Volume #20: Staying Motivated Between the Big Moments

Let’s talk motivation.

Don’t worry: This is not going to be a peppy “you can do it if you dream it!!” just-keep-trying kind of talk.

Yes, there is a time and place for a good pep-talk. You know, those dramatic, life-defining-bright-light moments like child birth and championship games. Would those moments be truly complete without a high energy pep-talk?

But there’s much more to mastering your motivational ups and downs than big pep-talk energy.

There are countless moments, days, and weeks - and sometimes years, even - between those major moments. And when you think about it, those in between moments add up to the majority of your life.

In everyday life, motivation is less about pushing for the big win and more about the low-key task of simply staying on track.

If that sounds easy to you, then you’ve probably never…

❌ Wished that it was lunch time at 10:00 am
❌ Chosen doom scrolling in your phone over people
❌ Really understood The Office humor

…(And that leaves us with zero people, right?)

Here’s the deal: Sticking with anything worth your time and effort comes with countless meh moments between the milestones that remind you of why you’re trying so hard.

With a deeper understanding of your unique motivational cues, you can learn to welcome the moments in between your big milestones - and tune your internal compass to set you on course to personal fulfillment.

That’s what this month is all about. In your inbox every week and on the Flow State blog in the month of April, we’ll explore the theme of staying motivated. Learn about the different types of motivation, what quiet quitting says about the limits of external motivation, book recommendations to help you unlock drive you didn’t know you had, and more.

Before we dive in, let’s hear from you! To keep this newsletter fresh and helpful, we’d love to hear about your relationship with motivation. Survey results are 100% anonymous.

Take a moment to clear your mind and take a deep breath. We want to know:

I’ll share responses in our newsletter next week (keep reading for what my husband said).

Until then, here’s something to think about. Whatever you associate with motivation, experts typically identify three sources of motivation:

• Intrinsic Motivation: Internally-derived motivation that is satisfied by pleasure, aligning actions with values, and personal fulfillment

• Extrinsic Motivation: Motivation driven by external rewards, like money, recognition, or social status

• Family Motivation: The motivation to accomplish tasks in order to provide for your family and loved ones.  

Which of these three types of motivation is your default driver?

P.S. I tested this survey on my husband, and here’s what he associated with the word ‘motivation’:

1. Coffee taste in my mouth

2. Almost the weekend

3. What about Christmas?

4. Paperclips

5. Tired

Cheers to the (almost) weekend and what’s getting you there ⭐