Losing My Motivation Transcript

 [Thomas]: Hey, how many YouTubers does it take to screw in a light bulb? One to screw in the light bulb. And another one to help stabilize the ladder during the installation. Thought that was going to be a joke? Home maintenance is not a joke.

*logo*

[Thomas]: What is up, everybody?! Man, you are in for a treat because for today’s video, I got nothin’...

[Logic]: Um… I’m sorry, what?!

[Thomas]: I don’t know, Logic, I just don’t really know what to talk about…

[Logic]: Preposterous! There’s an infinitesimal amount of things in this bizarre massive universe brimming with exciting mysteries and you don’t really know what to talk about?

[Thomas]: Well… I didn’t look into any topics and I just kind of flew into this video without any prep…

[Logic]: Why did you do that?

[Thomas]: I DON’T KNOW, LOGIC! I KNOW IT DEFIES...LOGIC! I’m just a textbook procrastinator.

[Logic]: Oh no, you procrastinate on a lot more than just reading textbooks.

[Thomas]: N-n...

[Logic]: But more importantly, procrastination is not the cause, it is the effect; a reaction due to something else going on...

[Thomas]: Wait, really?!

[Logic]: Any idea what might be causing your lack of motivation?

[Thomas]: -chortle- If I knew, I probably wouldn’t be procrastinating as much.

[Logic]: Then we must get to the bottom of this! What is the culprit? The game is on…

[Thomas]: What’re you, Sherlock? ...Yesss apparently you are. Didn’t take you for the dress-up type…

[Logic]: This is strictly to get me into the mindset for deductive reasoning. All business.

[Morality]: I’ll be Watson!

[Logic]: NO, YOU CAN’T PLAY WITH US!!

[Thomas]: All business, huh?

[Morality]: Sherlock always has a Watson to help with deduction!

[Logic]: Morality, you play no part in deduction.

[Morality]: LOOK! I’ve got a scarf too!

[Logic]: Is that… are you wearing the cardigan that is usually wrapped around your shoulders?

[Morality]: I’ve been waiting for this day to wear it…

[Thomas]: Okay, yeah, you’re gonna let him play.

[Logic]: -sigh- Fine.

[Morality]: YAY!!!

[Logic]: Now, Thomas, when you think about getting started with a video, or any other big project, what are some of your immediate feelings?

[Thomas]: You know, I would say nervousness… I wanna make sure whatever I make, people would enjoy it.

[Logic & Morality]: AHA!

[Logic]: You deduced it, too?!

[Morality]: No! I found a dollar in my pocket! Oh, it was in my cardigan since my character was first introduced, isn’t that something? Oh, my goodness!

[Logic]: ANXIETY!

[A wild Anxiety appears]

[Anxiety]: Um… Rude much? I was just touching up my eyeshadow…

[Logic]: You actually look into a mirror to put that on?

[Anxiety]: Did you actually look into a mirror when you put THAT on?

[Logic]: Wow.

[Thomas]: Geez.

[Anxiety]: Can I help you?

[Morality]: Yeah, do you have any quarters?

[Logic]: I have grounds to suspect that you are the cause of Thomas’s procrastination.

[Thomas]: -distracted chuckle-

[Anxiety]: Not that I’m disagreeing with you, but what are these grounds?

[Logic]: Thomas has related to me that he is ANXIOUS… about how his video will turn out. So, rather than start it, he is avoiding it. It’s you Anxiety, isn’t it? You’re the one causing him to worry about those things!

[Anxiety]: Avoiding things is my specialty… I’m the one who earned him his Temple Run record of 2012.

[Morality]: Ah, memories.

[Anxiety]: Can’t be a bad video if you never make one.

[Thomas]: Okay, so, is there anything that can be done?

[Logic]: I would say the first thing to do is to trust yourself that you have what it takes to do the project well.

[Morality]: Whatever comes, you have to allow yourself to make mistakes. Not everything can be perfect. It’s all a growing process.

[Anxiety]: And when in doubt, remember that everything we do is all pointless anyway.

[Thomas]: Bleak. But I appreciate you trying to contribute.

[Anxiety]: You’re not welcome.

[Logic]: Well, case closed.

[Morality]: BRILLIANT! Oh!

[Logic]: Elementary, my dear--Daddy...no.. -ship-

[Thomas]: Well, actually, I don’t know, I mean… Sure, there’s nothing for me to be scared of, but I don’t know, I’m still not feeling it…

[Morality]: -GASP-

[Thomas]: Maybe you know, I can come back to this later.

[Logic]: Thomas, are you implying that LOGIC was not sound?! Anxiety’s the antagonist.

[Anxiety]: I’m not ALWAYS the bad guy…

[Morality]: Aw… of course, you’re not, big guy!

[Logic]: Of course! That would have been too obvious. There must be something else…

[Anxiety]: Other than me?

[Logic]: Think, ponder, deliberate! OF COURSE!

[Morality]: What is it?!

[Logic]: What do you need to do a video?

[Morality]: A camera!

[Logic]: Correct but think more generally. What starts you down the path on any big job?

[Morality]: A big job application!

[Logic]: Why do I even try?!

[Anxiety]: Can I take a stab?

[Logic]: WHO GAVE HIM A KNIFE?!

[Anxiety]: An idea! He needs an idea.

[Logic]: Oh. Yes.

[Thomas]: Huh…

[Anxiety]: And in order to do that, he needs to be creative. You’re looking for his fanciful side.

[Princey]: You called?

[Anxiety]: I did not.

[Logic]: Princey, you are in charge of bringing Thomas inspiration. What happened?

[Princey]: I’m sorry, what is happening here?

[Morality]: Logic and I are playing dress-up, Anxiety’s making us question our existence, and I found a dollar!

[Princey]: That dollar you borrowed from me 8 years ago?

[Morality]: Ah, yeah.

[Princey]: Thank, ya news-y hipster theater kid Mark from Rent.

[Logic]: And Thomas has not gotten started with his video yet, and I have reason to believe YOU are the cause of our conundrum!

[Princey]: Look, I’m out there, living the fanciful dream, okay? He couldn’t be struggling because of me. Why not Sunshine over here?

[Anxiety]: They already ruled me out, Sir Sing-a-Lot.

[Princey]: Ha! I like that nickname, and I’m gonna use it now!

[Thomas]: I mean, basic ideas are one thing, but a good idea is what I struggle with.

[Princey]: Well if it’s not a perfect idea, it’s not good enough. You don’t want to put out anything but your best.

[Logic]: AH!!! I think I see a spider behind you! No?

[Princey]: What?

[Logic]: Okay, maybe not. It was a shadow. But see there, that’s what first drafts are for. It’s better to start, get it done, and improve it afterwards. If you sit around waiting for inspiration to strike, consistency is unattainable.

[Thomas]: Oh, man. I do do that.

[Morality]: -giggle- Doodoo.

[Princey]: Well, I suppose you’re right. I shouldn’t be so picky.

[Thomas]: Yeah, that has put me in some bad last-minute situations before.

[Princey]: My bad.

[Thomas]: Okay, so I now just need to get started with an idea but how do I get there? I still feel like putting this whole thing off.

[Logic]: Well then, that means there’s more to this than just Princey… He’s just a pawn.

[Princey]: I am a knight, thank you very much.

[Thomas]: It’s not like this is some big conspiracy. Why do I feel so unmotivated?

[Logic]: -sigh-

[Thomas]: It’s like my heart’s not in it…

[Logic]: Oh no…

[Morality]: Wha?

[Logic]: How could you do it? I trusted you…

[Morality]: Way?

[Thomas]: What is going on?

[Anxiety]: Something good!

[Logic]: Thomas said it himself. His heart’s not in it. You’re basically his heart.

[Morality]: HUH?!

[Princey]: Ooh, I like dramatic twists!

[Logic]: Without you, Thomas lacks the passion to get creative and start this project!

[Thomas]: Oh, wow!

[Morality]: I don’t mean to, Thomas! I-I wanna be into it!

[Thomas]: Well, okay if he’s the culprit and you don’t wanna be, what can we do?

[Logic]: I don’t know! Why do you feel like you’re lacking passion?

[Morality]: I don’t know!

[Logic]: -sigh- Feelings. The bane of my existence.

[Princey]: Is it because I have a dollar and you don’t?

[Morality]: It’s just that when I think about “making a video,” it’s just this weird, mushy vision.

[Thomas]: Well that’s not... good.

[Morality]: It’s almost like the whole vision isn’t there to begin with.

[Logic]: Well, yes, we established that in order to have a vision for a video, we need to encourage creativity to come up with a basic idea.

[Morality]: NO! I mean the whole vision of the creating process!

[Logic]: What?

[Morality]: This whole time, we’ve been trying to get at the root of what causes procrastination. I think this could all be really helped by…

[Thomas]: ...making a plan to AVOID procrastination.

[Princey]: Well, who should’ve done that?

[Logic]: Me. WAIT. *DUNN*

[Princey]: This is a bigger ending twist than the Oscars.

[Thomas]: Stop, you’re dating the video. Don’t do that.

[Logic]: But I, I’ve been helping figure this out. I’m the cause of this. But I'm also the solution to a problem I have caused and will inevitably resolve. Am I in a paradoxical loop where I endlessly generate a problem and try to solve it like a snake devouring its own tail in order to satiate its hunger?!?!

[Thomas]: OKAY, calm down time. It’s a lot simpler than… whatever you’re trying to say.

[Anxiety]: -horrified- That was dark, even for me!

[Thomas]: Yes, I may have slipped up by not having you, Logic, help me plan ahead to avoid this situation. So many times, I finish a project at 4 in the morning, my eyes tired, my brain exhausted, and I’m so proud of myself for doing so, I develop this faulty logic that I can tackle all my projects like that. But that is such a harmful habit to get into. I could’ve planned ahead, working at intervals, and taking breaks in order to keep my spirits up. I could have gone to another more productive location with less distractions like a library might’ve helped me brainstorm and get a little more creative. And a proper plan to address a big project would definitely cut down a lot of the nervousness I feel when starting it.

[Anxiety]: But not completely.

[Thomas]: Shush. And make a face of agreement like everyone else.

[Anxiety]: Mm-hmm...

[Thomas]: But don’t feel bad, we’ll do better next time. And like Morality said, we should be okay with forgiving ourselves because sometimes procrastination and mistakes happen.

[Morality]: Yeah! All that matters is that we put our noodles together and make a beautiful… uh… pasta salad.

[Logic]: You never suspect yourself… But okay! A plan shall be formulated for the next video, that is certain.

[Princey]: And look this video made itself!

[Anxiety]: And as usual, you are completely unnecessary.

[Princey]: HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO SIR SING-ALONG THAT WAY! See, now I gotta. . . . sink out all over again! Rude!

[Thomas]: I do wanna thank you two for helping me.

[Logic]: Another case closed! And it’s all thanks to a brilliant deduction... from Watson.

[Morality]: Who?

[Logic]: Never mind…

[Morality]: Alright, Logan! That’s funny, I could’ve sworn I had a dollar on me…

[Thomas]: Why did he call you Logan?

[Logan]: That is my name.

[Thomas]: Your name is… Logan?

[Logan]: Yes. You didn’t think I was just logic, did you?

[Thomas]: ...Does that mean the others have names?

[Logan]: Thomas, can you keep it down? I’m trying to make a plan.

[Thomas]: Okaaay… Well! If you find yourselves lacking motivation or procrastinating, I hope you’re able to deduce the reasons behind it and you can use any of the ways we covered to fight against it. Do your best to plan ahead. And until next time… Take it easy guys, gals, and non-binary pals! PEACE OUT!

*end card*

[Princey]: Wow, I felt like a side character in today’s video. That will not stand!

[Anxiety]: Who are you calling?

[Princey]: My agent, but I’ve forgotten my password, so it’s barred.

[Anxiety]: You mean locked?

[Princey]: Sure, locked.

[Logan]: SHERLOCCKKKK!!!!

[Morality]: AND WATSONNNN!!!!

[Anxiety]: -pulling his hood over his face- OH, FOR CRYING OUT LOOOUUUD!!!!

[Princey]: -with his phone in hand- MAKE IT STOOOOP!!!!