Guy Reams (00:00.814)
Today is day 240. Motivation is a liar.
So what exactly is motivation? Have you thought about this concept? Does motivation actually exist? Meaning, can we trace it to an exact chemical relay inside our brains or bodies that triggers this sensation of feeling motivated? The answer is a resounding, kind of. We have an idea of what may cause this feeling of motivation, but it is highly complex.
We can take a peek at a few of these. First, there is no single motivation source or neurotransmitter in the human body. We feel motivated by one or more combinations of various aspects of brain chemistry and other hormones. Some research indicates that the neurotransmitter we associate with feeling good, called dopamine,
is needed for motivation because this is released by a few areas in the brain to reward us for certain behaviors. This can result in just the anticipation of this release and therefore could potentially be a cause for a feeling of motivation. However, this is not the only neurotransmitter to consider. There is also serotonin. Research points to the idea that this is involved in regulating mood, anxiety, and happiness.
When serotonin levels are high, we're usually in a positive mood. We could consider the idea that when we feel good, we might be motivated to keep our commitments. That does not solve this puzzle completely, because then we have endorphins, which the body releases to deal with stress and pain, and weirdly, during pleasurable activities as well, which causes feelings of euphoria. This can be considered highly motivating.
Guy Reams (02:00.333)
as that might be viewed as the reason why we will pursue something despite great risk. Of course, we are a species that was created to reproduce itself. So we have that form of motivation caused by a chemical called, and I can't pronounce it, neuro -repinephrine. This is the survival chemical. This is where the idea of adrenaline rush comes from. In fact, I'll just call it adrenaline.
This can make us instantly alert when we need it and strangely also can contribute to things like sexual arousal. The human body is full of paradoxes like this. The thing that we need to avoid being killed is also the thing that we need to be motivated to reproduce ourselves. Very interesting. Now that we are on that subject, we have to talk about oxytocin. Some have called this the love hormone.
Social bonding, social interaction, and relationships have been identified with key rises in this hormone. So perhaps this is a big part of our motivation. Might even explain why some people are more motivated by this than others. I would not understand that very much, being a very introverted person myself.
Guy Reams (03:21.453)
Well, while we're on the subject of that though, we can dive into other compounds released in various other areas of the bodies as signals, and that includes a big one called cortisol. This is associated with stress, and we have seen that increased amounts of cortisol could boost energy and focus and can be considered highly motivating. However, I have discovered that too much of this is not good and can lead to detrimental effects. However, some people,
feed on this cortisol injection and only get motivated when the stakes are high. Guilty as charged, cortisol junkie over here. Not done yet. We could, if we had the time, and I had actually the energy, we could take a tour of the entire human body and all the major organs that come up with a litany of other impulses, hormones, and chemicals released that could potentially impact our motivation. Focus on the brain.
It is more important to note that the prefrontal cortex is most likely where you are making decisions and creating things like goals. I must have had a very active one in my life for sure. However, that is not the only part involved in potential motivation. The amygdala is the emotional response, which is often deployed in a good and a bad way with regard to what you're trying to do. Finally, the hippocampus.
is needed for memory learning and remembering what we have set out to do. These are all elements and a potential motivation to do what we are supposed to do. I say all of this and I went through all of this for you and I to reach one conclusion. Motivation is a liar. All of these components combine together in a complex tapestry of emotions, reactions, and behaviors that we exhibit all the time. Motivation is not a single emotion.
It is an entire stack of chemical compounds, hormones, and the rest. Frankly, when looking at it like this, motivation does not even exist. So if you're waiting for motivation, you will wait a long time. Motivation will come when you do not want it, leave when you need it the most. Motivation will cheat on you, abandon you, and almost always disappoint you. You will never get it to be reliable, and you will find it will often stab you in the back at the first available opportunity.
Guy Reams (05:43.565)
So my advice, never rely on motivation. Find another way to do what you need to do. Leave motivation back at home and instead go out into the world and accomplish what you need to because you're just gonna do it. No excuse, no waiting, no complaining. You will never get motivated. You will never feel good about consistent habits. Forget motivation, it doesn't exist. And that feeling you get that you call motivation is a dangerous foe that outlols you into a false sense.
and then abandons you at the first opportunity.