Last month, I wrote about Energy and your relationships: Where are you spending, saving or wasting it?, the first topic in my 7 Point Empower Wellbeing Programme which focuses on; Energy, Motivation, Physical Activity, Optimism, Wellbeing, Emotional Intelligence and Resilience.
This month, I talk about MOTIVATION.
As we pass the first anniversary of Lockdown, motivation is certainly one aspect of Empower’s Programme which has featured in our challenges over the past year. The absence of things to look forward to, the disappointment of events being cancelled has called into question, for some of us, the reason we push ourselves to do anything. Covid has challenged us many times over, to ask ourselves, ‘What’s the point?’ – What’s the point of setting an alarm? – What’s the point of putting make up on? – What’s the point of wearing nice clothes? – What’s the point of booking anything, when in all likelihood it will be cancelled?
Sometimes, even without the presence of a global pandemic, we lack the motivation required to make those changes to our lives which will improve our wellbeing – why is that, why can’t we be bothered to do those things which require a little effort but could reap enormous rewards? In this article I hope to delve a little deeper and provide you with some food for thought, and offer some understanding of the different ways in which we can use that motivation which may have been hiding under the detritus of every day life.
The reasons people act the way they do are many and complex. We can divide motivation up into INTRINSIC (motivated by the joy of doing it) and EXTRINSIC (inspired to act for an external reward or tangible result)
We can also split motivation up further into ‘carrots’ or ‘pull’ factors (when we act because we WANT something) and ‘sticks’ or ‘push’ factors (when we act a particular way because we DON’T want something).
Can you identify which of these describes your attitude towards motivation?
I remember when I first started teaching running, I was constantly coming across people telling me how they could never run, how they couldn’t see the point of it, how they couldn’t understand why I ran, how they found it boring etc. They were always surprised by my response as they expected me to try and persuade them, but instead I used to say they could run if they wanted to do it badly enough and would suggest that perhaps running just wasn’t for them.
To be motivated enough to do something you either have to WANT to do it, i.e. learn to run, or NOT WANT something, i.e. you don’t want to be unfit. If you don’t fit into either of these camps it’s unlikely running is for you. I hate cleaning, therefore I don’t feel motivated to do it, even though I have to. I don’t enjoy it, it’s no great surprise I don’t relish it, some people feel that way about running…
I honestly believe that what we sometimes interpret as a lack of motivation, we’d be better off accepting as a conscious decision…in that we just don’t want to do those things. Don’t get me wrong, in life we sometimes have to do things we don’t want, but that doesn’t mean we are ‘unmotivated’.
My thoughts are that we are motivated by the things which spark our joy – too often our life is filled with too little of those things which make us feel warm inside.
Ask yourself what do you do which gives you a lovely warm, fuzzy feeling? If you’re struggling to think of any, that may well be the reason you struggle with motivation, you just need to look a little harder for those things which feel like less of a chore.
Unfortunately, comparison with others can be a massive barrier to the natural motivation which lives inside all of us. How often have you done things/not done things because of other people, without really focussing on your deeply held desires and wants? The essence of Empower is to enable, encourage, inspire, motivate and empower individuals to take action to start doing those things they really want to do.
Our motivation can wax and wane depending on life’s circumstances – living through a global pandemic has certainly presented challenges, but I honestly believe there have been opportunities created as a result of living through this experience which didn’t previously exist, even if it’s just the time to be able to get off the hamster wheel and reflect on our lives and our current situation.
Take a moment to honestly reflect, then answer the following questions
- Do I know what motivates me?
- What do I love to do?
- Can I describe the things which spark my joy?
And…why don’t you do these things? What’s stopping you? Lack of time? Lack of resources? Or simply lack of effort?
When we look at Motivation in the context of Empower’s Programme we can see that it fits well, in that when we are motivated, we tend to feel happier, more engaged in constructive behaviours and give off a sense of positive energy to those around us. Our energy is directed towards those activities which give us that sense of warmth and wellbeing – motivated people are nicer to be around.
Having a sense of purpose makes us feel emotionally stronger, it reinforces our identity and raises our self-esteem. This is the reason why volunteering is such a fantastic contributor to wellbeing. It provides a sense of purpose, a feeling of being useful, of making a difference. Research suggests that by helping others, you’ll experience an increased sense of meaning and appreciation which in turn can lead to an increase in motivation. You may well enjoy ‘The Happiness Effect’ which comes from a release of dopamine in the brain.
Human beings are social animals – giving our time/effort to others without expecting anything in return is a proven way to improve motivation, often it’s less of a jump to do things for others, than to make the effort to do things for ourselves. So the more you volunteer, the happier you become – and surely, that has to be a winner.
As a call to action this month, as well as focusing on where you are wasting, saving or spending your energy – try and compile the above list about what motivates you.
Motivation is part 2 of Empower’s 7 Point Wellbeing Programme.
To find out more visit the Empower Wellbeing website or contact Joanne Juliff – joanne@empowerhealthandwellbeing.co.uk
