Why Motivation Comes and Goes—and What to Do When It’s Gone
You know that feeling you get when you’re motivated? That exciting rush of energy that feels like you could take on any task in the world. In an ideal world, we’d always feel that way. Especially for tasks we know we should do, but don’t want to do. Take work, for example. Not every task is the most exciting. In fact, most of them probably don’t pique your interest as much as your favourite hobby would. But because of this difference in desire, that powerful feeling of motivation quickly slips away. In its place, you’re left with a sense of dread–you need to complete the task, but you don’t feel motivated to do so. This is where motivation stops being useful.
Why Motivation Alone Isn’t Ideal
Most of us are conditioned to chase that feeling of motivation, but one of the biggest problems with this is consistency. When a task isn’t interesting or very desirable, our brains have a natural tendency to try finding something more interesting, delaying it, or just circumventing it entirely. As such, motivation shouldn’t be where we look when we have a set of tasks that need completing. Instead, we should look towards building consistency. This way, no matter how daunting the task, we can trust that we’ll hold ourselves accountable and progress–regardless of how motivated we may feel.
How Do I Build Consistency? What is it?
Building consistency requires hard work. But it ensures that moving forward, we can ensure a stable level of progress and growth–whether it be in school, work, or personal matters. First, we recommend starting small. Instead of viewing a task as one big hurdle, try mentally–or in writing–dividing the task into a set of smaller ones. In cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), this skill is called “chunking”. For instance, if you want to go for a run, start by just changing into the clothes you wear for running.
Taking small steps towards your task can not only create genuine progress even in times where you don’t feel motivated, but it also encourages you to think differently about the task, reducing feelings of stress and insurmountability.
Another way to build consistency is by crafting a routine. Say you want to start exercising more often. Instead of relying on inconsistent spurts of motivation, try creating a weekly routine, with specific days and times allotted for your required task. This takes the guesswork out of task completion, which shortens the delay of getting the task done, increasing its likelihood of completion.
When faced with a daunting task, our instinct to find something more interesting is hard to suppress. Even harder is to force ourselves to find motivation for something we don’t want to do. Whether you want to improve in work-related tasks, school assignments, social obligations, or even personal responsibilities–motivation holds no guarantees, while consistency ensures progress.
Author: Author: Ryan Ghodse-Elahi
Reviewed By: Dr. Sarah Haller, C. Psych, Clinical Psychologist