Motivation: A feeling or decision?

Whether a person comes into therapy/counseling to discuss symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress or addiction, a theme that often comes up in the concept of motivation.

“I’m just not feeling motivated”

“I know what I have to do but the motivation just isn’t there”

It begs the question – what is motivation?

(The content of this blog post is not intended to discount the effects that a clinical diagnosis like depression can have on one’s motivation).

We’ve all been pumped up about one thing or another, right? Whether it’s watching an awesome TED talk or watching an inspirational movie that gets us hyped. But how long does that feeling really last?

Check out the People are Awesome YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/Hadoukentheband) and tell me that doesn’t get you pumped!

Motivation is powerful but how do we hold onto this feeling? How do we maintain the motivation needed for a long enough time to accomplish our goals?

What if motivation isn’t this magical feeling that many of us expect? There’s a big difference between the person who watches a UFC fight and thinks about joining a mixed martial arts gym for a week before getting back to their regularly scheduled life vs. the person who actually joins and finds themselves competing some time down the road.

Both people might have had the same initial “spark” to become an MMA fighter, but how come one person transformed this feeling into results while the other continues to live vicariously through Connor McGregor?

The distinction between them can help clarify and better define what it means to have motivation. Somebody who is motivated has made the proactive decision to achieve their goal. Does this mean that everyday that this MMA fighter woke up, he felt this immense desire and drive go to the gym and put in the work?

If you've ever pushed yourself to accomplish something, you'd know that wasn't the case.

Rather, what happened is that this person decided, that despite what he is feeling or thinking at any given time, he is going to take action to achieve his goal. In this sense, motivation isn’t this intangible force that we just wait for. Motivation can be defined as a choice. Recognizing this can help you be aware of how much power you have as a person to accomplish your goals. Otherwise, it's easy to get caught up in waiting for a feeling that isn't in our control.

Next time you have a goal in mind, make a decision, don’t wait for the magic.