I think the assumption that you need to “motivate yourself” in order to take action is a big part of what stops us taking action on the things that matter most.
The premise is that if you want to get around to what matters, you’ll need to gin yourself up, fighting your natural tendency toward inertia, summoning fresh reserves of energy, plus a can-do mindset. And that you can expect all this to require a constant replenishment of effort…
See also: The fears that hold us back