There are so many YouTube videos on how to be more motivated…blah, blah, blah. We’re calling it. BULL$@!T!
This myth has well and truly been busted, but it keeps hanging around, trying to make us feel bad about our slacker selves. Let’s see what’s really behind this motivation mirage.
Neuroscience tells us that we are hard-wired to avoid discomfort and seek immediate pleasure, making it extra, extra, EXTRA hard to do your work instead of going down a deep spiral of hobbyhorse competition videos (have you seen this?? Look it up on YouTube, it’s frickin hilarious!).
Motivation is unpredictable at best. It comes and goes and is even more elusive the more you berate yourself for not having it on command.
However, what can be on command is…discipline!
We know that word is triggering as hell, but building systems and habits are the key to getting sh*t done when you just don’t wanna.
The real hero of getting stuff done is the age-old adage of eating an elephant one bite at a time. Think about what you want to do, then break that f**ker down into bite-size chunks and work out a routine that you do daily/weekly/whatever-ly that GETS THEM DONE.
Do you like the Dopamine zap that comes with crossing things off a list? Do that. Do you like having timers on your phone? Do that. Do you need a bossy (sorry, assertive) mate to ring you at a specific time and interrogate you? Do that.
Experiment and find the thing that works for you, then (and here’s the money line) DO THE FRICKIN THING! DO NOT WAIT FOR MOTIVATION TO FIND YOU BECAUSE IT WON’T!!!
Sorry, we know it is very unsatisfying to know there’s no magic motivational secret. Still, after working out your unique system, you can do what you need AND spend some glorious shame-free time hobbyhorse watching (seriously, do it).
Motivation might be a myth, but our determination is real. Recognising that we’re all human with weirdly wired brains that don’t want us to work, frees us from the stupid belief that we’re flawed in some way.
We’re not.
We’re awesome.
REFERENCES
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68-78.
Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin, 133(1), 65-94.
Lally, P., van Jaarsveld, C. H., Potts, H. W., & Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6), 998-1009.
Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (1990). A theory of goal setting and task performance. Prentice-Hall, Inc.Berk,
L. S., & Tan, S. A. (1985). The Laughter-Immunoglobulin Connection. In Research Frontiers in Aging and Cancer: Frontiers of Radiation Therapy and Oncology (Vol. 19, pp. 129-141). S. Karger AG.
