The Truth On Motivation

What thoughts come to your mind when you hear the word, “motivation“? 

For some, it's listening to their favorite music while working out. For others it’s someone cheering you on like a motivational speaker or a cheerleader. Yet for another group it could be a paycheck or a sales commission. 

I once heard a public figure say that “motivation is garbage” and I couldn’t disagree more. Motivation is often something that people believe comes from the outside, but the truth is motivation comes from within. 

A simple dictionary search should resolve most of our questions regarding motivation. The root word of motivation is motive, which is something that causes one to act.

I am a big fan of legal and police drama television shows. When the perpetrator is not caught in the act, detectives must rely on hard evidence and witnesses, as soon as they are available. When neither evidence nor witnesses cannot produce a sure suspect, the next step is to determine the culprit’s motives. Was the motive an act of revenge or greed? Was the crime simply an act of negligence or was it a cover-up for another crime? The detectives have to find out who had a reason to act in such a way.

Is there evidence in your life that connects you to your goals? Motivation is a compelling reason to act toward a goal. If the reason for action is strong, it will endure the greatest challenges and overcome setbacks. If it is weak and without determination, it will break and fold under the slightest pressure or distraction.

Motivation gets its power from movement. The more you move, the more motivation you get. To get into better shape, I joined a local gym. I was really excited the first few weeks, but the excitement began to wear off as the soreness began to set in. Did you notice that I said excitement wore off and not the motivation? 

Excitement is an emotional response that can change greatly in a short period of time. I didn’t join the gym because I was excited, I joined because I want it to be healthier and stronger. That is the reason why I get up several times a week at 4:20 AM to get to the gym by 5 AM. 5 AM is not even my favorite time to go to the gym, it just works best for my family and business. My motive is what kept me going, not the initial excitement. 

So it is not motivation that is garbage, it’s the excitement that fades so quickly. Excitement may get you moving, but it won’t keep you moving. Go back to why you got started in the first place. There you will find your motivation, you’re a compelling reason to act. When the excitement is all gone just keep moving because the effort is worth the prize.