The question

It happens often, falling behind. We are busy, lazy, tired....and possibly even forgetful. BUT others might be counting on us and that puts stress within items on our to-do lists. It can even just be us, counting on ourselves. What then? We wonder why we are behind, we question why we aren't good enough and how it seems that others can handle it all just fine.
Sure, there are methods and techniques that help keep us on track, but for me knowing all that I have to do isn't the problem. I know EVERYTHING I must do and it bugs the crap out of me. This is common for college students, we have a to-do list a mile long and it lays right on top of our list for daily living and then even our list of stuff we just want to do for ourselves, for fun. For me, it's doing it that is the problem.
Why am I not taking care of my list as I should? Well that answer could vary widely and more often the answer is simply "I'm just not." Which turns out to be more complicated than it sounds.
Motivation seems to be what we blame it all on. That may be true, but what I want to know is why aren't we motivated? What "motivates" us to do something we don't want to do? It all sounds kind of funny to me, like a web of issues that all lead back to each other. Where there isn't just one thing to blame, but a problem along the way of each individual item in the web. Maybe there is something completely different that is affecting the web as a whole.
If you're still reading this to find the answer, you won't find it. Answers like these are found within the self. Not within others, though others may help guide you to your own answer, you've got to do the work. What I'm here to share is what keeps me going in these times, which seems to happen more often than it should. If you want to call it "motivation" be my guest.

"If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, what am 'I'?"

-and-

"If not now, when?"

-Hillel

Most of you are more familiar with this in the following: 

"If not you, who? If not now, when?"

I apply this to everything, things simple in life and things more complex. I hope this was helpful to you and that you may apply this to your life in some way.