Lesson 5. Find the Why behind your motivation

Welcome back to Methods to Motivation, a free multi-part course on how to gain + maintain motivation. Here’s what we’ve covered so far:

• 1. Clarify what you want
• 2. Internalize your motivation
• 3. Motion leads to motivation
• 4. When your goals are vague, motivation will fade

Now, let’s move on to lesson 5…

Find the Why behind your motivation

Have you ever felt so tired or overwhelmed that you’d rather say, “Screw it, I don’t even care” than to keep going?

It’s hard to get motivated when you’re drained and overwhelmed.

One obvious solution is to simply take a break or get some rest (sleep does wonders for motivation.)

But I don’t think that’s the problem for most people.

Most people don’t need more rest, they need more action.

But how do you inspire yourself to take action when, well, you’re just not feelin’ it?

You harness the power of WHY…

One of the most powerful methods to ignite motivation when your tank is low is to remember why you do what you do.

Think of your Why as the purpose, cause, or set of reasons that fuel your motivation on a daily basis.

If your Why is compelling enough, you’ll be able to garner the motivation you need to succeed.

For example, when I feel low on energy or motivation, I remind myself about why I work so hard in the first place:

—To inspire people like you to improve your life and achieve your goals.

—To provide for my family and take care of my parents.

—To be a model of excellence that my children, Nora and Rumi, can be proud of.

—To make a meaningful contribution to society.

If you can come up with a similar set of unique reasons that get you energized, you’ll be able to tap into motivation far more frequently.

How to apply this method

To find your own Why, try one (or both) of the following two techniques:

• 1. Use the Why Statement formula
• 2. Create a list of compelling reasons

Here’s a quick breakdown of how to use both.

1. Use the Why Statement formula. 

In his book, Find Your Why, the author Simon Sinek shares a powerful template for finding your WHY that goes like this:

TO ____ SO THAT ____.

The first blank represents the contribution you make to the lives of others through your WHY. The second blank represents the impact of your contribution.

For example, my Why is:

To inspire, entertain, and educate people everywhere so that they can improve their lives and achieve their goals.

To apply this method:

① Grab a clean sheet of paper and use the “TO ____ SO THAT ____” formula to fill in the blanks and create your own Why Statement.

② Draft as many Why Statements as you need to until you find one that resonates with you emotionally. (Side note: that last bit about making it emotional is crucial. The skill of generating powerful emotions within yourself is a superpower. Master your ability to manage them, and you’ll be on your way to mastering your motivation.)

③ Lastly, keep in mind that you can modify your Why as you evolve as an individual. None of this is set in stone unless you want it to be.

2. Create a list of compelling reasons.

The second way to apply this method to motivation is to create a list of compelling reasons that inspire and energize you to take action.

As Nietzsche said: “He who has a strong enough why can bear almost any how.” 

Translation: Rather than asking how to get motivated, try asking why you need to get motivated.

Because when you have a strong set of reasons to do something, the motivation takes care of itself.

To apply this method:

① Brainstorm and write down as many reasons you can think of that push you to take action. Don’t overthink it, just set a 3-5 minute timer and list them out as quickly as you can, stream-of-consciousness style.

② After the timer goes off, scan your list and circle each item that generates emotion when you think about it.

③ Finally, review each circled item and pick your top 3-5 most compelling reasons. List those reasons on a small index card and review them each time you need to top off your motivation.

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