I came across some interesting research about the brain differences between people who are usually motivated and those who are more apathetic and discovered that you can trick your brain to make it easier to act.
It seems that when deciding whether a course of action is worth the effort, the brains of people who are more apathetic have to work harder to make the decision, so they tend to put it off. The good news – if you are feeling apathetic – is that you can trick your brain to make the decision to act easier.
What can you do to trick your brain?
You can:
👍 make a plan for the day or week – this means that you don’t have to keep evaluating whether doing something is worth the effort, you just do it
👍 include activities in the plan that are meaningful and give you a sense of achievement or pleasure – this makes the reward for effort seem bigger
👍 take exercise regularly – this has a positive impact on apathy and can improve motivation, possibly due to dopamine effects
👍 use reminders/phone alarms to cue action so you don’t have to think about it.
Above all of these practical actions, you can trick your brain if you…..
Do what interests you
“When you’re procrastinating on a project, wondering why your outwardly successful career doesn’t feel as vibrant as it could, or feeling stuck on a difficult life-choice, it’s worth asking if you’ve forgotten the importance of building your days, as far as you’re able, around what actually interests you”
This is a quote from Oliver Burkeman’s latest blog. Interested? Read it here. I fully agree with the importance of doing what interests you. It’s true of career choices, and it works for small daily tasks too – I have to find something that interests me in the task in order to motivate myself to do it.
If you can manage your life so that you spend enough time on the things that interest you, you will feel energised and motivated rather than drained and apathetic. You’ll also have greater well-being:
“Happiness comes from using your signature strengths in the main realms of your life” (C. E. Izard[i]).
What interests you? What are your signature strengths? Do you get the opportunity to use them?
If you are unsure, check out the resources in my book, Motivation: The Ultimate Guide to Leading Your Team – you’ll discover ways to motivate yourself and sustain your motivation. Take a look at my other blogs in the #motivation category for more easy-to-apply tips.
[i] Izard, C. E. (1993) “Four systems for emotion activation: cognitive and non-cognitive processes” Psychological Review, Vol 100. No 1.