The Motivation Myth

Chapter 1

Motivation Is Not the Spark

A key moment in Tony Robbins's "Unleash the Power Within" seminar occurs when participants take part in the fire walk.

(Okay, it's more like a "kinda-hot coals" walk, but "fire" sounds more dangerous and macho and Katy Perry "Roar"-y. After all, Tony does know a little something about branding.)

(Actually, Tony knows a lot about branding.)

(And actually, this is the last time I'll take a shot at Tony. I think.)

Robbins describes the fire walk as "a symbolic experience that proves if you can make it through the fire, you can make it through anything." The premise sounds great: Walking across kinda-hot coals gives you lasting confidence and motivation by tapping into the amazing power lying dormant within you.

In fact, it doesn't.

Fire-walking is a one-off event. Fire-walking is like listening to a motivational speech: You go home inspired and excited and all jazzed up . . . but you wake up the next day the same person you were the day before, because you haven't truly accomplished anything.

(Except listen. And pay for the seminar.)

Most people are confused about me source of motivation. They think motivation is the spark that automatically produces lasting eagerness to do hard work; the greater the motivation, the more effort you're willing to put in.

Actually, motivation is a result. Motivation is the pride you take in work you have already done-which fuels your willingness to do even more.

That's why tips for how to feel more motivated often fall short. Most of that advice can be boiled down to "You can be more motivated. All you have to do is dig deep into your mind and find that motivation within."

(And burn your feet a little.)

The same is true for confidence, confidence being closely linked to motivation. The thinking goes, "You can be more confident. All you have to do is decide to be more confident." It's easy: Suppress negative thoughts, suppress negative

Jeff Haden is Inc.com's most popular columnist and one of LinkedIn's most widely-followed Influencers. His work has also appeared on Time, The Huffington Post, Fast Company, Business Insider, Entrepreneur, Yahoo! Small Business, MSNBC, and CNBC.

Advance praise for The Motivation Myth
 
This isn t just a groundbreaking approach to making millions or melting off extra pounds. It s a life-changing mental shift toward enjoying the process. Why the f*ck not?
Sarah Knight, author of Get Your Sh*t Together
 
Jeff Haden knows what many people don t: that success is less about searching for motivation and more about muddling through until you achieve something motivating.
Adam Grant, author of Give and Take, Originals, and Option B with Sheryl Sandberg
 
Sometimes, your computer gets stuck, and the pros know you can press Command+Option+ESC to break out of the loop.  Jeff Haden's book is like that, but for your life. Read it and learn how to break out of your negative loops without needing a complete shut-down.
Dharmesh Shah, Co-founder and CTO of HubSpot
 
A must read for all entrepreneurs, company executives, managers, parents, coaches, and wellbeing hackers.
Dr. Dan Reardon, co-founder and CEO of FitnessGenes
 
"Jeff Haden is one of the biggest writers working online today not because he's a genius but because he follows the advice in this book. It's not about motivation, it's about process--and hard work."
Ryan Holiday, author of The Obstacle is the Way and Ego is the Enemy
 
" Jeff Haden takes everything we've been taught about goal-setting and turns it on its head, redefining success in the process."
Cara Alwill Leyba, author of Girl Code and master life coach
 
"Jeff Haden upends a traditional trope: that motivation breeds success by showing us that it is success that breeds motivation. Once you understand this, everything changes."
L. David Marquet, former Navy captain and author of Turn the Ship Around!
 
"Jeff Haden s writing lives at the intersection of science, emotion, success, and irresistible story-telling. Once you read The Motivation Myth, you ll