The word motivation is an often misunderstood concept. When you understand more about what it is, you will have a much better chance of firing up your motivation. So, what is motivation exactly?
Motivation comes from the word ‘motive’ and means ‘to move’.
Move away or towards?
At the core, we humans are very simple creatures. We either move away from something or towards something courtesy of the brain. The brain is designed to move towards reward or pleasure and to move away from pain. In order to be motivated (to move) we need to have a good reason; either a reward or benefit, or to move away from discomfort, dislike or danger.
To be or not to be motivated…that is the question
We’re generally only motivated if the most fundamental questions are addressed: What is the point? Why should I be doing this? What’s in it for me?
In order to be motivated there needs to be something in it for you. Why else would you put in the effort and give up doing something else that you might otherwise enjoy?
But I am trying
The word ‘trying’ suggests you are not really motivated or committed, but you’re having a go. Only when you see a compelling reason and decide to do something will you be motivated enough to change your habits and commit to what it is that you want to achieve. Without a firm decision or compelling reason, you can try as hard as you like, but it’s unlikely that you will succeed.
No reward will motivate you beyond compliance if you don’t personally see a good reason why.
More reasons, more motivation
As a general rule, the more reasons you have for doing something – the more benefits there are for you – the more motivated you are likely to be. No matter how many reasons other people give you, until it resonates with you, you will not be genuinely motivated.
You can take a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. Ultimately no one else can motivate you other than you. You are going to be more motivated by what you ‘love’ to do, rather than by what you ‘should’ do. That said, you need to be aware of your secondary motivation.
Secondary motivation is associated with a secondary pay-off or benefit. For example, you might not feel motivated to go to work, but you need to earn money. Therefore, your motivation is attached to the secondary pay-off and benefit of working, not necessarily the work itself.
If there is a lack of motivation it is because there is no clear primary or secondary benefit. When you are not motivated in areas of your life that are important to you, examine the pay off or benefit of staying stuck.
Am I being lazy?
Many people confuse a lack of motivation with being lazy. Ultimately there is no such thing as being lazy. But there certainly can be an absence of motivation due to a lack of motive.
If you want test this theory, ask a teenager to tidy up their room and see their response. You might have (wrongly) judged the absence of enthusiasm as being lazy. Now ask the teenager to leave the room. Hide money in their room in different places and invite them to find as much as they can within two minutes. What do you think might happen to the ‘lazy’ teenager? You got it…MOTIVATION!
Make your move…or not
Motivation makes things happen. It is what helps you get out of that chair and move towards what you really want in life. So from now, stop calling yourself lazy or wasting time making half-hearted attempts by ‘trying’. Instead spend some time unlocking your motivation. You will find that there are things that motivate you and things that don’t. No one can tell you what should or should not motivate you. Different people are motivated by different things.
The motivation myth
We now know that motivation is the key to getting things done; for achieving your goals and desires. People often say: ‘I know it is important to me but I’m just not that motivated’. These people rarely start or change anything because they are waiting to feel motivated. They somehow think that the only way they can move towards something (or away from something) is to be motivated. Wrong! They are waiting for motivation to appear out of thin air, which will magically hurdle them into action towards their goal.
Don’t sit around waiting for motivation to magically appear…it doesn’t, and it won’t! The motivation bus isn’t coming.
DON’T wait to feel motivated
If you want to achieve something and you don’t feel motivated, just do it anyway! Yes, this might take an act of will, discipline and determination. Yes, it might feel uncomfortable, require a commitment and you might even have to give up something else. Yet you do it because you know the end result, your goal and that is more important than whether you feel motivated or not. The problem is that most people focus on what they are giving up, rather than on the long term benefit or gain.
Do you really think elite swimmers look forward to getting up every morning at 4:30am day after day? Rather than begrudging their early morning starts, they are completely focused on the end result; their goal. That is what keeps them going, that is what motivates them.
Creating your own momentum
When you want to achieve something that is important to you, just start the ball rolling. Start pushing that motivation ball until it creates its own momentum…and it will, and then it might even be hard to stop.
Just like starting to exercise again after you haven’t for a while. It is highly unlikely that you will jump out of bed one morning full of motivation and start exercising. You might not feel like it, but because you know you’ll feel better and much healthier in the long term, you get going.
Most people tend to give up just before the critical moment of breakthrough. Repetition is the key. It usually takes between 30-60 days for a new habit to become ingrained and automatic. At first it takes real effort, and you might have to fight that little voice in your head that will offer you all kinds of good reasons and temptations not to do it.
“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” – Jim Ryun
You won’t always be motivated to do the things that are important to you. But don’t wait for motivation to come along. Make a decision and do it anyway. Start building your own momentum and before long it will continue on its own, pulling you along with it.
Got a spare minute?
Do you yearn for something different in your life, but lack the ‘motivation’ to make any meaningful change?
Take our FREE Soul Setting quiz and start the ball rolling – remember, don’t wait to feel motivated. Gain valuable insights for greater self-awareness and personal satisfaction. Find out what you want to move towards, or move away from. Make your move and take the Soul Setting quiz – it’s fast, easy and free.
