3112: Motivation: What It Is, How It Works, and Where to Find It by Mark Manson on Emotional Gamification

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[00:00:29] This is Optimal Living Daily Episode 3112 Motivation What It Is How It Works And Where To Find

[00:00:36] It By Mark Manson of MarkManson.net And I'm Justin Malik here to help you find a little

[00:00:42] bit of extra inspiration, motivation or happiness in your day. So that let's get right to this

[00:00:48] article on motivation and start optimizing your life.

[00:00:54] Motivation What It Is How It Works Man Where To Find It By Mark Manson of MarkManson.net

[00:01:02] We all want to be motivated. We want to feel energized and excited about the things we do.

[00:01:09] We want to wake up in the morning with a sense of purpose and drive ready to tackle the day ahead.

[00:01:15] But the truth is motivation is not always easy to come by. We tell ourselves lies about

[00:01:23] what motivates us. We believe that we need to feel passionate about something in order to be

[00:01:28] motivated. We think that motivation is something that comes from within us, that it's a natural

[00:01:33] part of our personality or character. We believe that motivation is a feeling and that it's something

[00:01:40] we can control. These are all excuses we use to avoid taking action. The truth is we don't need

[00:01:48] to feel passionate about something in order to be motivated. We don't need to have a natural talent

[00:01:53] or gift in order to be motivated. We don't need to be in the perfect situation or environment

[00:02:00] in order to be motivated. Motivation is not just a feeling, it's a habit, a practice that we

[00:02:07] need to cultivate in our daily lives. It's not just something that we have or we don't have,

[00:02:13] it's something that we create for ourselves. Let's break this down. Action is both the cause

[00:02:20] and effect of motivation. Most people think that motivation is this elusive,

[00:02:26] magical creature that we're all desperately chasing hoping it'll somehow magically infuse us

[00:02:31] with the energy and drive to do what we need to do. But motivation isn't some fairy that

[00:02:37] sprinkles you with pixie dust to get your thoth off the couch. It's actually the byproduct of

[00:02:43] taking action. That's right, motivation is something that emerges when you start doing stuff,

[00:02:49] not the other way around. This is what I call the do something principle and I use it all the time

[00:02:55] when I'm not feeling very motivated. The hardest part of any task is usually just starting it,

[00:03:02] but that's also where the magic happens. Instead of waiting for motivation to strike,

[00:03:08] just do something, anything really. Even if you're stumbling and fumbling through it,

[00:03:14] you're creating momentum. This momentum is like a snowball rolling down a hill, it keeps growing

[00:03:21] and growing until it becomes an unstoppable force. As you take action, you begin to see progress

[00:03:28] and progress is like jet fuel for motivation. Your brain starts to realize that,

[00:03:34] hey, I can do this. And suddenly you're riding the motivation wave feeling empowered and unstoppable.

[00:03:42] So if you want to unleash the motivational beast within, don't sit around waiting for it to knock

[00:03:47] on your door. Instead, take a step, any step towards your goal and watch as motivation comes

[00:03:54] running to join you in the journey. Motivation is an emotional problem with emotional solutions.

[00:04:03] Another key to motivating yourself is learning how to play with your own emotions. I know,

[00:04:09] I know it sounds weird but stay with me here. Our brains are wired to seek pleasure and avoid pain.

[00:04:15] By gamifying a task or rewarding ourselves, we're essentially hacking our brains and tricking

[00:04:21] them into chasing those feel good emotions. Now some people think they shouldn't have to play

[00:04:27] games with themselves like this, so they should just be able to get done. But trying to build motivation

[00:04:33] without leveraging emotions is an unnecessary uphill battle. Embrace the fact that you're a pleasure

[00:04:39] seeking creature and use it to advantage. Think about it this way. If you can turn a mundane task

[00:04:46] into something enjoyable or rewarding, you're going to be far more likely to do it. For example,

[00:04:53] say you want to start exercising more. Instead of dreading the very thought of putting on your

[00:04:58] sneakers, find a way to make it more enjoyable. Create an epic playlist, join a fun class,

[00:05:04] or challenge a friend to a little friendly competition. The more you can associate positive emotions

[00:05:11] with the desired behavior, the more you'll want to do it. You can also game your emotions

[00:05:16] by rewarding yourself. Promise yourself a small treat after completing a task like a bubble bath or

[00:05:23] your favorite snack and suddenly you'll find yourself racing to the finish line. Now this strategy

[00:05:29] works best for short-term motivation and especially when you're trying to establish a new healthy

[00:05:35] habit of some kind. Over time though, you need something more durable than simple carrots and sticks.

[00:05:42] You need the motivation of pain. Long-term motivation is found in embracing the struggles of life.

[00:05:51] Here's a brutal truth I've learned over the years. It's not about what you want in life but

[00:05:56] about what you're willing to struggle for. Lasting motivation doesn't come from chasing shiny

[00:06:01] objects and grand visions. It comes from embracing the blood, sweat, and tears that inevitably come

[00:06:09] with pursuing something meaningful. So instead of daydreaming about the end result,

[00:06:15] ask yourself this crucial question. What am I willing to endure for the values I hold dear?

[00:06:21] Because the reality is if you're not ready to struggle for it, you probably don't want it in

[00:06:26] the first place. You see life is a series of trade-offs and true motivation is born when you decide

[00:06:33] that the struggle is worth it. It's easy to say you want to be fit, wealthy or successful,

[00:06:40] but are you willing to put in the hard work, face rejection, and experience failure along the way?

[00:06:47] If the answer is yes, well then congratulations you've discovered the secret of long-term durable

[00:06:53] motivation. By focusing on the values and the process rather than the end goal,

[00:06:59] you'll find that motivation becomes a natural side effect of the journey. You'll start to see setbacks

[00:07:05] as learning opportunities. Manager desire to grow and improve will only intensify.

[00:07:12] So forget about what you want and ask yourself what you're willing to struggle for because that

[00:07:18] my friend is where the true magic of motivation lies. Procrastination and our identities.

[00:07:26] Procrastination, that pesky, annoying habit that we all know too well, but what if I told you

[00:07:32] that procrastination isn't just about laziness or poor time management? At its core,

[00:07:39] procrastination is actually about avoiding something that threatens our very identity.

[00:07:45] You see, we all have this self-image that we're deeply attached to and when a task or goal

[00:07:50] challenges that image, our brain goes into panic mode doing anything it can to keep us safe from

[00:07:57] the perceived threat. So we avoid, we distract, and we put things off all in the name of self-preservation.

[00:08:05] Addressing this requires redefining yourself in broader, more flexible ways.

[00:08:11] Instead of clinging to a rigid, narrow identity, try embracing the complexity of who you are.

[00:08:18] For example, let's say you identify as a perfectionist and you're terrified of making mistakes.

[00:08:24] Rather than letting that fear hold you back, redefine yourself as someone who values learning

[00:08:30] and growth. This shift allows you to see failure not as a threat to your identity,

[00:08:36] but as an essential part of becoming the person you want to be.

[00:08:40] By making room for the full spectrum of human experience, successes, failures,

[00:08:45] and everything in between, you'll find that procrastination loses its grip on you.

[00:08:51] So go on, break free from the chains of your self-imposed identity,

[00:08:55] and watch as procrastination fades away, replaced by a newfound sense of purpose and drive.

[00:09:06] You just listen to the post titled Motivation, What It Is, How It Works,

[00:09:11] and Where To Find It by Mark Manson of Markmanson.net.

[00:09:15] And I'll be right back with my commentary. We've heard from a lot of amazing people on this

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[00:10:20] old. I could definitely relate to the idea of action-causing motivation, as scary as that can be.

[00:10:33] Even this podcast, I remember starting it pretty quickly and a bit on a whim. I did have to get

[00:10:38] permission from various authors to have something to narrate for you, and that was action in itself.

[00:10:45] But once I had permission and a decent enough microphone, there wasn't anything else in the way

[00:10:51] of me releasing some episodes. So I did, promising to go daily even though I had no idea what I was

[00:10:57] getting myself into. And that action just led to the next episode, man the next, and so on.

[00:11:05] Now thousands of episodes later, there's a massive back catalog, and this is somehow what I do for

[00:11:10] a living, which is still a strange thought. And I just gave this example yesterday, I think it's

[00:11:15] yesterday, but it's the same thing with exercise for me, Tai Chi, just one intro class was what I

[00:11:23] signed up for. That action led me to commit to 10 and then six months. I don't really feel like

[00:11:29] it's a question of motivation anymore, it's just what I do and enjoy. I actually look forward to the

[00:11:34] classes, which is what Mark said we really need. And for me with the important things that actually

[00:11:41] stuck, his points hold true, maybe for you too. So definitely something to consider. Do consider it

[00:11:47] this weekend, have a great weekend and I'll see you back here tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.