Why motivation is unreliable
And why you should move over it
Generations have been told to keep themselves motivated. But what is motivation exactly? The ‘go-getter’ dopamine rush I get after reading two pages of a good biography? Or my urge to become a cricketer after India won the 2011 world cup? Whatever it is, none can deny that it is fleeting.
The point is; all notable accomplishments take persistent efforts. You didn’t get your job or college by mugging away the previous evening, and Rome wasn’t built in a day. So, what happens when people believe that motivation is the force behind the effort? The absence of it becomes an excuse for inaction. The legitimization is concerning; sweat isn’t supposed to be pretty.
Humor me. When do you need to make your best endeavors? When you’ve landed a promotion, or when you’ve been laid off? And does dopamine kick in when you’re fighting in the trenches? Do you comb LinkedIn for software internships because you’re motivated to print asterisk patterns or because that’s what you need to do for a better career?
Most modern human struggles are prolonged; you slog through eight semesters to get a bachelor’s degree, which then nudges you toward a lifetime of duty. And it is this incompatibility of the fleeting nature of motivation with the omnipresent challenges that make it unreliable.
When you’re going through hell, you need to keep going regardless of whether or not you feel like it.
There’s another aspect to the discussion. You’ll earn greater trust from people if you base your efforts on discipline. Who would you trust with something critical? Someone who’d do it excellently but only if they’re motivated, or someone who’d get it done to standards regardless?
There’s power in doing your duty despite feeling unmotivated; it is evidence that your will prevails over your emotions. I do ten pushups on days that I do not feel like exercising. Ten pushups have negligible physical benefits for me, but the activity earns me a winning mindset for the day.
Do I give up sometimes for lack of motivation? Absolutely. But that doesn’t mean that I accept it as legitimate.
I’ve been writing an article daily for over fifteen days. On most days, I don’t feel like writing, but I write regardless. Hitting ‘publish’ doesn’t change much, but it does earn me a sense of accomplishment. It carries me through the remainder of my day.
Life doesn’t have to be easy to be worthwhile.
Hey, thanks for reading. If you liked this one, read the piece on the paradox of free will.
