When I was a kid, I would get extremely motivated to master a new skill. I’d go all in, learning everything I could. I remember when I was taking lessons on three instruments: guitar, piano, and saxophone, all at the same time. Man, my parents were supportive.
I wanted to be the best at all of them. But something happened when I reached a certain threshold. My motivation tanked. I lost interest. I wasn’t feeling it anymore. Why was this happening? I didn’t stop to think about it.
Feeling motivated is like a drug — it got me high. I felt great, but I didn’t want the sensation to end. But that’s the problem. Eventually, it ran out.
I Didn’t Understand Motivation
I turned to a new venture to refill my motivational tank. I would do something new to get that same high. The problem is that I was jumping around, not sticking to one thing. I couldn’t endure the pain, the loss, of my motivation.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve trained hard in my life. But I noticed this tendency to jump to something new when it got hard — when my emotions weren’t what I wanted them to be.
I had the wrong idea about what motivation was. I thought you’d always feel motivated when you’re good at something. I thought all the greats were naturally motivated 100% of the time. I was naive.
The Trick to Stay Motivated?
There isn’t a trick to stay motivated. Motivation can show up when we least expect it and leave us when we need it most. Motivation is simply a collection of pleasant emotions surrounding our goals. They won’t always be there.
We cannot rely on motivation. By its very nature, it’s fleeting. It cannot be the reason why we do things or don’t do them.
If there is any trick, it’s this: sticking around and doing what we know we need to do. Motivation will eventually reappear, but we must remain committed to our goals.
Motivation will come knocking at your door like an old friend, eventually.