12. The Motivation Trap

A few weeks ago I read a book called The Motivation Trap by John Hittler. The book sought to answer a simple question: Is motivation the most appropriate tool for accomplishing what you want?"

I used to think I had a motivation problem. I was probably capable of many things, just not motivated enough to do them. Yet this book convinced me my root issue was not motivation, but misguided application of it.

Motivation’s function, is a short-term spark that serves as a placeholder for better tools. However, down the line motivation’s effectiveness to produce action will fall flat. This is because by nature motivation is meant for the short term and is not a sustainable way to produce the results we want.

The reason for this is because of how our brains work. In short, emotion drives decision making. We make the decision in our limbic system and then immediately switch gears to our neocortex (logical and analytical thought) to justify the decision we've already made. Because the decision is emotional, we are unable to actually fool ourselves with rewards. The reward necessary to motivate us a second time is drastically increased. Even more the third time. It's the natural pushback to being pushed. Despite the payout and process being logical, we are unable to keep pushing ourselves using motivation because our decision making is based emotionally.

Instead, Hittler claims "The human brain is much better designed to appeal to our sense of highest values, community, and humanity, making motivation an ineffective choice to lead, manage, or drive high performance in individuals and teams." When our decisions consistently align with our deepest rooted values, we don't require motivation to push ourselves. The reason for doing something becomes self-evident and self-driven.

Motivation is highly effective to spark immediate action, however the author encourages us to hand off our progress right away to other tools like habits and directives. Among the many great applications and pieces of advice there was one in particular that really stuck out to me. After reading this idea, I had to put my book down and let the truth sink in. It was the idea that authenticity is simply living out our highest values and prerogatives. And when we live in this way, we inspire others and our drive to productive is generated from within. Isn't it true that we can smell ingenuity from a mile away? If it's so obvious when others show it, how much more obvious when we try to be inauthentic to our true values?

Authenticity is perhaps the most important trait we can strive for in life. Think about it, genuine relationships are the most valuable thing we will ever manage, and all of them are built on authenticity. Whether it be at home, in the workplace, or in a community organization like your local church, we quickly realize that relationships matter. Upon reflection I realized many of life's regrets happen when we made choices misaligned with our deepest core values.

If you're finding motivation a scarce resource, maybe it's time to invest in a different power source. In closing, John Hittler says success depends on the path we take and the tools we choose to employ. Much like a heat source, motivation should be used in small doses and turned up only for a short periods of time.