MOTIVATION IS ACTUALLY BS
Motivation is the wrong KPI.
Discipline is the metric we should be manically focused on: Having a bias for action. Replacing problems with solutions. Doing the thing when you absolutely don’t want to.
As someone who is completely obsessed with general health and well-being*, I work out nearly every day. It’s usually some version of cardio and strength, but movement is a non-negotiable part of my daily routine.
*Speaking of being maniacal, I bought my first Peloton bike in 2017 before it was cool - I mayyyyy have disassembled it, packed it into my SUV and brought it with me during COVID when I moved to the mountains. I know an unhealthy (or impressive, depending on who you ask…) amount about each instructor and could speak for hours on the topic. DM if you’d like to go down a rabbit hole.
But I don’t wake up every day feeling motivated. Probably 6/10 days I wake up feeling like “I don't want to do this”. But, I know how I will feel on the other side. I know I will feel clearer, more creative, more focused, more present. I also know why I work out. There is a purpose behind the pain. And so, on those 6/10 days, I do it because I have the discipline to get on that bike, to lift the heavy weights, and to get it done - not because I want to but because I know I will be that much closer to fulfilling my why.
Discipline is the antidote to procrastination, self-doubt and mediocrity. This is true in life and in business.
I have spent the better part of my career solving other people’s puzzles: I thrive in chaos, and ambiguity and I derive an outsized amount of joy from finding the lost puzzle piece that allows teams and companies to become more efficient. Those types of environments tend to be higher friction than well-oiled machines (companies) and as a result, most days are not a walk in the park.
What’s more: I often ruffle feathers in my path (not because I enjoy irritating people but because the nature of what needs to be done requires a change in ways of working - breaking habits is hard, uncomfortable and most people don’t like being told what to do). My success lies in my ability to alter behavior via new structures, processes or frameworks and influence cross-functionally to ensure adoption. I usually create more work for people initially than the value I bring. You can imagine this can feel quite emotionally exhausting and demotivating.
It’s in these moments (which happen at a micro, subconscious level multiple times throughout our everyday lives), where relying on motivation is poison.
It’s in those moments that you - as an individual, manager or leader - have to show up anyway. You have to be willing to test, internalize feedback, iterate and pivot. Despite the irritation, pushback and lethargy, you continue to show up and get it done.
Creating clarity around goals, KPIs, R&R and accountability are the guardrails that will ensure individuals and teams continue to march towards a company’s North Star even when they don’t ‘feel’ like it.
We need to stop focusing on how to motivate people to do something; instead, we need to reward the act of showing up despite having the motivation to do so. That is the metric we should be measuring.
