It’s the reward
Motivation is a funny thing. We really want to feel motivated before we get started, but it's more accurate to think of motivation as the reward for starting.
When you devote your energy towards a goal, you become more interested in it and more invested in it. But to reap those psychological benefits and feelings, you have to take the first step.
There's one simple, never-fail tool you can use every time you'd like to feel more motivated. Set a timer for ten minutes and say to yourself, "For the next ten minutes, I'm going to do something (anything!) that moves me a tiny bit closer towards my goals."
When the timer goes off, take a pulse check: do you feel more motivated now? Would you like to keep going? If so, great! Persist. If not, great! You're ten minutes closer to your goal—and coming back tomorrow to do it again just got a lot easier.
The Definitive Guide to Happiness
A groundbreaking new approach based on a decade’s worth of research and brought to life with beautiful artwork, New Happy shows you the proven path to happiness.
