Why Motivation Doesn’t Work?

Motivation comes from one’s desires. So, it is based on you either do it, or you don’t. While being motivated is important, it can only get you so far in life. Motivation will come and go and is not something that is a constant in life. There are also many variables when it comes to motivation, and each person will respond differently.

Motivation comes from our ever-changing emotions. One day you may feel tired and sluggish and don’t want to do anything, while other days, you may feel full of energy and ready to conquer the world. This makes motivation inconsistent and unreliable, as there are many outside factors out of your control.

Some people rely on motivation to start something. Have you ever said to yourself, “I will just wait until I am motivated to start that project” The problem is, you may never find that motivation to start that project, and you need to get up and get it done. Odds are, once you start it, you will realize it wasn’t that bad and didn’t take long to complete. We all lack motivation at times, and that is normal. However, you should not rely on motivation alone to complete tasks.

When your motivation comes from extrinsic things, you are excited at the moment, and your motivation comes from the reward you will earn. But what happens after you earn that reward? Your overall motivation is temporary and no longer means anything because you got your reward, and now you moved on. This cycle will continue to repeat itself often for those that are constantly chasing extrinsic motivation.

So, what are some things we can do instead of just relying on motivation? You can focus on building habits in your daily routine. When something becomes a habit, it takes the motivation factor out of the equation, and it just becomes part of your daily goals. If you are working on making goals for yourself, make sure they are obtainable and working on the journey of meeting that goal and not just getting caught up in meeting the end goal. There is a big difference between the two. It is important to honor the promises that you make with yourself. It is easy to get down on ourselves when we don’t meet our goals or expectations. If you find yourself in this pattern, I would suggest going back and looking at your goals and maybe re-defining them so you can set yourself up for success.