If you can’t motivate yourself, you’ll never achieve anything...
EDDIE CHENG@ecomEddie
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Jul 16, 2024
~4 min read
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If you can’t motivate yourself, you’ll never achieve anything significant.
How to force your brain to crave doing hard things:
How to force your brain to crave doing hard things:
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There are 2 types of motivational fuel: Extrinsic and Intrinsic.
Extrinsic motivation comes from external factors like money or praise.
These sources create short-lived motivation boosts.
They work at first but they fade fast.
Extrinsic motivation comes from external factors like money or praise.
These sources create short-lived motivation boosts.
They work at first but they fade fast.
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On the other hand, intrinsic motivation radiates from within.
It’s long-lasting, self-sustaining, and compounds over time.
With intrinsic motivation, you work because you want to—not because you have to.
You’ll never find hard work easy if you don’t first master this.
It’s long-lasting, self-sustaining, and compounds over time.
With intrinsic motivation, you work because you want to—not because you have to.
You’ll never find hard work easy if you don’t first master this.
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There are 5 levers that influence intrinsic motivation:
• Curiosity
• Mastery
• Autotelicity
• Purpose
• Autonomy
• Curiosity
• Mastery
• Autotelicity
• Purpose
• Autonomy
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Curiosity refers to the desire to learn everything about your work.
Yearning for knowledge activates your brain's reward system, which releases dopamine to boost your focus and pleasure
Yearning for knowledge activates your brain's reward system, which releases dopamine to boost your focus and pleasure
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Mastery is about the pursuit of excellence. The never-ending quest to improve.
The process of acquiring skills triggers the release of endorphins and dopamine, the biochemical markers of progression.
Here, you rewatch your work and break it down—and you love every minute of it.
The process of acquiring skills triggers the release of endorphins and dopamine, the biochemical markers of progression.
Here, you rewatch your work and break it down—and you love every minute of it.
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With autotelicity, work starts to feel like play. You do tasks for their own sake, not external rewards.
To build it, focus on your innate strengths—the things you're uniquely good at.
“Choose a job you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”
To build it, focus on your innate strengths—the things you're uniquely good at.
“Choose a job you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”
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Purpose is believing your work contributes to something bigger than yourself.
It’s knowing your work matters because it serves a greater mission.
When you have a purpose, your job isn't a grind.
It's a cause.
It’s knowing your work matters because it serves a greater mission.
When you have a purpose, your job isn't a grind.
It's a cause.
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Autonomy is the feeling of ownership and control over your work.
It’s having a say over the what, when, and how of your tasks.
You design your days. Your process. Your projects.
Work only happens on one person’s terms—yours.
It’s having a say over the what, when, and how of your tasks.
You design your days. Your process. Your projects.
Work only happens on one person’s terms—yours.
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I went from a low paying job to helping 8-figure businesses @ penangsocial.com and co-owner @ vibae.com in 4 years.
And I’m sharing the secret to achieving your goals quickly and effortlessly.
Interested? Read until the end.
Now, let’s dive back in:
And I’m sharing the secret to achieving your goals quickly and effortlessly.
Interested? Read until the end.
Now, let’s dive back in:
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To gauge your current levels, rank each motivator on a scale of 1-10.
Start with whichever one is lowest. Aim to boost it slowly over the next year.
Small improvements snowball into significant results over time.
Consistency is key.
Start with whichever one is lowest. Aim to boost it slowly over the next year.
Small improvements snowball into significant results over time.
Consistency is key.
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Intrinsic motivation doesn't just make hard work feel easier.
It floods your brain with performance-enhancing neurochemicals:
• Dopamine
• Endorphins
• Norepinephrine
• Acetylcholine
This combo gets you into flow state where the hard work feels like nothing.
It floods your brain with performance-enhancing neurochemicals:
• Dopamine
• Endorphins
• Norepinephrine
• Acetylcholine
This combo gets you into flow state where the hard work feels like nothing.
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The best part is flow state amplifies intrinsic motivation even more.
The more motivated you get, the more flow you achieve.
And the more flow you achieve, the more motivated you get.
It’s a self-sustaining cycle.
The more motivated you get, the more flow you achieve.
And the more flow you achieve, the more motivated you get.
It’s a self-sustaining cycle.
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Intrinsic motivation decreases the need for validation. You cultivate an inner scorecard, becoming less influenced by things outside you.
However, you can only achieve this when all five cylinders are firing.
Here’s what you should do if any of your motivators are misaligned:
However, you can only achieve this when all five cylinders are firing.
Here’s what you should do if any of your motivators are misaligned:
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For curiosity:
• Quickly apply knowledge gained for immediate feedback
• Observe tangible results from application
The cause-effect link in real-time will fuel your desire to do more.
• Quickly apply knowledge gained for immediate feedback
• Observe tangible results from application
The cause-effect link in real-time will fuel your desire to do more.
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For mastery:
• Determine critical skills in your field
• Practice at your edge daily
• Lock in new levels
Seeing yourself progress in learning a skill will make practice more enjoyable.
• Determine critical skills in your field
• Practice at your edge daily
• Lock in new levels
Seeing yourself progress in learning a skill will make practice more enjoyable.
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For autotelicity:
• Lean into your innate strengths
• Maximize time in flow state
• Immerse yourself completely
The more flow you feel during an activity, the more you'll grow to relish it.
• Lean into your innate strengths
• Maximize time in flow state
• Immerse yourself completely
The more flow you feel during an activity, the more you'll grow to relish it.
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For purpose:
• Outline your purpose in one clear sentence.
• Make this ‘Why’ your North Star.
• Connect your daily tasks to your why. See them as steps in the right direction.
When you believe in a cause, no effort is too much. You'll gladly walk through fire.
• Outline your purpose in one clear sentence.
• Make this ‘Why’ your North Star.
• Connect your daily tasks to your why. See them as steps in the right direction.
When you believe in a cause, no effort is too much. You'll gladly walk through fire.
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For autonomy:
• Claim pockets of control wherever you can
• Actively shape your projects
• Where it’s not possible, switch to other projects
With autonomy, even making even the smallest decisions releases dopamine.
• Claim pockets of control wherever you can
• Actively shape your projects
• Where it’s not possible, switch to other projects
With autonomy, even making even the smallest decisions releases dopamine.
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Even if you're in a low-autonomy role, you can reframe it as one step in a self-directed journey.
Develop valuable skills.
Ultimately, this will give you the ultimate freedom to chart your course.
Develop valuable skills.
Ultimately, this will give you the ultimate freedom to chart your course.
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The greatest rewards exist in the effort itself—not the outcomes.
Outcomes are just milestones. The real value lies in who you become along the way.
Fall in love with the process and let it transform you.
Embrace the suck. Do the hard things.
Outcomes are just milestones. The real value lies in who you become along the way.
Fall in love with the process and let it transform you.
Embrace the suck. Do the hard things.
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If you got something from this...
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