Stop Waiting for Motivation. Just Start Doing

Stop Waiting for Motivation. Just Start Doing

Summary

Motivation's unreliable; waiting means less doing. The secret is *action* first. Doing, even a little, creates the feeling of wanting to do more. Action builds momentum, unlike waiting for motivation to magically appear. If your mind wanders like mine, waiting for perfect motivation is frustrating. We need to engage, experiment, and move, not just wish.
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Takeaway actions

  • Understand that taking action precedes and generates motivation, rather than the other way around.
  • Begin by making a comprehensive list of all tasks to free up mental space.
  • Start working on any item from the list for a brief period, such as five minutes, to build momentum.

Feeling stuck? Waiting for that lightning bolt before you tackle that thing you really want to do?

Yeah, good luck with that.

Motivation is fickle. It’s like a flaky friend – shows up when things are easy, disappears when you actually need it. Relying on it means you’ll spend more time waiting than doing.

The Real Secret? Action Comes First. 🔥

It sounds backward, I know. We think we need to feel ready to act. But it’s the other way around. Doing the thing, even badly, even for just five minutes, creates the feeling.

Action builds momentum. It’s the tiny snowball you push that eventually becomes an avalanche. Waiting for motivation is like waiting for the avalanche to form itself at the top of the hill. It just doesn’t happen.

Why Waiting Sucks (Especially for Brains Like Ours) 🧠

If your brain bounces around like mine, waiting for perfect motivation is torture. We crave novelty, we explore tangents, we get bored easily. Staring at a task, willing ourselves to feel motivated? That’s a recipe for frustration and giving up.

Traditional “just get motivated” advice often fails because it ignores how some brains work. We need engagement, experiment, movement – not just wishful thinking.

So, What Do You Actually Do? Action Steps 👇

Don’t look for motivation.

Don’t wait for motivation. DON”T EVEN WISH FOR MOTIVATION. Focus on finding your direction. Create goals that move in your direction (<- this video shows you how) . Break them down into actions you can do every day.

Forget grand plans for now. Think tiny experiments and getting stuff out of your head.

  1. Make Your Hit List 📝: Brain flooded? Grab paper or open a doc. Dump everything you think you need or want to do onto it. Big things, small things, vague things. Don’t filter, just list. Getting it all out clears precious mental space. This isn’t your “must-do-today” list; it’s your “get-it-out-of-my-head” list.
  2. The 5-Minute Rule: Now, look at your hit list (or just think of one task if the list feels like too much). Commit to doing anything related to one item for just five minutes. Set a timer. Starting is usually the beast. Once you’re moving, it’s easier to keep going. If five minutes is all you manage? Fine. You acted. Win.
  3. Shrink the Task: If even five minutes on “write book” feels impossible, shrink it more. “Write one sentence”? “Open the document”? Make the first physical action so ridiculously small you can’t help but do it. Pick the tiniest possible step from your hit list.
  4. Focus on the Action, Not the Outcome: Don’t get hung up on perfection or finishing. Concentrate on the physical doing. Typing. Sketching. Dialing. Walking out the door. Quality is a problem for later. Action is the priority now.
  5. Change Your Environment: Still stuck? Move! Work somewhere new, walk and think, use different tools. A change of scene or method can jolt you into action. Novelty is your friend here.
  6. Do the Wrong Thing (On Purpose): Brain jammed on Task A from your list? Jump to totally unrelated Task B or C for 10 minutes. Engaging a different part of your brain can surprisingly unlock the stuck bit. Perfect for when you juggle lots of different interests.

Your Brain Agrees: Action First 🧠

Look, this isn’t just motivational fluff. There’s actual science behind why taking action works better than waiting for the mood to strike.

  • Behavioral Activation: This is a real therapy technique. It’s based on the idea that doing stuff – especially things that give you even a tiny bit of pleasure or mastery – actually changes your emotional state. You don’t wait to feel good to do things; you do things to start feeling good. Action literally “activates” better feelings.
  • Self-Perception Theory: Your brain is kinda weird. It often figures out how you feel by watching what you do. If it sees you taking action (like working on that project for 5 minutes), it concludes, “Oh, I must be motivated or interested in this!” You can literally act your way into feeling differently.
  • The Power of Small Wins: Research (shoutout to Teresa Amabile at Harvard) shows that making progress, even tiny bits of progress, is a massive driver of motivation and positive feelings. Tracking those small steps boosts your confidence and makes you want to keep going. Each tiny action fuels the next one.
  • Implementation Intentions: This is about making super-specific plans. Instead of “I’ll work out more,” it’s “When I get home from work on Tuesday [situation], I will immediately put on my running shoes and go for a 10-minute walk [action].” Studies show this drastically increases your chances of actually doing the thing because it connects the action to a specific trigger, bypassing the whole “do I feel like it?” drama. It basically puts starting on autopilot.

So yeah, your gut feeling that just doing something works? Science backs you up.