Motivation

It's often hard to get started with something new. We often rely on external motivation. We think motivation is the key to taking action. We might think of it like this:

Motivation → Inspiration → Action

But motivation is usually only temporary. It fades away when we start or find it difficult. It's easy and enjoyable to imagine ourselves on stage, having everyone applauding to our EDM beat. Of course, we get inspiration from creators when they perform. But as soon as we start and realize how much work it takes, our motivation wanes.

Motivation does serve as a catalyst, but it takes more than that to get going. Mark Manson wrote about this in his blog post and book, "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck".

If you don't know where to start and aren't feeling motivated, try this approach:

Action → Inspiration → Motivation

Take action first. Even if you don't know what to do, start with something. Then look to others or yourself to get inspired. For example, if a person wants to join a gym, they might get motivated by looking at "The Rock" or Andrew Tate. But to actually get going, they need to work on themselves. When they start to see changes, they'll be motivated to take action again.

It's important to recognize this cycle. Notice the spark of motivation and take action. Remember that the spark is short-lived.