Why motivation isn't enough

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Hey there,

"Just stay motivated!" "Find your why!" "Keep pushing!"

We've all heard this advice.

We've all tried to follow it.

And we've all watched our motivation eventually fade - usually right when we need it most.

Here's what nobody tells you…

Motivation was never meant to last. It's like a match - great for starting a fire, terrible for keeping it going.

Two months ago, I started studying what actually creates lasting progress. What I discovered changed everything I thought I knew about building habits.

The Truth About Progress

Turns out, consistent achievers don't rely on motivation. They understand something far more powerful: momentum. While motivation pushes you forward, momentum pulls you along.

Think of it like pushing a heavy wheel:

• The first push is hardest (this is where motivation helps)

• Each subsequent push gets easier

• Once it's rolling, it maintains its own motion

• Stopping completely means starting over

The Science Behind It

Research shows something fascinating about progress:

• Small daily actions are 3x more effective than motivated bursts

• Real momentum kicks in after 66 days of consistency

• Breaking a streak matters less if you restart within 48 hours

The Three Phases I Noticed

1. The Push Phase (Days 1-7): Everything feels hard. You're fighting inertia. This is where motivation usually runs out - right before momentum begins.

2. The Roll Phase (Days 8-21): Things start feeling easier. You begin looking forward to actions that felt challenging before. The wheel is moving.

3. The Flow Phase (Days 22+): Actions become automatic. Missing a day feels worse than doing the work. The wheel almost moves itself.

The Hidden Cost of Motivation

Here's what relying on motivation really costs us:

• Energy depletion from constant self-pushing

• Guilt when motivation inevitably fades

• Starting over repeatedly

• Progress that depends on feeling "ready"

But the biggest cost? Time. Every time we wait for motivation to strike, we're losing the momentum we could be building.

What Actually Works

Instead of trying to stay motivated, try this:

1. Start Smaller Than You Think

• Choose one tiny action

• Make it ridiculously easy

• Do it at the same trigger time daily

• Focus on showing up, not results

The key here isn't willpower - it's making the action so small that resistance becomes irrelevant.

2. Build Momentum Like Physics

• Reduce friction in your path

• Keep the wheel moving, even slowly

• A 50% day beats a zero day

• Get back on track within 48 hours

Remember: Physics doesn't care about motivation. A wheel in motion stays in motion, regardless of how it feels about moving.

3. Design for Continuation

• Create obvious triggers

• Make continuing easier than stopping

• Celebrate consistency over intensity

• Stack new habits on existing ones

The Counter-Intuitive Truth

Most people get this backwards. They try to:

• Start big (then scale back when it fails)

• Rely on willpower (a finite resource)

• Wait for perfect conditions (which never come)

• Push through resistance (creating more friction)

Your Next Step

Start with what I call a "Minimum Viable Push":

1. Pick one small action

2. Attach it to an existing habit

3. Focus only on showing up

4. Track consistency, not performance

Example MVPs:

• One glass of water before coffee

• Two minutes of reading before bed

• Three deep breaths before checking email

• One sentence of journaling after dinner

The Real Goal

The goal isn't to stay motivated. It's to build a system that keeps moving forward, whether you feel motivated or not.

Think of it this way: Motivation is like weather - variable and unpredictable. Momentum is like climate - something you can build and maintain over time.

Here's to sustainable progress,

Raihan | Mindful Maven

P.S. If you have control of your mind, your life will transform.

If not, you will:

• Have anxiety

• Overthink everything

• Not achieve your goals

• Have low self-confidence

Transform your life + mindset with the "Live Intentionally" book.