Why Motivation Doesn’t Last (8 biggest reasons)
If you want to get things done, relying on motivation alone is an awful strategy. It’s fickle, fleeting and mostly unreliable.
It’s like that flaky friend who’s fun to hang out with but when you ask them for something real — like helping you move — they’re suddenly nowhere to be found.
Luckily, getting to know motivation a little better helps you control it a little more.
So these are some of the biggest reasons I’ve found (in my own life) for why motivation doesn’t last.
Now let’s do this!
1. Shiny Objects
Shiny objects are distractions that pull you away from your main focus. These glossy objects tend to pop up when things get difficult or less fun — you know, after that honeymoon phase of starting something new.
Shiny objects cause motivational swings, since they trick you into thinking this new path is better, easier or quicker in some way.
Shiny objects are behind rotating interests and short attention spans for online pursuits. So keep an eye out for them.
One way I like to solve them is by getting super clear. So let’s keep moving.
Explore more:
➤ Freaking Shiny Object Syndrome
2. A Lack of Clarity
“I had no clarity. And so, my motivation was fragile and meandering.”
This was my biggest issue with motivation — a lacked a clear direction. And in my experience, clarity is focus x purpose.
For purpose, think of this like your mission — your ‘ikigai’. And for your focus, this is like your attention span.
For example, I have a lot of passions, projects and goals. I love travel, lifestyle, mindset and entrepreneurship. But I’m also a musician and an artist who loves to blog. I love talking about all of these things and they all represent me and my personal brand.
So I tried to combine everything under the same roof, but things got confusing. Getting (blog) traffic and establishing niche authority was tricky. Some days I only wanted to do travel stuff, but other days it was music, and so on.
But then, I found focus by creating a multi-brand — splitting my various passions into different sub-brands. Now I can focus on one area of my life at a time in an organized way.
Once I did this, my motivation skyrocketed and stayed consistent. No more shiny objects or feelings of content FOMO.
So if this sounds like you and you’re struggling with motivation, try to find clarity.
3. A Fixed Mindset
When someone has a fixed mindset, they’ll easily get discouraged when struggles inevitably pop up. A growth mindset, on the other hand, thrives under pressure.
Someone with a growth mindset believes that they can learn, do or achieve anything through practice and work.
This way of thinking makes it much easier to work past difficulties and to stay patient.
So here are some quick tips for strengthening your growth mindset:
Learn to embrace challenges
Celebrate effort over results
Study successful people *before they were successful
Fall in love with failure
4. Not Loving the Journey
Whatever you’re working on, it’s a journey with lots of twists, turns, valleys and peaks. When I forget this truth (or don’t totally embrace), my motivation wanes.
Whatever your goal or project is, it’s going to take a long time to build. Great things don’t happen suddenly, but rather they accumulate over time in baby steps and milestones. It’s a ride, a process — not a single step or moment.
So here are a few ways I practice loving the journey:
Practice present moment awareness
Focus on checkpoints, not finish lines
Have realistic timelines
5. Unrealistic Expectations
Rogue expectations eventually create motivational droughts.
We live in an on-demand, short-form world. And click-baity YouTube thumbnails promise quick results if you just do X, Y and Z. It’s no wonder our expectations can run away from us.
But sooner or later, you’ll realize quick wins aren’t sustainable or realistic. This can feel like a wet blanket on your motivation.
So here are some ways I like to keep my expectations in check:
Practice patience
Have long-term time horizons
Think in years, not months
Detach from specific metrics
Explore more:
➤ How to Have ‘Slow’ Expectations
6. Things Get Hard
“The only way out is through.”
Quitting is easy. But staying the course when stuff gets hard? That’s where motivation can sometimes drop off.
This is the benefit of relying discipline and consistency over mood. You’re more likely to stay focused and push through the hard parts.
Because starting something new is fun — it’s the honeymoon phase. But sooner or later, you’ll run into obstacle and things will get harder.
So expect it, accept it and create systems to push through (more on this below).
That said, a little bit of pressure is also a good thing. While too much can cause you shut down, too little can make you bored and unmotivated. Some challenge keeps you engaged and actually leads to real growth. This is called the zone of proximal development.
Explore more:
➤ Stay the Course (when you just want to quit)
7. Having Sh*t Systems
Systems are repeatable steps you can follow and make it easier to get things done and stick to new habits.
I used to have no intention with my systems. So everything was mood-based and disorganized. As a result, my growth wasn’t strategic and my attention or wavering.
This led to slow growth, poor time management and bad decision-making about what to do and when.
Ultimately, this made motivation harder to keep around.
So if you haven’t yet, organize your projects and work into a system. Ali Abdaal has solid content on this topic. But here are some things I like to do:
Define your main process
Break it down into simple steps that anyone could follow
Use templates to streamline things
Create different systems for different projects and tasks
8. Unsupportive Environment
It’s hard to stay motivated when your environment isn’t supporting you. So one of the simplest and most effective things you can do is to optimize your surroundings.
Put another way, stack the cards in your favor.
Here are three areas I like to focus on to create a supportive, motivating environment:
My inner circle
These are the people in my life
My outer circle
This is the content I regularly consume
My surroundings
This is my environment
When I optimize these areas (or even just one of them), I’m more motivated and more consistent.
So look for areas to improve — cut ties if you need to, meet better friends or redesign your spaces. Whatever it takes to cultivate a super-motvating situation, do that.
Later ✌️
Want More? Nice. Here’s More.
