The Secrets Behind Motivation

Motivation: the desire or willingness to do something. The invisible force that propels you forward when everything else tells you to stop. It’s the will to act—the bridge between mere thought and great achievement. But what sparks this mysterious force? And more importantly, how can we consistently tap into it, channelling its power to fuel our journey toward greatness?

Motivation has recently carried a somewhat negative connotation, largely due to its fleeting nature—its unpredictability, its uncertainty. In contrast, discipline is often crowned as the superior force, touted as the better "bridge." But what is a bridge for, without a purpose for crossing it? Think of it this way: motivation is the why behind our actions (getting from one end of the bridge to the other), while discipline is the how (what the bridge is made of). A bridge not built with sturdy materials will collapse at the first setback. But a bridge leading to nowhere isn’t a bridge in the first place.

Today’s blog is all about the why of our actions— how to ensure we are building our bridges across the right trenches.

How to make sure we seldom deviate from our goals, dreams, and true purpose.

1. Dopamine Detox

You’ve probably heard of dopamine detox, a concept that has gained significant traction on the internet recently. At first glance, it may seem like a negative or depriving process, but in reality, it’s one of the most powerful tools for maintaining consistent willpower and motivation.

Dopamine detox is the “fasting from activities or pleasures that release dopamine, so the drive for quick rewards decreases.” It’s designed to reset the brain’s reward system, which is currently overstimulated by the constant influx of instant gratification in our daily lives.

While dopamine is typically associated with pleasure after completing an action, research shows that it’s also released before we engage in tasks, based on our anticipation and motivation to do them.

The higher your dopamine threshold—raised by constant quick-reward activities—the harder it becomes to stay motivated for tasks that require focus but provide delayed gratification, like reading or working on a long-term goal.

In simpler terms, lowering your tolerance for instant rewards allows you to find more satisfaction and ease in difficult or delayed-gratification tasks. Here are a few ways to start your dopamine detox:

1. Use apps or plugins to limit social media scrolling (especially fast-paced content).

2. Reduce consumption of movies and video games.

3. Cut down on junk food and unhealthy eating habits.

4. Avoid drugs and smoking.

5. Limit exposure to pornography and masturbation.

   
   

By lowering your dopamine threshold, you can retrain your brain to enjoy and stay motivated for the harder tasks that ultimately bring greater long-term satisfaction. Stay tuned for my in-depth guide to dopamine detox, and subscribe so you don’t miss it!

2. Focus on Your Weaknesses to Build Resilience

We all have strengths, things we’re naturally good at—but focusing solely on what you excel in can keep you in a comfort zone that hinders real growth. Instead, work on your weaknesses, the areas where you struggle or even hate to perform. Why? When you challenge your brain to tackle high-resistance activities, it rewires itself to increase your tolerance for difficult tasks.

This process is tied to a part of the brain called the midcingulate cortex, which plays a significant role in both motivation and willpower. The midcingulate cortex activates when we face challenges, and it's directly responsible for helping us persist through difficult or unpleasant tasks. By pushing yourself to regularly engage with things you struggle at, you can strengthen this region of the brain, enhancing both your motivation and ability to take on tougher challenges in the future.

What’s interesting about this section of the brain as highlighted by Dr. Andrew Huberman in one of his podcasts with athlete David Goggins, is that this area of the brain shrinks and gets larger as a response to overcoming challenge;

“Further, it plays a central role in how individuals engage with challenges. When people do things they don't want to do, the aMCC gets bigger, and it's smaller in individuals facing obesity but grows when they diet. This growth is also evident in athletes and people who perceive themselves as overcoming challenges."

"Moreover, the aMCC's activity levels and physical changes correlate with various conditions, including motivation levels, tenacity, resistance to temptation (such as food), and it links to critical brain functions such as the reward system. Reduced aMCC activity is associated with increased apathy, depression, and reduced motivational capacities”

Start small— make a list of things which may be beneficial to you, but you dislike doing. Try doing at least one of these things every day. Over time, you’ll notice an increase in your mental stamina, making it easier to stay motivated and tackle larger challenges.

3. Work on What’s Within Your Control

A key factor in staying motivated is to focus your energy on things you have direct control over. When you focus on controllable actions, you are more likely to see results, and these results can be incredibly rewarding, reinforcing your motivation.

Instead of worrying about factors beyond your influence—like the opinions of others or external outcomes—direct your effort toward your personal habits, discipline, and consistent actions. When you take action in areas where you have control, such as your effort, learning, and attitude, the likelihood of success increases.

This sense of empowerment fosters a cycle of motivation, where achieving small, controllable wins leads to greater rewards and pushes you toward bigger accomplishments.

In short: put your energy into what you can control, making your success rate completely dependent on you.

Whenever you are presented with a problem, before even attempting to fix it, ask yourself

“Is this within my Influence or outside of it?”

4. Work in Function of Your Principles & Purpose

How can we ever be truly motivated if our actions constantly contradict what we wish to stand for?

How can we feel inspired if our soul feels betrayed by our choices?

If our actions aren’t guided by a set of principles, a strong moral code, and a personal mission, how can we truly know what the right choice is—and find the motivation to make it?

Anxiety, uncertainty, insecurity, and doubt are all symptoms of the absence of a solid, concrete purpose.

Purpose isn’t just an achievable objective. It can give you goals to work toward, but it isn’t a goal itself. Purpose is the reason you wake up every day and do what you must. Think of an action you love doing, something you admire in yourself. That’s a good place to start, but go deeper. Why do you love doing it? What exactly about it fulfills you?

Get a notebook and start. Begin by listing what you don’t want to be—that’s often easier.

Then, outline the principles you want to live by and define them. Day by day, you’ll move closer to understanding who you’re meant to be. When it clicks, you’ll know.

Stick a poster in your wall. Make it beautiful; use quotes, images and whatever inspires you.

First, you’ll recognize the things you should avoid for the sake of your greater purpose.

Then, you’ll identify what supports it.

Approach these actions with great care. You owe it to yourself to be the best version of yourself.

See them as more than mere choices.

See them as responsibilities.

5. Visualize your failure

Many people will tell you to visualize your success—the big turning point, your goals, even your moment of glory. It’s often portrayed as an effective exercise, suggesting that everything will turn out just as you've dreamed and hoped for.

They will tell you to this everyday, to make sure you have a clear vision of your success.

I believe this is nonsense.

We can’t envision and materialize our dreams into reality.

How can we motivate ourselves if we have mentalized that your dream will come to life?

Now picture the opposite. Picture that everything went awry. Picture you have failed.

Feel the disappointment, as you see your future self fall short of the expectations you have set upon them.

Feel the regret, the guilt, the loss.

Put a reminder on your wall—a poster that reminds you each day of what will happen if you don’t follow through with your actions to reach your dreams. Include the reasons why it may go bad and what you have to work on to avoid it does.

Now, let that vision of failure fuel you. Let it remind you of the stakes, of what’s on the line. Every day, when you look at that reminder on your wall, remember that you hold the power to change that story.

Take action, make the hard choices, push through the doubt. Because it's not the dream alone that shapes reality—it’s the relentless pursuit, the courage to fail, and the strength to rise up that will bring you closer to your true potential.

Don't just dream it. Earn it.

A Last Reminder

Motivation seldom finds you. Don’t wait for it. Seek it. Connect with your purpose, embrace discomfort, and constantly work on what’s within your control.

Visualize your goals, but also imagine what’s at stake if you let them slip away. Use this vision as fuel to propel you forward. Let every choice be guided by the standards you’ve set for yourself, every action a step closer to who you’re meant to become.

Build the right bridges.

Cross them with courage.

Never let go of the fire that started you on this path.

Let greatness inspire you.