What keeps you motivated?

Maybe sometimes a lack of motivation is what we need to get motivated again.
That and the adrenaline. So, what keeps you motivated to paddle out?

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Some great replies here. I think you nailed it with the quotes above.
I've been addicted to keeping upper body strength from surfing since as long as I can remember-it's the best exercise there is, IMO.
Lately I got a little unmotivated too, but dragged myself up at dawn yesterday and got rewarded with a foot overhead glass...
It's remembering that last good day, that last carving turn, the chandelier falling on you and making it out, all those things that keep me motivated.
Gaffer, you're juggling a lot of things man, I can see how it would work on you, but you've got the right attitude and at least you're talking about it. I've got friends that just walked away from surfing for a lot less.

I don't even have enough motivation to read that OP.:)

Wow... just had this conversation a few days ago...

I'm 48 years old, and rarely miss a swell. If the surf was more consistent, and I could surf 8 hours every weekend, maybe I'd miss a lot more days. But that's not the reality around here... sometimes we'll have waves for days... sometimes only a tide or two. So I pay a lot of attention to the weather and the sandbars, and that keeps the juices flowin'. Because for me, the longer I go without surfing, the less I think about it, and the less inclined I am to seek out even a marginally rideable day and make a session out of it. I guess I get used to not surfing, and that builds momentum, just like a good run of waves builds momentum too. The more I surf, the more I want to surf.

We all get busy... distracted... overwhelmed with what needs to be done. But that list never ends. There's always SOMETHING you should be doing instead of surfing... or whatever else you do to keep your sanity. I think the key to keeping motivated when you're old (that's right, I'm not "older"... I'm OLD, at least in the surfing community) is to build things into your lifestyle, that you do consistently every week, that keep you mentally and physically healthy and keep you motivated... escaping for a couple hours into the shop getting covered in dust, a couple hours in the water surfing, a couple hours fishing, a couple hours in the woods at dawn - which can be as beautiful and inspiring as the ocean, with the frosty fields glistening in the morning sun and the smell of pine filling your head. Sounds corny, but you really just gotta be there. It's amazing.

I guess for me, keeping motivated is about keeping your head clear and your body healthy.

it gets tougher and tougher especially in winter. hmmmm, leave my nice warm house to be freezing and wet. each passing year the answer is increasingly 'no'.

Being happy, staying sane. We all had a reason to start surfing in one form or another. We struggled to learn and when you got line for the first time you went nuts. I did. Now that i'm older I find motivation in the health benefit and simply that I love waves.

Trips, Hurricanes, and the occasional good day that's missed on the forecast.

You can't get enough of it. After a satisfying session maybe you're stoked for the rest of the day, maybe the next, but after that it's gone and you want to do it again. Sometimes after going through weeks of being out of the water, you are jonesing to surf just to prove to yourself that you still can surf.

surfing keeps me motivated.
Its my reward for getting everyday stuff done. when a swell is on the way i get motivated to get a bunch of stuff done ,at work and at home, before its shows so i don't have to think about it when im in the water. it's why i prefer evening sessions over morning sessions.
Its also a motivation to stay in shape and eat better when there is no swell.

without a motivator like surfing i become a lazy SOB.

The fact that I live on the coast again.

I have been having a hard time with the motivation lately. I had one of the best weekends of surf in my life Oct 19-21. Was in the water just about every weekend over the summer with my daughters, waves or not, and without fail, was in a better mood after every single session. Picked up a 5/4 drylock on WM over the summer so I could commit to surfing year round. At 43, I have been surfing since I was a peanut, but just as stoked, if not more so, now than I was in my teens or twenties.
Then, Sandy visited us here in NJ, my father passed away after a brief illness, the water temp dropped, and the few breaks I deemed home breaks have been inaccesible. I have driven around with my board and suit in the car, and pulled up to a couple of spots, but have not been able to pull the trigger.
I know my mindset as of late has not been the greatest, but I also know I need to get back in the water, clear the cobwebs, and be thankful that I am one of the lucky ones who caught the surfing bug at an early age. It has been an ebb and flow over the years, but the last few it has truly been a salvation for me. It has been a huge benefit to my sobriety (3 1/2 years,) and provided a huge opportunity to form a bond with both my daughters and nephews.
I guess it's safe to say surfing is a big part of my life, and I need to jump back in. If you're still reading, sorry I wrote a book, but was a bit therapeutic.