Inspiration is powerful, but difficult animals. Getting inspiration is very easy and can get caught up in a whirlpool of excitement. It's also nearly impossible to figure out how to motivate yourself, and you may be in a procrastination spiral of death. This page contains the best ideas and the most useful research on how to stay motivated and stay motivated.
This will not be overly motivational speech. (Not my style.) Instead, we're going to break down the science of getting inspired in the first place and staying motivated for longer. Whether you want to know how to motivate yourself or how to motivate your team, this page should cover everything you need to know.
So what exactly is inspiration? Writer Stephen Press field has a great line in his book The War of the Art that I think is at the heart of the inspiration. To paraphrase Press field, "at some point the pain of not doing it becomes greater than the pain of not doing it."
In other words, it’s easier to change at some point than to stay the same. It's easier to act in the gym and feel insecure than to sit still and hate yourself on the couch. It's easier to feel uncomfortable calling a store than upset that your bank account is dwindling.
One of the most surprising features of motivation is that it often occurs after a new behavior has begun, rather than before. We have a common misconception that inspiration comes from passively watching a motivational video or reading an inspirational book. However, active motivation can be a much stronger motivator.
Motivation is often the result of an action, not a cause. Getting started, however small, is a form of active motivation that naturally creates momentum.
Many people find it difficult to find the motivation necessary to achieve their desired goals because they spend too much time and energy in other parts of the process. If you want to make it easier to find motivation and get started, help automate the initial stages of your behavior.
While talking about writing, my friend Sarah Peck looked at me and said, "A lot of people are never ready to write because they always wonder when they will write next." The same can be said for playing sports, starting a business, being creative, and most habits.
Setting a schedule for yourself is easy, but it allows you to make decisions on autopilot, giving your goals the time and space to implement. This increases the likelihood that you will follow, regardless of your level of motivation. And there are many studies of willpower and motivation that support this claim.
