How to fix your Motivation
A year ago, I would come home from school and spend six hours playing video games and watching anime. That was my peak enjoyment. You might think that with this routine, I was an average student, right? Absolutely not. I was failing in almost everything. I still remember getting just one mark in Algebra and two marks in Geometry in my math exams. Not only was I failing academically, but I was also losing friends—90% of them, to be exact. I wasn't motivated to study or exercise at all. I'd come home, play sad songs, and cry.
But now, after a year of progress, I want to share with you how I stayed motivated.
Understanding How Motivation Works
Motivation equals the level of dopamine in your system. Dopamine is often referred to as the "feel-good hormone" or the "pleasure hormone." Simply put, when you enjoy an activity, dopamine is released. But here’s the catch—dopamine has a baseline level. This is your normal level when you're going about your daily life. When you engage in activities like eating chocolate or scrolling through Instagram, your brain craves more, and your baseline dopamine level drops. Your brain says, "Wow, we're getting a lot of this. Let's make this our new baseline." This makes you crave these activities even more and lowers your motivation for things like studying.
But when you do good habits like cold showers, meditation, or studying, your dopamine levels don't just drop—they rise above the baseline. That’s why these activities feel motivating once you get started.
Factors Affecting Your Motivation
Now that you understand the basics of how dopamine works, let’s dive into the factors that affect your motivation:
Sleep: Without proper sleep, your motivation plummets.
Diet: Eating junk food can lower your dopamine levels and make you feel sluggish.
Goals: If you don’t have clear goals, what will motivate you? For example, my goal is to reach 1,000 subscribers by the end of this month by producing high-quality videos. By the end of this year, I aim to reach 50,000 subscribers. These goals keep me genuinely motivated.
Tools to Boost Your Motivation
Let’s talk about some tools that can actually increase your motivation. These are not widely discussed, but they’re incredibly effective:
Cold Showers: A cold shower can boost your dopamine levels and make you feel more motivated for hours. You might feel terrible while taking the shower, but afterward, your dopamine levels will rise above the baseline.
10-Minute Meditation: If you find meditation hard, start with just 2 or 3 minutes. The harder it feels, the more your dopamine levels will increase afterward.
Coffee: Coffee also increases dopamine levels, but use it wisely. I've linked a video in the description on how to use coffee effectively.
Reading Inspirational Material: Read stories or books that inspire you. For example, I recommend “Can’t Hurt Me” by David Goggins. Both of his books, “Can’t Hurt Me” and “Never Finished,” are incredibly motivational.
Set Small Goals: Setting small, daily goals like recording a video, doing math, or studying English can keep you motivated throughout the day.
Sticky Notes: Put sticky notes with reminders on your study desk or wherever you spend the most time. These constant reminders will help keep you on track.
Implementing a Morning Routine
Many self-improvement gurus talk about morning routines, but do they actually follow them? As a student, I use this morning routine every day, and it genuinely boosts my motivation. Here’s the routine, and it takes less than 30 minutes:
Wake up early: Ideally by 5:00 AM, or whenever suits your schedule.
Cold Shower: As soon as you wake up, take a cold shower. It will boost your dopamine levels and make you feel motivated.
10-Minute Meditation: Right after your shower, do a 10-minute meditation. If it feels too easy, challenge yourself to do 5 more minutes.
Morning Sunlight: Get some sunlight as soon as possible. It will further increase your dopamine levels and help regulate your sleep cycle.
If you have classes in the morning, you can still follow this routine. If you hit the gym, take a cold shower before your workout, but skip it afterward to allow your muscles to grow.
Conclusion
I hope you now understand how motivation works and how you can boost it. If you still have questions, feel free to ask me in the comments. I’m always here to help.
Remember, motivation isn’t just about feeling good—it’s about consistently doing what’s hard to achieve your goals. So let's keep pushing forward, and I’ll see you in the next newsletter.
STAY HARD!!
VIRAJ TAPASE