The Myth Behind Motivation — Why Doesn’t It Work For You?

I’m sure many of you have seen pictures like the one above. Coffee mugs telling us “don’t stop till you’re proud,” or book covers saying to “seize the opportunity.” Cliche phrases that I’m tired of hearing and you’re probably tired of too. 

Why has motivation become cringey and something for “other” people? 

As students, we crave motivation to finish assignments, go to work, and hang out with friends. Yet, it can be so easy to feel depleted, and, well, unmotivated.

So what does motivation truly mean and how can we pursue our own different types of motivation?

What is motivation?

Let’s get down to basics, what is motivation? As defined by Oxford Learner’s Dictionary:

1. “Motivation is the reason why somebody does something or behaves in a particular way.” This first definition connects to the motivation we have for anything in life. Motivation to love, work, dream, you name it.
2. “Motivation is the feeling of wanting to do something, especially something that involves hard work and effort.” This second definition connects to a personal willingness and wanting to accomplish.

However, we all know, love, and are driven by a third type of motivation — THE DEADLINE, aka. the date we can put off something until we have no other option. 

You think to yourself, “That assignment was assigned over a month ago, I hate myself for starting only 3 days before. I just didn’t have the motivation to start it.” 

The truth is, that concept of motivation you have isn’t motivation at all. In a review of Jeff Haden’s book, “The Motivation Myth,” Sarah Cy says: 

“Motivation is not the spark that keeps you eager to do hard work. It is the RESULT! Real motivation comes after you start.”

I have always scoffed at the idea of motivational speakers and books. My father is an avid fan of Anthony Robbins, a well-known motivational speaker, and he always tried to get me into his talks but I never liked it. 

I thought it was foolish and wondered how people could believe things like that when it all sounds the same. “Follow your dreams”, “know your drive”, “never give up”, etc. What I realized over time was two things: 

1. It works for people who want it to work, and
2. It’s not about motivation, but discipline.

See, we all want to do things — like make progress on an essay or get some work done — but the wanting doesn’t always guarantee we get up to actually do them.

I want to share some ways we can stop thinking about doing things so we can actually get to do them. These ideas may not work for everyone, but if you find the motivation to try them, they might help.

1. Make a detailed to-do list

Whether I have an assignment to do or an exam to study for, I like to break up my work into small, manageable chunks.

So for instance, when I have to write an essay, I will break up my to-do list into points, like this:

• brief outline
• find secondary sources
• find quotes from source X
• find quotes from source Y
• complete introduction
• complete paragraph 1
• etc.

This may look like a long list, but the feeling I get after checking something off gives me the motivation to do more work. 

Breaking a task down like this helps you plan and spread your work over many days rather than doing it all in one night. 

2. Use a study-break ratio that works for you

The Pomodoro timer has become quite popular for studying in the past few years. It is a great way to manage your studying because it gives you breaks. However, this is not the only method to structure your time. 

I don’t use the Pomodoro method at all because it feels too short. When I study I am able to focus for hours at a time before I need a break for myself. I usually like to study hard for 2-3 hours before I give myself a break for 30-45 minutes. This type of method works really well for me and it may work well for you as well. 

Every person has a different time frame for how long they can stay in the zone which is why you should adjust the method to how you like and not to how it is common.

3. Find a legitimate reason behind what you’re doing

Now this is the real motivation we are talking about. The reasoning behind your actions. They can start more specifically like “what do I gain from finishing this essay?” or they can become more abstract like “why am I in university?” 

I am not telling you to have an existential about your life, but what I am telling you to do is find a legitimate goal, benefit, or reason behind why you have to do something. 

As an English student I have to write a ton of essays and sometimes having to write 5 essays in two weeks is not fun. 

My reasoning is that I actually enjoy the material that I study. My motivation is that I love English and I want to continue learning about literature. 

Something is making you reach that deadline, what is it?

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I hope that you have achieved a better understanding of what motivation actually means and what you need to do to take care of your mindset. Motivation, discipline, goals, reasoning, etc. are things that can be molded to fit your needs, there is no right way to do what you need to or want to. To end this off with something cliche I’ll leave you with one of my favourite quotes.

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”

— Dr. Suess

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