A few years ago, I bought a fitness watch. I didn’t know it had an alarm built in, but somehow I triggered it. When it rang for the first time, I had no idea where the sound was coming from. When I finally realized it was my watch, I wondered, What caused that? It seemed as if the alarm went off all by itself — but of course it didn’t. I must have set it accidentally while adjusting the time.
Sometimes we see highly motivated people and assume they are like that alarm clock — just naturally going off on their own with no prompting. They look like the Energizer Bunny, just going and going without stopping, as if they require no motivation like the rest of us. But that isn’t true.
Self-motivated people aren’t magically self-motivated.
They are people who have been set.
Something inside them has been triggered. Something has taken root deep within their heart that drives them, focuses them, and keeps them moving toward goals that matter to them.
They aren’t just automatically energized.
They are people fueled by desire — by internal motivations you may not see. Those motivations have been formed, shaped, and cultivated over time. Because they’re embedded deep within, they ignite and sustain consistent action.
So what motivates a self-motivated person?
What triggers that steady, energized effort toward goals they deem important?
For some, it’s the dream of a better life.
For others, financial success.
Some want to change the world.
Others want to help people, influence lives, or make a difference.
(That’s me — helping the world know Jesus!)
Some desire to love others; others long to be loved.
Whatever the reason, something deep within drives them.
This means they are not self-motivated by accident.
They have been set from within — and that desire drives their motivation.
Being self-motivated is a highly valued quality. Every boss wants employees who are faithful, loyal, diligent, and excellent at seeing the big picture. When they find someone who is truly self-motivated, it feels like a gift straight from Heaven.
Your desires — good or bad — shape your life.
Godly desires, formed within your heart, become inner pictures that motivate your daily actions. Asking God to form right desires within you, and then imagining yourself living them out, begins to set your inner clock.
Psalm 37:4 (NLT) —
“Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires.”
Delighting in the Lord means delighting in His Word and instruction. When you pray for God to form good and godly desires in you, and then meditate on them and begin taking small steps toward them, powerful things begin to develop inside you.
For example, whenever I’ve wanted to lose weight or get in shape, I pray about it for at least a month before taking action. I take time to ask God to form the desire within me. Then I think about it, imagine it, sometimes read a book on the subject, or talk to others who have succeeded. Over time, as I pray, the desire begins to form. And then one day — the alarm goes off. My motivation is triggered, and I begin.
I’ve learned that proper inward motivation requires prayer and imagination. When God forms the desire, it sticks. This method is scientifically proven — athletes use it, Olympians use it — because it’s God’s plan.
This is how I became a better husband and father.
This is how I became a marathon runner.
This is how I invented the commercial infant changing tables now found in public restrooms everywhere.
This is how I’ve written Fresh Manna consistently for 20 years and reached over 220 countries.
I’ve spent a great deal of time imagining, praying, and seeking God’s leading before stepping out.
Let the Lord show you the truth of this.
As you pray and ask Him to form godly desires in your heart, begin imagining yourself walking them out. Pay attention to the gifts and skills He has placed in you. Pay attention to what He nudges your heart toward.
But before you start, take time to pray, read God’s Word, and let those desires be formed deep within. One day — like popcorn on a hot stove — they’ll start to pop. Some things will feel natural and easy. Others will require new disciplines that God wants to develop in you. But He will give you grace and motivation to succeed.
In time, these desires will shape your character and transform you into a self-motivated person — driven not by random impulses, but by God-formed desires that push you toward His good plan.
And when you do it for His glory, your life will be rich, fulfilled, and deeply satisfying.
Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV) —
“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…”
