Debunking the Myth of Motivation and Taking Action

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Motivation is a physiological state, not a mindset issue. It occurs after starting an activity, not before. The body is always motivated, either to conserve energy or to perform tasks. Waiting to feel motivated before acting is ineffective; instead, start doing the task to feel motivated. Motivation is the feeling that comes after doing things, not a prerequisite for action.

In this episode, we sit down with therapist Britt Frank to discuss the intention action gap, the psychological term for the chasm between what you very much intend to do and what you tend to do instead. It turns out, there's a well-researched psychological framework that includes a term for when you have a stated, known goal – a change you'd like to make in your life – something you wake up intending to finally do or get started doing, but then don't do while knowing full well you are actively not doing what you ought and wish you had done by now. After we discuss this phenomenon and how to deal with it, we get into procrastination and how to escape all manner of dead-end behavioral loops.

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