When we think of motivation, the snail is not the first animal that jumps to mind. It isn’t even the second, third or hundredth animal we would associate with motivation. A snail really doesn’t have a lot going for it. It isn’t particularly intelligent, nor does it have great strength, nor claws, nor teeth. Its most notable quality is an extreme lack of speed, just barely fast enough to hunt flowers.

You, as a human, have god like compared to our little mollusc. Our speed is several thousand fold that of a snail, we have superior intellect with exceptional abstract and predictive planning abilities. We even developed special gardening toxins designed to kill snails. It would only take 10 seconds to walk out to your porch and place snail repellent around your petunias. But why bother? You tell yourself you can do it later; besides you’re late for date. Later that evening, little eye stalks spy your delicious flowers. After a 3 hour trek, it slowly scaled your walls, traversed a porch and made its way to your flowerpot. Another half an hour to feast and then another couple of hours to escape. The next morning you are surprised to notice your garden is trashed and kick yourself. Despite all your advantages this minuscule mollusc managed to win!