The only post you need regarding motivation. | TheRedPill

I've been having problems with motivation lately. As usual, I did a lot of research and discovered certain things. Okay, let's cut the bullshit get straight into the topic.

The first article that transformed my views - > Motivation is for the weak Go read it first.

The author is mostly right. If some fancy pictures with a quote or a few sentences motivates you then you're in a lot of trouble. Let me explain.

There are two types of motivation: 1) External: Those fancy pictures, motivating quotes and all the other bullshit that emotionally uplift you come under this category. External motivation is like a drug ie., it feels good when you're under it's influence. It doesn't last. It creates more problems than it solves.

I've personally tried to externally motivate myself from the last 8 months. Downloaded a lot of images, quotes and surrounded myself with a lot of pictures of rich houses, cars etc (you get the idea). This made me more focused for a month at most and then suddenly, I just started rolling back into a depression kinda phase. No matter how hard I tried to externally motivate myself, I couldn't do it.

I ended up with more problems than I initially had. So, I started looking for another form of motivation. 2)Internal motivation: When your behavior is not driven by reward, you're internally motivated. Simply put, doing something because you love doing it is internal motivation.

I hit the gym not because I want to look like Arnold (external motivation) but because I love lifting weights (internal motivation). I like the tranquility it provides.

Internal motivation is the key to staying focused because it lasts almost permanently (if you convert your motivation into a habit). To be internally motivated, you must focus on "why you love what you're doing" part.

Enough about the different types of motivation. Now let me answer the basic question you might have.

External motivation is not bad as the author in the article explains. In most cases, it's impossible to get internally motivated without some sort of external motivation. For example, I initially lifted weights because I want to look good(external). Gradually, I loved lifting(internal) and now I do it because I love it.

Simply put, external motivation is important when you're a newbie. It carries you to a point where you must figure out whether you love doing it or not. If you don't love doing something you will never be motivated in the long term.

THE GUIDE: Externally motivate yourself first and then figure out whether you love what you're doing or not. If you do love it, then write it down or remember it. If you don't then move on because you can never do something you don't love in the long term. It decreases your quality of life by making you unhappy.

The reason why you must write it down is because there will be "phases" in your life where you'll be suffering through a lot of shit. Suppose you are an entrepreneur going through a bad phase with your startup. You need something to push yourself forward. If you had written it down "why I love building companies" describing 1)the happiness it provides when you're successful 2) why you enjoy building companies 3) long term happiness you get as a result of hard work 4).... etc then you will be motivated enough to get through the rough phase when your startup is in trouble.

The more emotionally you're connected to what you do, the more you'll love it. Trust me, YOU NEVER NEED external motivation except when you're a newbie to something.

Extra information: There are 7 enemies that kill your natural motivation. I don't want to make this post long so check out this link. It's important to know what kills motivation so that you can avoid making mistakes.

This is my analysis regarding motivation. After understanding all of this, a lot of my habits have been transformed and as a result, my quality of life increased by a lot. I am trader. Two days ago, I took a loss from the market that affected me emotionally. So, I've written down "why I love trading" in circumstances like these and it helps me to stay focused and motivated even when I'm in a loss (a trader has good days and bad days!)

Take this post seriously. Bookmark it if you want. I'm summarizing my 2 months of research into a 15-min read. Understand motivation and try to figure out ways to internally motivate yourself. Remember: internal motivation needs emotion " love". You must love something to be internally motivated. There's no other way.

Good luck.

Permalink - Report Copyright

[deleted] 9y ago

Fuck motivation, discipline is all one needs. Searching for more motivation is useless in itself, as the time would be better spent doing tha things that motivations is searched for

[deleted] 9y ago

Yeah motivation is a modern idea.

Take it off the table.

All it does is introduce another condition that has to be fulfilled before you do what you should be doing.

Fuck that shit. "Enjoy the journey" "do what you love" "chase your passion" it's all shit.

There are 2 stages ; decide where you want to be, then do what it takes to get there.

If motivation is out of the picture then it's a lot simpler. Don't expect to be smiling and laughing while you do the work. Just do the work.

[deleted] 9y ago

Again. Dont make the beginner's mistake of associating motivation only with external motivation.

You can only be disciplined when youre motivated, either internally or externally. Human brain always takes the easiest path while doing a task. Your subconscious mind thinks "why should i discipline myself by going through all that struggle?" Of course, you have a reason to discipline , right? Possibly a goal.

That's the definition of motivation. Going through pain for the sake of reward needs motivation. So I can logically conclude that discipline is only possible if you're motivated.

It all goes back to your wrong assumptions about motivation. Good luck.

[deleted] 9y ago

You've missed the point.

Intrinsic or extrinsic is unimportant if you don't have it- or even if you do.

I'm saying do the work.

That's all.

I've lost my assumptions about motivation so how can they be wrong?

Try meditation. You remind me of myself a few years back.

[deleted]

[deleted] 9y ago

I went to read this article but realized I didn't have the motivation to

Soarinc 9y ago

Figure out cause-and-effect and whenever you want an effect, just "trigger" the cause.

If you want to eat a sandwich, then simply make yourself hungry (play video games for 6 hours) bad example but had to make it super understandable.

6RedPandas 9y ago

Thanks for your post mate. I really needed it

[deleted] 9y ago

Good points in general but your motivation doesn't have to come from doing the task itself, it can come from the results too. There are plenty of guys who don't especially like lifting but look like Greek gods because their motivation comes from wanting to look like a Greek god.

Thinking you need to enjoy what you do for self-improvement or income is a dangerous path because what needs to be done is often not enjoyable. It shouldn't be awful but sometimes it's gonna suck. For example, drop sets? Those are going to suck. I am a physicist and love what I do, but damn does it suck when I've done enough research to publish a paper and now have to write it up and go through several months of reviews.

So like with just about everything, moderation and self-reflection are paramount. Don't hate what you do but keep your goals in mind too. Sometimes you do need to tolerate purgatory before you can get to heaven.

fenghsui 9y ago

You like the intrinsic reward - research and dislike the extrinsic reward - getting published. It's boring and cheap because you just want to solve problems, not play political games to get those solutions into the world. I call this art student syndrome. Kids draw because they love it. They go to college and have all sorts of imposed rubrics and critique and they lose the passion that motivated them in the first place.

Solution: learn to intrinsically value the process of jumping the hurdles in addition to valuing the physics.

[deleted]

[deleted] 9y ago

[deleted]

Mushyrooms 9y ago

Think about achieving goals. Start a list. A small list at first, you don't even have to write it down, just think of a list. On that list you write down anything you want to achieve, things that you can accomplish.

Start small, like wake up, that's easy, you do that every day, check that off. Done. Next item on the list, take a piss, check that off.

Ok, something more complicated, brush your teeth. Don't think of it like that, don't commit to anything, start small.

Your thought process should be like this,

"Hey look, it's my toothbrush, I dont have to brush my teeth just yet, but I'll just hold my brush. I don't have to brush my teeth just yet, but as long as I have it in my hand I'll just put some toothpaste on it."

You've got a fully loaded up toothbrush in your hand. What are you going to do now?

"I don't have to brush my teeth yet, but I'll just put the brush in my mouth."

Then you think, "I've gotten this far, I might as well brush my teeth."

It's all about tricking your inner 3 year old in the back of your mind, using each step as momentum into the next.

Another example, washing dishes...

You get home from work, your completely buggered. Ok, first things first, take a piss, get a snack. But hey, your in your kitchen looking for that snack, you glance at the pile of dishes in the sink.

"I don't have to do the dishes right now, but I'll just put the plug in the sink. I don't need to wash anything yet, but I'll just start filling up the sink with water, Not going to wash anything, but you can't fill a sink without the soap."

You've gotten this far, now what? You eat your snack and sit down, chill for a bit.

Then you remember...

"The sinks full of soapy water, I've just used this dish for the snack I just ate, I'll just wash this one dish. I don't have to wash everything, but I've already washed one dish, might as well wash that one too. I'm here now, I might as well wash everything."

You can use this strategy with everything, going to the gym, getting work done, just breaking up a goal into small tasks to get momentum into the next task.

Soon these tasks will become a habit.

Start small and work your way up.

I hope this helps someone, I know what it's like having no drive or direction. TRP has helped me get my shit together, I'm just paying it foward.

flutie_did_it 9y ago

To add on, find your why. I'm not in school because I want to just 'go with the flow' like everyone else and maybe be rich one day. I'm in school so I can be educated and also so that I can be the first from my family to go to college. Seeing the pride on my parents face when I walk the stage is motivation enough.

lurkingtacopiller 9y ago

One thing I feel compelled to mention in the vein of this topic: if you are having SERIOUS issues with motivation/discipline, it's not a bad idea to head to a doctor and get your testosterone levels checked. It's not the be all end all solution, and dear God don't pump yourself full of steroids to solve your problems, but it is possible that you xan be doing everything right and still be getting fucked by your hormones. Lack of motivation and chronic fatigue are symptoms of it.

Personal example: I lift 6 times a week, eat a solid diet (fish, chicken, rice, leafy vegetables, no alcohol, no soda) and get 7 hours of sleep a night, and my test levels were still below the normal range. Getting that straightened out can be a godsend if it's your issue.

I also feel compelled to mention that if you're overweight and have bad habits, those contribute to lower test as well, so this is really only a solution for someone who doesn't have any more options to pursue. Just, if there are any guys out there who feel like they're doing all they can and still aren't seeing progress, this could be it

Ozymanberg 9y ago

What are somethings you could do to increase testosterone levels?

fuckwomensright 9y ago

is 628ngdl good for a 22 yearold?

lurkingtacopiller 9y ago

That puts you just about in the middle of the normal range. Could definitely be higher, I'd say 8-900 is ideal, but you're not low at all.

TheSlicemanCometh 9y ago

Nah man.

Internal motivation isnt doing something because you like it. It's doing something because it must be done.

Working Manuel labor isn't something I want to do but I do it because I'm a man.

rep_movsd 9y ago

I find that the only reason to lift is because the numbers can keep going up and it feels good while I lift.

It's simply an objectively better activity in terms of health and wellbeing than say gaming where some other numbers go up and I feel good.

Do you need motivation to eat?

Rarely any of us eat only when its 100% necessary - we eat to avoid hunger and get nutrition.

Should be the same with anything....

[deleted] 9y ago

Eating doesn't require effort. Its an semi involuntary thing. It doesn't require higher brain functions.

Your job requires effort. Hitting the gym requires effort.

[deleted] 9y ago

[deleted]

Pewdielockz 9y ago

His post isn't about what others think, this is exactly the external motivation he talks about.

I began lifting because I wanted to look better, and I still do. But after a year this isn't my main reason. I go to the gym, because i feel great while and after I lift. The process is more important that the goal.

drallcom3 9y ago

I feel great with regular exercise, but if it weren't for looks I could train a lot less hard and focus more on just keeping a healthy body.

Ou-tis 9y ago

It's the same for me.Seems a dumb thing but when I'm down/tired/lazy if I go to the gym I will be much better.And the slightest improvement is a good result.I know is not a huge result,but when I squatted 100kg for first time in my life,I felt great.

KV-n 9y ago

i envy you. for me the switch never happened. i enjoy cycling or jogging in the nature far more than lifting but unfortunately those dont help in the looks area :(

BrodinsOats 9y ago

Try out bodyweight calisthenics in a park.

Soarinc 9y ago

I'm going to sound like a damn idiot but here's what I did.

I went the "social engineering" route and I created extremely relevant messages to myself that when I read them, I would remember the pain and fear I'll surely experience if I rest on my laurels and slide back into my comfort zone.

Luckyluke23 9y ago

I hit the gym not because I want to look like Arnold (external motivation) but because I love lifting weights (internal motivation).

I'm fat as fuck ( 100kgs) and at first people told me " just lift" to me, it still feels like a " magic pill" but today I did leg day ( been going since last jan) good god man i could hardly walk up my driveway.

my point is, Lifting is REALLY FUN. I didn't think when i started doing this i would enjoy it for much, now I look FORWORED to going to the gym. Sure I'm still fat as fuck because I haven't worked on the diet and i do no cardio. but shit... I'm still sitting here an hour later hurting and i love it.

fenghsui 9y ago

It goes even deeper. If you get extrinsic reward for an activity, you cheapen that activity. For example, give kids a cookie for coloring, and they make no longer want to color when there are no cookies. Give kids markers, and they will color happily regardless of outcome. Intrinsic motivation is the bees knees, and it is how people make it to the 10,000 hours.

Soarinc 9y ago

"executive control of cognitive function"

Basically, if anyone else is an engineer (or thinks like one) here's an article worth reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_functions

deepthrill Senior Endorsed 9y ago

What are your thoughts on this post?

http://www.wisdomination.com/screw-motivation-what-you-need-is-discipline/

[deleted] 9y ago

Discipline can only be cultivated through motivation. I can even argue that discipline is a result of internal motivation.

So, you're doing a job you don't like. Can you be disciplined?(good luck!). You can only be disciplined somethig that internally motivates you.

Regarding that article, the author is mostly wrong. He's 40% ranting, 60%wrong assumption. (Yes he's talking about external motivation when he uses the term 'motivation'. That's why people who read his post understand it incorrectly).

Think of it this way - No amount of discipline will help you when you're going through mini existential problems where you question why you're doing 'x'.

To be 100% disciplined. You must be internally motivated. There's no other way.

aDrunkenWhaler 9y ago

Discipline can only be cultivated through motivation. I can even argue that discipline is a result of internal motivation.

No, far from it. Discipline doesn't need motivation, it simply needs you to form habbits.

So, you're doing a job you don't like. Can you be disciplined?(good luck!). You can only be disciplined somethig that internally motivates you.

Yes, you can. In fact it's a lot easier. While you are trying to build "internal motivation", tricking yourself to love doing something you obviously don't, a smarter man would simply do the task at hand, to get it out of the way, without an extra thought. Just do the job and don't think about it. That builds momentum and creates a habbit. Do that for 3 months or less and it will be part of yourself.

Much like in the millitary. Not many of those guys are "internally motivated", they simply follow commands and get the job done by repating the same actions over and over again. Discipline and habbit.

I recommend you read 'Power of Habbit'.