"I wish I had more motivation to....."
"If I had the motivation I'd...."
I say and hear these statements all the time and I'm calling for a stop.
For a very long time, and even still, I have seen motivation as this elusive fuel certain people know how to tap into and others don't. In my mind it's like this sparkling trail of magic dust you only need to hop onto in order to sail blissfully to your dreams.
That is wrong.
From the website Psychology Today: "Motivation is literally the desire to do things."
With this definition phrases like "I wish I had more motivation" are insane. I'm not saying getting motivated is easy, and I doubt I'll stop using the phrase all together but I don't think it's helpful to say I want to want to do something. You either want something to happen in your life or you don't. You either act on that or you don't. It is not because of a lack of some esoteric dream dust, it is because your goal isn't specific and its probably hard. Changing what we do every day, something that would have to happen if you want to change your life, is hard. We're creatures of habit. Our brains are wired for it.
Start small. Set up a goal that has a specific end. Numbers are good, dates are good, things that are noticeably achievable and quantifiable. "I want to look better." is a bad goal. "I want to loose 5 pounds" or "I want to gain 2 inches to the size of my arms" is a better one. "I want to learn how to play the oboe" isn't a bad goal necessarily, but "I want to practice the oboe on Mondays and Thursdays from 3-4 for eight weeks and then go from there" is a better one.
Small scale work isn't exciting like a grand idealistic goal is. Unfortunately it's the only thing that actually works.
But I'm guilty of it too, what the hell do I know?
