Motivation encompasses the reasons and feelings that lead us to act or behave in a certain way. It can come from some external source, like cheering fans during a road race or a teammate encouraging you, or it can be from an internal source, something within yourself that encourages you to carry out that action. Motivation seems to lead to action...right?
What if we have it backwards? What if actions build motivation, which can in turn, inspire us to keep going, but what if it is the conscious choices we make every second of every day that really drive us to act?
It may seem counter-intuitive at first but perhaps that's because this logic would mean we would have to take responsibility for our choices and our actions. Motivation is not tangible; you can describe it, but you can't see or touch it - it's a feeling, a force, an energy. Actions have visible results - if this, then that. We observe the relationship between our choice and the result that follows, and hopefully, we learn from it.
What happens when we aren't feeling motivated? Motivation can be a powerful driving force but when we're "just not feeling it" - that's our get-out-of-jail-free card and we hit snooze. Furthermore, one day we may feel unstoppable but the next day we're dragging our heels.
Motivation is fleeting and unreliable.
As much as we may hate to admit it, we just need to decide to do something. Make the decision to get up before the sun to get to the 6am class; decide to eat some vegetables instead of chips; choose to start an assignment instead of watching one more episode on Netflix. Making those choices can be really hard sometimes, especially if it's new compared to your routine. Lucky for us, there is a loophole. Motivation may not be reliable for consistently making those initial good, healthy, productive choices, but it can be part of the positive feedback loop. In a positive feedback loop, the product of the circuit tells it to continue making the product, allowing it to accumulate. In essence, the product enhances the cycle that created it. Maybe our actions can help motivate us toward a particular goal, and in return, the motivation will enable us to continue working towards that goal.
In Mark Manson's book, "The Subtle of Art of Not Giving a F***" - he writes out the following relationship: Action --> Inspiration --> Motivation. He goes on to say:
"If we follow the 'do something' principle, failure feels unimportant. When the standard of success becomes merely acting - when any result is regarded as progress and important, when inspiration is seen as a reward rather than a prerequisite - we propel ourselves ahead. We feel free to fail, and that failure moves us forward."
In other words, any effort we put forth is valuable and productive! If consistent, even the smallest bouts of effort lead to changes and results.
One way you might act on this is by taking a 5-minute action - no matter how you're feeling, just sit down and work on a task for five minutes. You may find that starting is the hardest part and once you get going, now you're in the groove to make a solid dent in your task. We've all heard the phrase, "the hardest part is showing up", and this is you showing up for yourself.
You might also consider ways in which you can make those choices easier. How can you adjust the circumstances so that you'll be more likely to make the better choice? It may be as simple as asking yourself, "What can I do in this moment that will benefit my future self?", or maybe changing aspects of your environment like moving your alarm clock to the other side of the bedroom so you have to get up to turn it off or not keeping tempting treats near your desk at work.
Now, none of this is to say that you should do things robotically, mindlessly, or without intention or purpose. These actions are meant to build habits which turn into lifestyles, which ultimately, help you achieve your goals and live by the values important to you. Self-reflection is an incredible tool and it's important to ask ourselves if we are bettering ourselves through our choices and actions, if we are actively working towards a goal, and if we are happy and fulfilled by how we spend our time.
Finally, keep in mind, we're striving for progress and consistency! Start small and acknowledge each of your successes. Consistency, not perfection, is key to sustainable change.
So with that LivFitters, no one says it better than Nike - "Just Do It"!