At best, it is a label.
“Motivation” labels our own behaviors. It is a verbal statement that correlates with a particular rate of responding, given a set of environmental variables.
It is merely a prediction of our own behavior.
(The say-do correspondence is separate issue itself. You may say that you are motivated given certain circumstances and never follow through. Or, given the opposite, say that you are unmotivated given the same circumstances but still get the work done).
What we really mean…
When you say that you are motivated or unmotivated, what you really mean to say is:
“When the world is set up like this, I am 99% likely to do X.”
or
“When the world is set up like that, I am .01% likely to do X.”
Because “motivation” isn’t real, you can focus more on the environmental variables that affect your behavior
Correct use of “Motivated” label
In the past, when these environmental variables were present:
- Gym open and close by
- Paid membership
- Competitive workout crew
- Available leisure time
- Expert coach
I was more likely to workout.
Correct use of “Unmotivated” label
In the past, when these environmental variables were presnt:
- Gym closed or far away
- Expired membership
- Workout crew went missing
- Crunched for time
- Coaching change
I was less likely to workout
Waiting for Motivation
You will wait a long time for motivation to just catch up to you. Because it is not a thing to observe. We can only observe acts of behavior. To change behavior (and our use of motivation as a label), we must look at environmental events that change the odds of us performing healthy and fit behaviors.
