I have a question for you. But before I get to that, let me say a few things about motivation.
We all intuitively know that change occurs one step at a time; that accomplishing a goal takes work, requiring us to put one foot in front of the other as we move toward any goal. It doesn’t matter the example we select, athletes, musicians, celebrities, business magnates, even our favorite guru; we know these people achieved their successes because they put in the work. That is true. Let’s also agree that other factors, sometimes even luck, come along and help move us toward our goals. Maybe, even makes achieving those goals possible. But without some form(s) of action, i.e., work, no movement toward a goal would be possible. So, I think we can safely say:
Work is necessary if we want to accomplish a goal (but work doesn’t always guarantee it)!
How do people muster the motivation, i.e., “grit, determination, consciousnesses,” it takes to stick to a goal when the work gets hard? That’s a great question! Especially at times when our motivation is low.
But that’s not the question I promised at the beginning. Stay with me.
Addressing where motivation comes from has been hotly debated in scientific circles for the last several decades. One camp has emphasized the need for lots of deliberate practice, for example I’m thinking about the work of K. Anders Ericsson (additional citation: LINK). Malcolm Gladwell made Dr. Ericsson and colleagues’ research on this topic infamous by popularizing the the so-called “10,000 hour rule”. Another camp, has pushed back suggesting that external factors outside of practice need to be considered, i.e., it’s not just about grinding out 10,000-hours toward your goal: LINK.
Like all things, I think the “truth” is somewhere in the middle (those who know me will be rolling their eyes because, yes, I did just suggest finding a middle-way). Nevertheless.
Achieving our goals takes some combination of practice (maybe LOTS of practice) and…
…it also likely takes things like passion, natural ability (intelligence, health, et cetera), and yes, maybe even a little luck, in addition to all that work.
So, down to the question I promised at the beginning…since you know that there is one ingredient that is absolutely necessary if you want to move toward your goal(s), even if you lack the motivation to do it, you still know ACTION is necessary, and because you know this, I have a question for you:
Will you take one small step toward that goal even if and maybe especially because you are currently lacking the motivation to do so?
And, yes, that is “just do it,” philosophy 101. Guilty. But just because Nike grabbed onto this message for awhile doesn’t mean it isn’t helpful!
But, you don’t have to take my word for it:
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This post does not constitute therapeutic counseling or advice; the contents of this post are provided as a learning resource. We share the contents hoping that if you are in need of mental health support you will reach out to us directly or to a mental health professional in your area.
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