How to Always Be Motivated (the art of mood hacking)
A blinking cursor on a blank page. Staring off into space questioning your path. One more rabbit whole that has nothing to do with your work or your goals. Yet another creative rut.
This is what it’s like to have no motivation or spark.
But it’s also normal. Everybody experiences motivational droughts. So the first thing to do is simply accept it and know that you’re not broken.
Everything (especially mood) ebbs and flows.
But what if you can control this better and be more stoked, more often? Turns out, you can. So these are my top moves for how to always be motivated.
This makes inspiration more reliable and motivation more consistent.
Now let’s do this!
Table of Contents Show
Why Motivation Is Fleeting
Motivation doesn’t last. Here’s why:
No clear goal
A lack of patience
A lack of confidence
Fixed mindset thinking
The task becomes difficult
Having a lack of clarity or purpose
Lacking a support network or required tools
So mood hacking is a way to leverage your mood to spark more sustainable motivation. Just keep in mind that it’s okay (nay, crucial) to take breaks too when you need them.
Too much of anything in a single direction is bad (for growth, for happiness, for balance…).
How to Always Be Motivated (6 moves)
1. Become A Polymath
One of the easiest ways to build sustainable motivation is to simply do more of what makes you happy.
And if you’re like me (multi-passionate with too many hobbies), that list is long.
I’m drawn to many things — I must do many things! (damnit)
So I give into that personality trait. Or as Joseph Campbell would put it, I follow my bliss.
When I have many interests, my motivation is more stable because I have more places to find inspiration.
This is the path of the polymath. It looks like this:
Pursuing many paths
Having multiple projects
Starting many side quests
Being hyper-creative and curious for many topics
And never settling for a single title or pursuit
The problem for me has always been narrowing my focus. But I realized that focus doesn’t mean choosing a singular thing. It has more to do with organization.
So one of my favorite ways to manage multiple paths is to create (passion) loops for all my top projects. This way, I can easily cycle through them based on my needs and my mood.
This is how I always stay motivated (more or less).
Plus, it’s more creative and fun.
Explore more:
➤ The Multi-Passionate Handbook
2. Do Something You’re Bad At
This is a seriously interesting way to boost your motivation (and sharpen your skills at the same time).
To find motivation for a particular project or skill, work on something you believe you’re bad at. Choose something that you find frustrating and difficult (especially when compared to others who excel).
This advice can feel counterintuitive (or just bad), but something interesting happens when we tinker on stuff we think we’re poor at.
We often return to the original project (our main schtick) with renewed motivation and inspiration. We feel compelled to get even better at our main domain — because in comparison, it feels so much easier.
But keep in mind that those feelings of being terrible at something else may not always be true either (thank you, imposter syndrome and a lack of patience).
But if you’re looking for a jolt of energy, try doing something you feel awkward with.
You’ll return to your project with some fresh perspective and motivation.
3. Aim for Big Small Motivation
Maintaining super high motivation is not realistic. We all experience moments of intense motivation, but usually, great things are built slowly over time.
So rather than going for big motivation, aim for small drips of it. This is way more sustainable and way more realistic.
And thanks to compound growth, this is actually a smarter way to approach things.
Improving just 1% every day is way better than random bursts of intensity.
So break down your goals and focus on the nano.
Suddenly, everything feels more manageable and low stress — and that’s freaking motivating.
4. Stack New Cards
Motivation happens inside. But our external environment plays a big role.
So if you’re looking for ways to always be motivated, try stacking the deck differently. That is, stack the cards in your favor. Because it’s hard to stay motivated (even if you’re inspired) with distractions and terrible support.
Here’s how I like to stack new cards:
Your inner circle
Network with more inspiring people with similar passions
Your outer circle
Consume more motivating content that’s helpful
Your environment
Declutter your spaces, work in new places
5. Have A Burning Mission
Your mission is your purpose — the reason you do the things you do. And it’s much deeper than just “I want more money.”
Your personal mission statement is rooted in your values and the legacy you want to leave.
A solid mission blends your personal values with your goals. It’s also specific.
When you have a clear burning mission, motivation becomes an afterthought. You’re naturally driven to show up. It’s your purpose, your drive.
Your reason for being.
But finding a clear mission can be difficult — especially if you’re multi-passionate. So don’t feel bad if it’s not easy (I’m still exploring things).
Still, just starting that journey seriously boosts your motivation.
Because suddenly, you’re a hero on a quest in an epic story.
Explore more:
➤ Find Your Ikigai (‘life purpose’)
6. Embrace Lazy Days
Despite the title of this post, I don’t think it’s sustainable or realistic (or even healthy) to be switched on all the time.
Life is best when there’s balance. Work hard, play harder. The goal has always been to achieve balance and feelings of life autonomy. But I say, why wait?
So enjoy your guilty pleasures, take a self care day and recognize burnout. Socialize and binge-watch Netflix. Taking breaks is a way to enjoy other parts of life too.
And often, you’ll come back more refreshed and creative.
I do this all the time with my songwriting.
Every time I step away for a couple of days, I come back with intense creativity, inspiration and motivation.
The songs are always better.
So for sweeter melodies (metaphorically), step away — take a break.
Later ✌️
You can be motivated more often.
One of my favorite ways to hack my mood is to embrace my many passions. I also like to stack the deck in my favor, focus on the micro and have a clear driving purpose.
But even if you have multiple projects to choose from, a burning mission to drive you and perfectly stacked cards for support, sometimes the best thing you can do is just take a break (we’re human after all, we need this).
This resets your motivation and supports balance.
And that’s the real key for sustainable motivation and overall happiness.
Want More? Nice. Here’s More.
