The Myth of Motivation

How many times have you waited to feel motivated before taking action—only to find that the motivation never comes? We tell ourselves, “I’ll start tomorrow,” or, “I just need the right inspiration.” But here’s the truth: motivation isn’t the spark that starts the fire. Motivation is the result of the fire. It’s not something you wait for—it’s something you create. Action comes first.

Here’s why. Your brain rewards action, not intention. When you do something—anything, really—your brain releases dopamine, that little chemical spark that feels like motivation. It doesn’t matter if it’s a monumental action or the tiniest step. The act of completing something tells your brain, “This feels good—let’s do more.”

Think about the last time you dragged yourself to do something simple, like taking a five-minute walk. At first, it was a struggle. But once you got moving, you felt a little more energized, maybe even motivated to keep going. That spark didn’t come from thinking about the walk—it came from doing it.

The problem is, we’ve been sold this myth that motivation has to come first. And that belief keeps us stuck. It’s a trap, because the longer you wait for motivation, the more you feed the cycle of inaction. But here’s the good news: action breaks that cycle.

Instead of starting tomorrow, start in two minutes. The next time you’re staring down a task that feels impossible, set a timer for two minutes and start. What usually happens? By the time the timer goes off, you’ve become impatient and are ready to begin. Because the hardest part wasn’t the task—it was starting.

And here’s where it gets even better: when your actions align with your values, motivation becomes a natural byproduct. It’s not about feeling inspired—it’s about feeling aligned. Maybe you don’t want to attend a recovery meeting today, but you show up anyway because connection is one of your values. And after the meeting, you feel that renewed sense of purpose, that internal spark that says, “I’m on the right path.” That’s motivation, created by action.

So, stop waiting for motivation to strike. You don’t need a grand gesture, just one small, imperfect action. Take the walk, make the call, set the timer. Let that action create the spark—and watch as the fire builds. It’s not magic; it’s momentum. What’s one small step you can take today? Start there, and the motivation will follow.