30 Days of Lists | Day 12: Things That Motivate Me

I think if you were to ask Todd what kind of things motivate me, he would tell you that I spend a lot of time and effort  being a "safety pup".  This mindset requires that I think ahead regarding unpleasant/bad scenarios that COULD happen and then actively try to avoid it from happening by being prepared.  Sometimes it's not very fun being a "safety pup", but it's the default way that my brain thinks.  When someone else experiences a bad outcome that could have been easily prevented, I take solace in my "safety-pupness".  If you don't know who Safety Pup is, you can find out here.  If you go down my list of things that motivate me, avoiding bad outcomes is a theme.

30 Days of Lists | Day 12:  Things That Motivate Me

• Not being old and poor - I read a personal finance book once that scared me into making sure I won't be old and poor.  So every year we max out our 401K and IRA contributions.  This can be a whole blog topic onto itself.  I'm a saver for sure.  My graduate degree was MBA in Finance and I've worked in accounting/finance for 18 years, so I know just enough to be dangerous.  :p  
• Not be old, fat, and sick - I know sometimes illnesses can happen to anyone, even seemingly healthy people.  But one of the main reasons I exercise regularly is to be healthy and try to keep at a healthy weight.  Yes, I love the endorphins too, and how exercising makes me feel good.  But I'm mostly motivated by not becoming old, fat, and sick.   
• Not forgetting - I'm actually sort of obsessed with memory-keeping.  I don't want to forget anything that I've experienced or done that's worthwhile.  This motivates me to blog and to scrapbook, and do my Project Life album.  Yes, I love the creativity, but I'm motivated by memory-keeping.
• Making good memories - it goes without saying that in order to blog/scrapbook my memories, I need to make some good memories!  I actively try to do things so that I have memories to keep.
• Learning new things - I really LOVE the thrill I get when I learn something new that I want to try out.  This pertains to any topic I'm interested in.  I really love to learn new things.  
• Having new experiences - I love new experiences and the enrichment that they bring to my life.  This is why I embarked on my life project this year called "New 52".  
• Sharing knowledge with others - when I've found something awesome, I'm very excited to share with others.  That's why some of you call me an "enabler" on Facebook, where I do a lot of these one-off sharing.  But it's not just physical products, I just love to share anything I'm excited about.  This is why I really enjoy Pinterest so much too, because it's like a big huge circle of sharing of awesomeness!  
• My love for Todd, my dad, and my sister motivates me.  I do a lot of things for them because I love them and don't want to see bad outcomes for them.  One example of this is that I went with my dad to see a lawyer about setting up a trust and a prenup before he got remarried, a year after my mom passed away.  I would advice this for anyone getting married later in life.

Well, this turned out to be a dissertation rather than merely a list!  It's sort of an eye-opener for me even.  Things that motivate me.