Motivation: Why It Matters—and How to Use It Well

Motivation is a skill—one that can be understood, cultivated, and used intentionally to achieve meaningful outcomes.

Developing a clear understanding of what motivation is, how it works, and how to influence it is essential for achieving anything that requires effort. The larger and more important the goal, the more motivation is required to consistently invest time, energy, and resources. And what is more important than our health, now and into the future?

Motivation Is Variable

At times, motivation feels abundant. You feel focused, capable, and unstoppable. At other times, even small tasks feel heavy. This variability often leads people to conclude that motivation is unreliable or that some people just have it or they don’t.

That conclusion is not helpful.

Motivation is not a fixed trait. There is no “motivation gene.” Highly motivated people are not fundamentally different—they simply create, for themselves, the conditions that support motivation.

When you understand that motivation goes up and down and that you can influence those fluctuations, you gain control. Your motivation becomes something you use, not something you wait for. This is a profound shift, because it puts achievement back in your hands.

You can intentionally increase motivation. And that is a genuine superpower.

Balance: Achieving Without Burning Out

One of the most important skills in using motivation well is learning when to push and when to ease off. Constant striving may look impressive, but it often leads to burnout, apathy, or disengagement—especially in long-term pursuits like health and wellness.

Sustainable motivation requires a balance between working towards achievement and contentment with what you have already accomplished. Progress is built through small, consistent improvements over time, not constant intensity. Periods of effort must be paired with rest, reflection, and enjoyment.

The Groundwork for Motivation: Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness

Before motivation can function effectively, three foundational conditions must be in place.

Autonomy

You must feel that you have meaningful control over the outcome. If circumstances prevent you from exerting control, motivation is irrelevant. Wanting to eat better while lacking access to nutritious food is not a motivation problem—it is an autonomy problem.

Competence

You must feel equipped to act. Motivation cannot overcome a lack of skill or knowledge. If you want to get stronger but do not know how to use weights effectively, motivation alone will not produce results. Competence grows with practice, but a basic foundation must be present.

Relatedness

You must feel that the effort matters—that success connects to a larger purpose or vision. If the outcome does not clearly support the life you want to live, motivation will fade.

When these three elements are in place, motivation becomes far more reliable.

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

Motivation comes in two primary forms:

Intrinsic motivation arises from internal satisfaction, meaning, or identity. You exercise because it feels good to take care of yourself. You learn because you enjoy the process. This type of motivation is deeply sustainable.

Extrinsic motivation is driven by rewards or consequences. You train for a race, lose weight for an event, or meet a deadline to avoid penalties.

Ultimately, all motivation becomes internal, because effort always comes from you. Understanding how to leverage both types appropriately increases flexibility and effectiveness.

Motivation and Brain Chemistry

Motivation is also influenced by brain chemistry, particularly dopamine. Dopamine is often mischaracterized as a “pleasure chemical.” In reality, it governs wanting, learning, and goal-directed behavior.

Dopamine answers the question:

“Is this worth pursuing—and how much effort should I invest?”

The goal is not to maximize dopamine indiscriminately. Excessive spikes can actually undermine motivation over time. Instead, sustainable motivation is supported by steady dopamine signaling through healthy behaviors, balanced nutrition, and well-designed challenges.

Goals, Visions, and Identity

Goals can be powerful—but they can also backfire. Because goals live in the future, they are easy to postpone. And once achieved, they often leave a motivational vacuum.

A vision, by contrast, defines who you are becoming.
“I am someone who goes to bed on time because my health matters” is an identity in action, not a future wish.

Goals are most effective when they are specific and situational. This is where S.M.A.R.T. goals excel: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Visions guide the big picture. S.M.A.R.T. goals handle the tactical steps. Both are necessary.

Accountability: Raising the Stakes

Accountability is one of the most powerful motivational tools available because it removes the option of quietly letting yourself off the hook.

Being accountable to another person is especially effective. Most people will exert far more effort to honor a commitment to someone they respect than to themselves alone.

Penalties and rewards can also be used strategically, as long as they align with long-term goals and are enforced consistently. When designed well, accountability dramatically reduces the motivational burden of decision-making.

Treating Motivation as a Skill

Motivation is not something to be discovered—it is something to be designed.

When you understand its moving parts—balance, autonomy, competence, meaning, brain chemistry, goals, and accountability—you can apply motivation deliberately rather than reactively.

You are not trying to find motivation. You are learning how to create it on demand and use it in service of improving you health and physical well-being - the most important goal you have.