Why Motivation Fails: Build Systems That Keep You Going

Most of us have started something important because we felt motivated.

But after a few days or a few weeks, that motivation fades. For many people, that's where progress stops.

In this lesson I share one of the biggest changes I've made in my life. Instead of relying on motivation, I learned to build systems and frameworks that help me stay on track when motivation disappears.

If you've ever started strong but struggled to stay consistent, I hope this lesson helps you build something that still works on your unmotivated days.

In This Lesson

·        Why motivation is great for getting started but unreliable over the long term

·        Why systems keep you moving after motivation fades

·        How I used systems to lower my A1C and stay on track

·        Why planning for bad days is part of every good system

·        How to stop relying on motivation and start building consistency

Watch the video or read the complete transcript below.

Why Motivation Fails

(Transcript edited for clarity.)

Hi, I'm Wes.

Thanks for being with me.

Today I want to talk about why motivation fails—why motivation isn't enough—because it's something I've lived through many times. It's one of the main reasons I've developed systems in my life, and it's why I've developed many of the systems and frameworks we talk about here on this channel.

Often I've been very motivated to accomplish something in my life.

But after a few days or a week that motivation went away.

Then I often didn't accomplish what I wanted.

What I found was that I had to put systems and frameworks in place to help me stay on track after I stopped feeling motivated. That's what I mean when I say motivation isn't enough or motivation fails.

First of all, motivation can be wonderful. It's really great in the 'let's get started' stage.

I use motivation to get started because many times I'll gather a lot of information and never actually put that information into practice. I'll never implement what I've learned.

For me there are several steps.

The first step is gathering the information.

The second step is putting it into practice, taking action, or implementing it.

The third step is figuring out how I continue implementing it and taking action after the motivation fades.

So remember as we go through this: motivation has a place. It's wonderful for getting started, but it's very difficult to rely on motivation over the long term.

If your success depends on motivation lasting over a long period of time, you'll probably fail or fall short of what you're hoping to accomplish.

That's why you need to find ways to stay on track when the motivation goes away. Systems and frameworks are what keep you on track when motivation disappears.

I'm not saying this from the standpoint that it never happens to me. I'm telling you this because it happens to me, and it happens to most of the people I work with.

Usually the challenge isn't getting started. By the time people come to me, they have a big goal and a lot of motivation. What they've found is they can't stay on track.

They can't keep implementing.

I've been in that same place many times myself. So I'm speaking from experience, not from judgment.

If you're beating yourself up, feeling down on yourself, or feeling guilty, stop beating yourself up.

I'm going to help you figure out how to move beyond that.

Here's why this matters.

Everyone feels highly motivated when they start working toward a big goal or accomplishment. But almost everyone has that motivation begin to fade over time.

I'm no different.

About two or three years ago my A1C was too high. My blood sugar was too high. I'd known that for a long time, and I was motivated to change it.

I'd get started, stay on track for a week or two, miss a day, then miss two days, and before long I'd be right back where I started.

It wasn't that I didn't want to get healthier

I knew I needed to get healthier.

The problem was that motivation couldn't carry me through the day-to-day implementation of staying on track.

If you're diabetic, lowering your A1C isn't a short-term process. It's a life-changing process. That's why motivation kept failing me.

So I used the motivation to get started on my plan.

But then I designed systems and frameworks to help me stay on track after I wasn't motivated anymore.

Instead of huge ups and downs, I still have ups and downs, but they're much smaller. And when I'm down, I have systems in place to get me back on track.

For example, I had to put a system in place for what I would do if I had a really bad meal. Before I had that system, one bad meal became two bad meals, then several bad days, and eventually I'd be right back where I started.

Now I have a system in place.

I know exactly what to do after a bad meal so I don't have two bad meals or two bad days in a row.

That system changed everything for me.

Motivation fades over time. Willpower does too.

Instead of trying to create more motivation or rely on more willpower, I plan ahead and build strategies that replace them.

So stop expecting motivation to last forever.

Instead, think about it before it happens and put a plan in place.

Every time motivation failed me, I asked, 'What can I do so this doesn't derail me next time?' I've done that in many important areas of my life.

That's where real progress comes from. You learn, you evaluate, and you adjust.

So again, motivation is great for getting started. Use it to take action on your important goals.

But systems and frameworks keep you going when motivation doesn't.

Success isn't about staying motivated. It's about building something that still works when you're not motivated.

Thanks for being with me.

If you like this kind of content and I'm helping you, please subscribe.

Take care.

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