Motivation is Overrrated

Motivation is a popular buzzword in self-help circles. It's considered to be the starting point of personal progress. Once we find the motivation to better our lives, we will. As someone struggling with motivation, I've found disregarding it more beneficial than searching for it. The issue with glorifying motivation is that we view it as the beginning of our progress. We need to be motivated to begin improvement. In my life, this emphasis on finding motivation has led to paralysis. I need to get my mind in the right headspace. I need to organize my goals and values. I need to put everything in my life into perspective. Then I can start. 

We put so much pressure on the first step of a long journey which dissuades us from even taking it. The best way to start is to start. Stop overthinking. Stop trying to find the perfect mindset. Just start and the benefits will come later. When you work out, there are no expectations for the first session. You are not going to get a six-pack in one day. So what's the point? If physical health is my motivation, how does it help me get through each session? The sessions where there is no discernable progress? I know I have to get through sessions 1-99 to get to session 100. I know what my future goals are, but how does that help me know? 

Our drive needs to come from the mundane. From putting one step in front of the other. Instead of focusing on the destination, focus on the journey. I know it has been said before, but I've found this mindset far more practical. We place so much mental energy on the start and the end when the real work occurs in the middle. You need to put on your socks and shoes to run a marathon. You need to get out of bed to start your day. Consistent effort is the key. By putting emphasis on the now; the step that I am taking, I don't waste time in a mental prison. You need to care about 2-99 as much as you care about 1 and 100. 

I don't wait for motivation to get to 1. I just go. Then I focus on 2. Then 3 and so on. I don't care about the end because I know if keep moving, 100 is just a byproduct of my effort. 

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