Where does motivation come from? An analysis of mental drive...

The reason you are not motivated is that it’s not clear in your mind about the reasons behind your strife. Easier said than done… But why can’t you be clear about why you are working hard towards your goals? Well, keep reading…

Working out, and working in general, is hard. It’s delayed gratification, it’s self-denial in the presence, it’s sacrifice, and it’s pain in the now for the vague promise of a future benefit that might never come. It’s risky, stressful, and tormenting. But thinking about what we do and how we do it is not the way to get there. Before you figure out your destination (what), and before you plot the best way to get there (how), you need to know the reasons for which you’re going there in the first place (why).

Simon Sinek’s golden circle teaches us that we need to be clear about our work’s “why” before we can establish our “how”, and that our “how” determines our “what”. Why are you putting in so much work? What does it mean to you to accomplish your goals? How will it benefit you and those around you? Is the juice worth the squeeze?

Yes, the juice is usually worth it. But what if you know that it’s worth the struggle, but you’re still not motivated to do the work? What if you know your “why”, but you still can’t seem to get yourself to do what it takes to get there?

The answer to that question is perhaps that the work you do is not meaningful to your core inner self and your value system.

Lack of motivation, I think, is a case of undefined identity, and a confusion about one’s values. Yes, every struggle has potential benefits and reasons to endure the strife and pain that precede. But do those benefits speak to your inner self? Can you express your values through those benefits? Can you be yourself through those benefits, and most importantly, through the work that gets you there?

Bottom line..? Your self-image has to be congruent with the work, the process; not the result. You have to see yourself as the person who journeys, not the person who is already there. Picture yourself as Odysseus on the voyage to Ithaca, not Odysseus already there. This way, you will less likely stray from your purpose, and more likely to reach the goal.

Find your values, find your identity, and they will lead you to your purpose. And then, the result won’t matter; only the work will…