[visakanv]

Between the ages of 16 and 22, I hung out with a bunch of really smart people who weren't really passionate about actually diving in and actually doing stuff. We thought of ourselves as musicians, philosophers, thinkers, people who "got it", better than everyone else, avoiding the rat race, etc. We liked talking. Didn't like doing. Most of us were underachievers at school.

Here's what I've learnt. THE SINGLE GREATEST THING you can do to motivate them is to become successful yourself. This applies in everything from fitness to relationship success. Want to get people fitter? Get fit yourself. Etc.

You may find that it's actually best for both you and your friends for you to FIND and work with people who are passionate enough. Some of them will be inspired by your example. Others will never be interested, and your precious, limited time is better spent focusing on people who actually care.

The advice I wish I got when I was 16- find kickass, badass friends who get shit done. Otherwise you're all just validating each other's fiction and bullshit about why you're dicking around.

... all of this is really more about me and my experience than you- your mileage may vary, your experience might be completely different. Maybe your friends just need to watch a few great motivational videos (this one is my favorite- I've watched it so much it's started to seep into my self-talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-jwWYX7Jlo).

But just putting this out there in case it's useful or triggers something.