What motivates people to work hard: how do successful people do the same boring things every day?

Why can't we do what we determine? Why comfort prevails over our ambitions?

Photo by Giuseppe Argenziano on Unsplash

Motivation has been considered the fuel of success and the energy to take action. However, searching for motivation and making yourself completely dependent on motivation is like skydiving from a plane without a parachute. Motivation can indeed create positivity; however, motivation is a level of excitement, we want to achieve things, and we get excited about those things; thus, we start learning or working for it to achieve them, but then when the process becomes harder, we lose motivation and give up. We all care about motivation but not about disciplining ourselves. Motivation does not show up all the time.

The excitement circle

In the early days, when you start learning a new skill, you’re so excited that you think about it a lot, but after a week, it becomes boring, and you exit the circle of excitement. Unfortunately, most people quit after they cross their excitement circle. Successful people and unsuccessful people have the same goals, but the difference is that successful people never stop progressing, even when they cross their circle of excitement. They don’t give a crap about whether they feel like doing something or are excited or not. Your real test starts after you cross the circle of excitement to see how serious you are about that particular goal you want to achieve.

The excitement feedback loop

I had the same problem, and I was also dependent on motivation and excitement. I would start doing something when I felt motivated, but after a few days, when the novelty wore off, I’d quit because it would no longer feel like excitement and become boring. I would crave immediate outcomes and rewards. If I decided to save my pocket money, I wished to accumulate a lot in just one week. If I wouldn’t receive any results, I would just quit! I was imprisoned in my excitement feedback loop. I never accomplished anything when I was stuck in this loop.

You will want immediate results if you also suffer an excitement feedback loop. Get out of that loop; it will never let you reach your goals. You are trapped in it. Once you determine to achieve something, keep doing it daily even when they become boring or not exciting.

“"Change is painful, but nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don't belong."”

— Mandy Hale

Successful people have the willpower

Willpower is a strong determination and the ability to control your behavior to achieve something. It is the capability to discipline yourself to do the things that lead to achieving your goals, even if they become boring. Successful people always keep the future outcomes in mind, always want to improve by 1% daily, and know that little daily progress will take them to their destination in the long term.

A Football athlete practices one move a thousand times to master the move. It’s so dull to practice one thing again and again regularly. James Clear, in his book ‘Atomic Habits’ says that successful people fall in love with the boredom of doing the same thing over and over daily. “The only way to become excellent is to be endlessly fascinated by doing the same thing over and over. You have to fall in love with boredom.” Successful people always keep in mind the person they want to be in the future. Their small wins lead to significant progress over a significant period. “Your actions reveal how badly you want something. If you keep saying something is a priority, but you never act on it, then you don’t really want it. It’s time to have an honest conversation with yourself. Your actions reveal your true motivations.”

“Everything is within your power, and your power is within you.”

― Janice Trachtman, Catching What Life Throws at You: Inspiring True Stories of Healing

Successful people resist the force of comfort

The force of comfort is a term that I made up, Just like the planet earth pulls objects downwards with its force of gravity. We humans also have the temptation to be comforted, which forces us to do things that give us comfort rather than putting effort into something. Sitting on a sofa and watching a movie is comfortable, but working on your boss's assignment is uncomfortable because it requires focus and effort.

Then why are you watching that darn movie rather than completing your assignment? It’s simple because you are tempted to be comforted and enjoy rather than work. That is the force of comfort.

But people with strong willpower resist the force of comfort; they aren’t slaves to the force of comfort. Once you get passionate about gaining something, you hate comfort. Whenever I find myself loafing around, even for five minutes, I immediately get back to work. I hate it when I don’t work. I have become a workaholic, and work is so much fun. At the end of the day, I regret not taking a break. I intend to take a break, but I end up working instead.

"All things are difficult before they are easy."

— Thomas Fuller

Action leads to motivation

“To accomplish anything worthwhile, and especially to achieve a goal others say is impossible, you have to work your ass off. There are no shortcuts. The only way is the hard way.” Said Jeff Hadens in his book 'The Motivation Myth'’ He points out that motivation does not lead to action, but action leads to motivation. “You feel motivated because you took action. Motivation is a result, not a precondition. You don’t need the motivation to break a sweat. Break a sweat, and you’ll feel motivated.”

You cannot always be motivated and excited, and things are exciting in the beginning. You buy a new shining phone, are attached to it, use it carefully, treat it like a diamond, look at it all the time, and feel happy, but what happens after one month? The party is over! Now you treat your phone normally; you may often throw it after using it. If you treat your goals like that, you’ll never achieve them.

I know the feeling when you’re not excited to do something. Just force yourself for 10 minutes into doing it. Believe me, you will have enough motivation to continue it.

The story of an undetermined boy and a determined boy

Zaib would eat a lot, and he noticed that he was not exercising, thus getting fat and gradually becoming lazy. He decided to wake up early and jog to be healthy and fit. The first day he set up an alarm and woke up early. He was excited about getting fit; he went for his first-morning walk, he felt good, and his level of excitement was 100℅. He continued it for 3 days, but then his level of excitement was only 30%. He still kept his jogging streak alive.

However, after one week, he crossed his circle of excitement, and he wasn’t reluctant to go for a walk anymore. He didn’t have any energy left. We all can guess what happened next. He gave up! He was a slave of his force of comfort. After all, he preferred to be comfortable rather than healthy and fit.

On the other hand, Fahad was sick of being fat. He is also determined to exercise every day in the morning. He was excited but aware of the temporary excitement and motivation; he endeavored to exercise even though it would be uncomfortable for him. He didn’t want to depend on motivation and was grave about his health because he was getting fat.

Whenever he felt that he should give up, he would always think about the remorse he would bear and the consequences of not exercising, and he would imagine his future self to be fit and slim. He never gave up. Within a year, he became healthy, fit, and slim. He made himself comfortable by being uncomfortable. He was used to exercising daily within three months. He fought with the force of comfort and strengthened his willpower.

Fahad started exercising because he was serious about it, whereas Zaib was just excited, which was his wish.

Fahad wanted to be healthy and fit and was ready to pay the price with tremendous hard work. He was crazy about it and desired to see his future self slim and healthy. A Spanish proverb explains it perfectly:

"A wise man changes his mind, a fool never will."

Successful people are insane to achieve what they want

Christiano Ronaldo belonged to a poor family where his father, Jose, could hardly keep the wolf from the home. Ronaldo would borrow shoes from his relatives and wrap clothes to make a ball to play football in the streets. He’d skip meals and his homework to play football. On top of his poverty, he suffered the heart disease. Doctors forbade him from playing football because football increased his heart rate, which could result in death.

Either he had to quit playing football or had heart surgery. If the surgery had failed, he would have lost his life. Even if the surgery succeeded, he had fewer chances of playing football again. He took the risk of surgery for the sake of football, even though there were fewer chances of him playing football again. Furthermore, he was also humiliated by his peers and even his teacher. He never quit. His passion for football has made him a half-billionaire today.

This insanity of passion makes a person crazy to achieve something. They would do anything to accomplish their goals. No matter how severe their circumstances are or how people become obstacles to achieving something, they never stop!

"The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do."

— Steve Jobs

Be comfortable with being uncomfortable

Now that you know the secrets of successful people, this time, you make a goal with conquering your excitement feedback loop in mind—endeavor to continue to work hard to achieve your goals even when you feel mundane. If you face severe circumstances, then it’s your responsibility to overcome them. It will be uncomfortable, so make yourself comfortable with being uncomfortable. Remember, the only true way is the hard way. Change is inevitable, so change yourself, and you’ll see the change in your life.

Are you inspired to achieve your goals? Read my article on 5 steps to start building the future you want today!

Read: How to overcome your laziness and pursue your dreams?