have no idea how to juggle, it’s been a rough few days. Case and point, I’m still at the office as I type this, working on the last leg of this seven-week-long saga project. I’ve barely been keeping up with what I’ve promised I’d do for others, much less the important work of maintaining my own projects.

Which gets me thinking about motivation.

Why are you doing the work you’re doing? Who’s it for? What’s the benefit?

For me, it’s simple; I’m committed to the success of my workplace as an environment, as a company, as a community. I’m committed to my own success within this environment. This commitment could be seen as keenerism, or being a work-a-holic, but to be clear, this is the first time since I started with Modern Earth I’ve stayed late for anything.

Why break the mold? Because I said I would. It’s the end of the month, the end of the project. It needs to get done. Not the least of the many reasons I’m here; I said I would. There’s a difference in workflow for people who consciously try to maintain their integrity. Focus works differently, priorities do too.

It would be easy to say I’m doing this for someone else, that all of my focus is on the company, or the project. I beg to differ. Even with all of my effort going toward the project, toward the company’s success, I could still cut out. Take the work home, get things done slowly, in dashes, over the weekend. However, because I know I work better in the office than outside of it, here I am.

I decided to stay late because I know myself and my limits, and committed to my own successful completion of the work I’ve been assigned. I put myself in this situation because it’s the most beneficial for all parties involved.

It’s a small detail, but an important one.

What are you doing, what choices are you making, to back up your motivation with tangible results?