Why ‘Motivation’ feels Fleeting
Motivation is a misunderstood phenomenon. It isn't a characteristic, it isn't something you have or don't have. Motivation, like anger and happiness, comes and goes. As you may know, I am not a neuroscientist. I won't go too far down the rabbit hole, but I will leave it at this: motivation is the feeling, dopamine is the chemical. Both can seem positive and even euphoric, but that isn't what they are.
When you think of activity 'X' and anticipate result 'Y' and 'Z', your body drops a bread crumb. "Oooo, I like that".."that's going to get me what I want!"
Motivation isn't the drive to do something, motivation is why we do what we do in the first place, regardless of how good or bad we feel: before, during or after.
We are going to have days where we didn't sleep well, didn't eat enough (ate too much), or life gets in the way. Skipping a few workouts doesn't mean we aren't motivated. It means there wasn't enough space to do everything you needed to do. You then feel disappointed about missing a week (a time span that could not be less significant in the long run) of workouts rather than acknowledge we:
A) didn't structure our schedule in a way that created space for all of the things we needed to do.
(Great. Now you have more information and perspective on how much you can fit, and when you can fit in your exercise routine. Start there.)
or B) life got in the way.
(Congratulations, you made the adjustment and got what you needed to done.)
Neither of these scenarios indicate a lack of motivation. Quite the opposite. They show that you had motivation to check off other priorities and curve-balls that life throws at you.
Exercise isn't always going to feel 'exciting'. That comes and goes. Your motivation doesn't change. You know the input you're putting in, and you know the output you are seeking by doing so. 'Motivation' (dopamine) is going to drop when something comes up that you think you need to do in order to get some desired outcome. Recognize that it's a feeling (feelings go away, some faster than others), assess where it should fall on the priority list, and adjust accordingly.
We're in this for the long game. Being OK with moving things around, missing a workout but not missing a beat. These are all parts of building a sustainable routine that we can be consistent with. **Beating yourself up, or telling yourself "I'm such a _______" ** because you don't feel motivated is a losing game, and its not based in reality. Neither is the high you get when you tell yourself how excited you are to beat your body up that day.
**something I struggle with**
