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I don't think trying to "motivate oneself" will bear a lot of fruit. Motivation is a combination of beliefs: belief that a thing will be beneficial, and that i

I don't think trying to "motivate oneself" will bear a lot of fruit. Motivation is a combination of beliefs: belief that a thing will be beneficial, and that it's possible. That's at the macro level. On the micro level, structure helps a lot. Some of the more go-getter people you know are just on autopilot, but have done the work beforehand to hack their motivation, mostly by forming habits and setting themselves in social environs that reward achievement. Motivation is a fickle, mercurial beast. Trying to run on it at all times won't work. Use motivation wisely, for short bursts of work that get/keep autopilot-you on track. Things like: going to sleep when you want to stay up, making a plan for issues you don't want to think about, setting habits to do things you don't like to do.

joe563323 11y ago
+1 for the "autopilot" word which will be associated with motivation when i think the next time.
Hockenbrizzle 11y ago
Holy moly +1 for this answer. Forming habits and getting to the point of autopilot is how it happens for me. At some point you don't even notice it because you are so focused. It's just like getting up to go swim every morning. It's cold as hell and you don't feel like it, but you know that after 10 minutes in, you will feel great. And then you just get into the routine. The last part by dropit_sphere is a particularly good thing to understand about oneself. Can't have it all the time and you gotta use it efficiently when you do.
partisan 11y ago
Agreed. I started walking for an hour+ each day about 7 months ago. I've missed perhaps 15 or 20 days since then for various reasons. This morning, I felt down and didn't want to go walk. I don't even remember the moment when I decided to get up and walk. I just found myself outside and walking, on autopilot so to speak. Having a habit really makes motivation a secondary concern and has helped me overcome the lack of motivation that hits every so often.

joe563323 11y ago

+1 for the "autopilot" word which will be associated with motivation when i think the next time.

Hockenbrizzle 11y ago

Holy moly +1 for this answer. Forming habits and getting to the point of autopilot is how it happens for me. At some point you don't even notice it because you are so focused. It's just like getting up to go swim every morning. It's cold as hell and you don't feel like it, but you know that after 10 minutes in, you will feel great. And then you just get into the routine. The last part by dropit_sphere is a particularly good thing to understand about oneself. Can't have it all the time and you gotta use it efficiently when you do.

partisan 11y ago

Agreed. I started walking for an hour+ each day about 7 months ago. I've missed perhaps 15 or 20 days since then for various reasons. This morning, I felt down and didn't want to go walk. I don't even remember the moment when I decided to get up and walk. I just found myself outside and walking, on autopilot so to speak. Having a habit really makes motivation a secondary concern and has helped me overcome the lack of motivation that hits every so often.