You and I have something in common: we both struggle with motivation. Chances are, you already know what goals you’d like to achieve, but you struggle to harness enough motivation to pursue them. The problem, however, is not you. All human beings struggle with motivation. That being said, what is motivation and how come we never seem to have enough of it?
What Is Motivation and How Did the Word Originate?
Have you ever played the old-time game of telephone? A large group of people sit in a circle, close enough that whispering is possible.
The first person whispers a word of their choice to the person on their right, quiet enough that other players can’t hear. That person then turns to the next and attempts to repeat it. This is continued in the same direction until the word reaches the last person in the circle, who then discloses it to the entire group.
Almost every time, the word doesn’t resemble the original. Perhaps someone didn’t understand the word, or the person next to you thought it was a good idea to change it deliberately.
The language we use today started in a similar fashion. Unlike the telephone game, language shifts happen over a long period of time.
The words you are reading right now went through a series of changes. Many of them changed in meaning, spelling, and pronunciation multiple times, while others only changed slightly.
Even though the word “motivation” has changed little in spelling over time, its meaning has been altered significantly.
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What Motivation Is, According to Society
Motivation originated from the Latin word, “movere”, which means “to move”. At its core, moving means we change from our current position to a new one. That is, we move from A to B, with A being our current place and B being the desired one. Whether we can move from one position to another depends on our energy level. Without energy, we remain stationary.
Today, motivation carries the connotation that we can turn it on by flipping a switch. We came to believe that motivation is an infinite resource, and that we must always have enough of it if we want to pursue a specific goal and achieve success. If we can’t be a motivated person at all times, we think we’re flawed.
There’s a false belief that runs through society that says we must always feel motivated to achieve a desired goal. People from all around teach us the importance of motivation, whether it be speakers, leaders, or coaches. When their beliefs become a part of our belief system and we don’t always feel motivated, we might think there’s something wrong with us.
It then feels natural to say things such as, “I don’t have enough motivation to go to the gym today,” “I’ll take the garbage out tomorrow,” or “I’ll study for this test when I feel like it”. This is especially true when we let our instant gratification monkey run wild.
What Is Motivation and Why Don’t We Have Enough of It?
The truth is, we can’t create motivation. Human motivation depends on feelings, and our feelings, as we know them, are fluid and unpredictable. They change because of random events, biological needs, energy levels, mental state, the weather, time of day—internal and external factors which are difficult to control. The belief that you must always feel motivated to pursue your goals is, for that reason, not feasible.
If you fell victim to the delusion of motivation in the past or feel concerned you can’t succeed, I want to put your fears to rest. Motivation isn’t the only energy source available to you, and it is not the best way to complete a given task. The good news is that deep within you, there’s a more effective way to get things done.
What Is Motivation, How Does It Work, and Why Is It Useless?
Recall that motivation originated from the word “movere”, which means “to move”.
A change in position only happens when we have a reason to move on to something better. There must be something desirable enough at point B for you to leave point A.
If your rent is too high (A), you have a reason for moving to a new house or apartment (B). If you impulse shop too much on Amazon, you have a reason for deleting your account. When there’s something desirable enough at some position, we feel motivated to leave our current spot.
Motivation is a temporary internal desire that arises when you have a reason to move from your current position to a better one. When you feel motivated, you have a strong desire to change something for the better.
Maybe your bedroom is messy, and you suddenly feel encouraged to clean. Maybe you’re not in shape, and you suddenly feel enough energy to go for a run at your local park. When we feel euphoric from being motivated, a change that seemed impossible not too long ago suddenly feels within reach.
The problem with motivation is that we don’t always feel motivated. Sometimes it can take several weeks, or even months, until we feel a spark of motivation. Even then, it might not be enough to move you to action. We can’t turn on our motivation by flipping a switch, or by snapping our fingers.
Motivation arises spontaneously: It might arise when we’re watching Netflix, or when we’re in the shower in the morning. It is difficult to control because it is a feeling, and feelings, as we know them, are always changing.
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A Driving Force That’s Far More Effective Than Motivation
Have you ever done something when you didn’t feel like it? Of course, you have.
The last time you did something, even though you didn’t want to, you used your willpower. At its core, willpower is your ability to do or refrain from something. You can use it to make disciplined choices and to control your attention, emotional state, and level of desire.
In the 1990s, American psychologist Roy F. Baumeister examined the effect of willpower depletion.1 Along with a group of researchers, he gathered participants in a room that had several chocolate treats on display. Baumeister split test subjects into two groups.
Group A could eat the chocolate treats on display, while Group B had to resist the temptation and had to eat radishes instead.
The research team noted that some participants in the radish-eating group “exhibit[ed] clear interest in the chocolates, to the point of looking longingly at the chocolate display and in a few cases even picking up the cookies to sniff at them.”
Next, the participants had to solve a seemingly unrelated puzzle. This puzzle was nearly impossible to solve and intended to measure the effect of the food bait on the radish-group. Baumeister and his team found that those who ate radishes had, in fact, depleted their willpower. The radish-eating group made fewer attempts, devoted less time, and gave up quicker compared to the chocolate-eating group.
Their willpower levels had deteriorated after a long session of use. What can we make of this information?
Why Mental Toughness Matters
Baumeister’s study shows that willpower is like a muscle. After exercising it, it loses strength, gets fatigued, and becomes temporarily unusable. Over time, it recovers again and will get stronger.
You can train your willpower with small daily tasks, such as making your bed in the morning, taking cold showers, or choosing greens over high-calorie foods.
With practice, your ability to control impulses in pursuit of larger goals will grow.
It’s important to train your willpower gradually. If you were to show up to the gym on your first day and tried to squat 200 pounds, you would likely fail. While lifting 200 pounds is possible, you’re better off by taking small steps and starting with lower weight. With time and practice, you will strengthen your muscles and work your way up.
Your willpower works the same way. You strengthen your willpower by gradually working your way up, so that eventually, you will no longer have to wait for high motivation to get things done.
What Energy Source Should You Depend On?
Willpower and motivation are, in their simplest form, forces that can drive you to do things. Both can help you go to the gym, sit down for a meditation, or pick up a new book.
It doesn’t matter whether you use your willpower (your inner strength) or motivation (a burst of energy) to do something a single time. Both can help you do something just once.
However, if we want to achieve our goals, we must show up many times. Since strong motivation happens spontaneously, we cannot rely on it to achieve our goals. Motivation is not necessarily bad, but it is unreliable for achieving long-term goals.
Think of motivation as a bonus, something nice when it appears. You can use it to get you started, but you must rely on willpower to keep going.
References
- Baumeister, R F., et al. “Ego depletion: is the active self a limited resource?” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 74, no. 5, 1998, pp. 1252-65, doi:10.1037//0022-3514.74.5.1252.