Making Sense of Motivation

Like millions of Americans, Margaret thought there must be something wrong with her. Margaret wanted to be healthier and happier. She wanted to have more energy, travel more, and improve her nutrition. Nothing too crazy. Yet Margaret's ambitions always followed the same pattern: get motivated by a new program, person, or goal, make some changes and perhaps enjoy a little progress, then inevitably see her results vanish over time as her motivation and efforts waned.

Margaret knew her experience wasn't uncommon. In fact, it was like a dirty little secret among her friends. A truth too painful to be spoken aloud: When it came to making their lives, their health, or their relationships better, a lot of things worked. But nothing lasted.

If you can relate to Margaret's experience, then this post offers some good news and practical strategies for escaping this Sisyphean rut. It turns out that nothing was broken inside of Margaret or her friends. They were simply operating, unknowingly, in a motivation system that was rigged against them (and equally against you and me).

A more complete model of motivation

When you look at an iceberg, you see only the tip. When you see a crescent moon, you see only a sliver of the much larger sphere. And when most of us learn about motivation, we are usually given only a minor piece of the complete motivation formula.

In Figure 1 below, for example, most or nearly all of what we're conventionally taught about getting motivated falls in what we can call Level 1 Motivators. These are the ubiquitous short-term motivation sources that dominate consumer culture. Whether in the form of inspirational videos, popular diets and trendy exercise programs, motivation seminars, or energy drinks, each provides a temporary motivational charge in the form of energy and emotion. Notice that most Level 1 Motivators also cost money, a primary reason they are so heavily advertised.

The Hierarchy Of Motivation Sources

Source: Thomas Rutledge/PowerPoint

Although Level 1 Motivators are effective for the purpose of getting started, their effects are time-limited. For most people, relying exclusively on these Level 1 Motivators traps them in a repeating cycle of expensive, intensive effort and short-term results. Better results require higher-level motivators, such as those found in Levels 2-5.

Want better results? Use better motivators

In the above Motivation Hierarchy (Figure 1), Level 1 Motivators are defined by their a) temporary effects; b) financial costs; and 3) need for conscious application. In contrast, as we scale the Hierarchy from Levels 2-5, higher motivation sources become increasingly enduring, cost-free, and subconscious. These latter motivation qualities are precisely the qualities necessary for producing long-term success. Scientifically, these strategies also activate the less-dopaminergic regions of our brain responsible for long-term goal orientation and reward seeking¹.

Consider a person that you may consider highly motivated, such as an athlete in the 2024 Olympic Games. These are individuals requiring years of sustained peak motivational levels to achieve their remarkable skills. You will likely agree that these Olympic athletes and other elite professionals are heavily motivated by Level 2-5 Motivators and little by Level 1 Motivators. In addition to their coaching, training, and genetic gifts, performance at these apex levels depends just as much on their applying a more effective formula for motivation.

Upon reflection, you may also agree that modernity emphasizes just the opposite approach to motivation for the rest of us — rely heavily on Level 1 Motivators with little or no attention offered to the remainder.

Although you and I may not be competing in Paris this summer, we can apply the same Motivation Hierarchy principles to escape the hamster wheel of short-term motivation and finally move forward towards our quality of life goals.