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Want to Feel Motivated? Do This

Morning, noon, or night, try this to pump yourself up!

By Eric BurdonPublished 6 years ago 4 min read
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There are many sources for motivation that we can leverage from, from motivational quotes, videos, and articles such as this one.

There is always something out there in the world that we can use to pump ourselves up and get to do great things. But the reality is that not every person uses those methods.

We have a track record of pumping ourselves up through content and then not using that energy at all. I know I've been guilty of that on a number of occasions and I know I won't be the last.

But what I want to be talking about today is a source of motivation where if you want it, you'll have to do something to get to it. So if you do this over the course of the day, your mood and motivation will shift drastically.

That is, you need to sweat.

Morning, noon, or night, sweating in many cases is a form of motivation. Why is that? Because sweat at its core is an intrinsic motivator—meaning it's motivation from the inside. This is key because some of the motivators I described above are extrinsic motivators—motivation from outside sources.

Intrinsic motivators are different because those motivators are self-induced.

You're not going to be super motivated if you bake yourself in your room just to sweat. You'll only feel that boost of motivation when you perform physical activities that make you sweat.

Exercising is another great source for motivation, but part of that is likely due to the sweat that you produce during and after a workout. And you don't need to be working out for long to get a sweat going. A 10-minute circuit may be enough for many to start sweating.

So why is intrinsic motivation more helpful?

Why is extrinsic motivation not as helpful?

I would say that both sources of motivation are very helpful in various situations. Extrinsic is one that so many of us soak up and while it's seen as a poor source of motivation amongst many individuals, I still believe in it.

I know from my experiences where someone's pep talk actually helped me out in sorting out things in my life. Extrinsic motivation has helped me in discovering more about myself and the direction I wish to pursue.

Extrinsic motivation is helpful but only in certain situations. It's not helpful for so many of us because we soak it up and never bother to leverage that energy.

  • We sit on it.
  • We hesitate.
  • We're waiting for the right moment to put everything into action.

Part of those reasons is that we haven't addressed our own doubts or fears or maybe we haven't truly found our direction. Whatever the case may be, those are barriers and the only way to grow from extrinsic motivation is to knock those barriers down.

It's for this reason why intrinsic motivation is so powerful.

It's something where if you want it, you'll have to take action and use that energy to push yourself forward.

If you want to sweat you'll need to do something to get to that point. You can't get there by planning a three-point system and then not do anything.

You need to show up and start exercising. Plain and simple.

All that said, you can still run into barriers. You still have your doubts on whether you can do this on a daily basis. Perhaps your arms are stiff or your whole body is aching.

What are you supposed to do then?

The idea of exercising in that condition may not be the best idea.

So then you need to find a way around that. Perhaps your calcium intake is low or your body is lacking other nutritions to properly exercise on a daily basis?

Intrinsic motivation is not void of barriers, but these barriers I believe are more meaningful to us as opposed to the barriers we face when consuming extrinsic motivation.

With extrinsic motivation, we don't have to do anything about it.

With intrinsic motivation, we do have to do something about it.

How you motivate yourself is up to you. Whether you'll go to the gym, exercise at home, take up a sport, or jog or walk—how you sweat is up to you. And you'd be surprised how long it takes. While some activities will be longer, some you can reach in as little as 10 minutes.

So sweat to your heart's content. The aftermath will pump you up!

To your growth!

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About the Creator

Eric Burdon

I used to say a lot, now I do a lot. Sharing advice, stories, aspirations, and thoughts along the way. Want to be a better person? Read some of my stories to help you grow and shine brightly!

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