For me, motivation is the key and projects that don't involve a customer or end user or someone directly benefiting from the tasks involved don't get completed.

For me, motivation is the key and projects that don't involve a customer or end user or someone directly benefiting from the tasks involved don't get completed. Obviously, you can envision someone benefiting from long term projects. But that is not the same thing as an actual person actually benefitting. You can't imagine it. You can't fake it. You need it. So find some way to get real people involved in what you want to accomplish.