Why motivation is garbage?

Motivation is something that is often highly valued and highly promoted in today’s society.  Like with anything, though, it can be a good question to ask if something is all that it is promoted to be.  Motivation can be healthy in several ways, but there are also many ways to be unhealthy and/or not useful to yourself and others. 

The first point to make is that people often think that motivation is the key to getting something done and/or achieving something.  However, action is actually the priority compared to motivation.  So often, action has to come first before motivation can follow.  If you are only going after motivation, the action will likely never see the light of day.  If you can focus more on the action you want to take place; it is more possible for motivation to happen. 

Another negative point to motivation is that it does not really matter if it is not something you value.  Our values are important, and when we go after things that do not matter to us or align with our values, motivation is often absent and/or does not matter. If you are pursuing things that actually matter to you, motivation will likely follow, and that motivation will be healthy. 

A great point to consider when thinking about if motivation is garbage or not is to consider if the motivation leads to something wrong and/or unhealthy.  We can be motivated to do several things in life, including things that are not good for us and/or others.  For example, I could be really motivated to be rich, and that motivation could lead me to steal, rob, etc., from others.  In cases such as that, motivation actually works against us and causes a whole lot of harm.  Motivation can lead people down dark paths that can alter their lives forever, so it is extra important to consider the intent behind the motivation you are feeling. 

Motivation can often be unhealthy, such as eating too much, drinking too much alcohol, and exercising too much, among other examples.