🧠 Hack Your Brain: Make "Hard" Work Feel Easy!

At the end of this email you’ll know the following:

• Why you struggle to stay motivated.

• The 5 intrinsic motivators.

• How to dial up these motivators.

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 26 seconds

(In the last email we talked about why you can't focus - and how to fix that. To read it click here.)

Hey Fam,

Ever feel that dread in the morning when your alarm goes off?

You hit snooze repeatedly, and by the time you drag yourself out of bed, all motivation has vanished.

The day feels like an enemy, and your to-do list mocks you from your desk…

You’re not lazy. 

Procrastination isn't the problem…

It's a lack of intrinsic motivation.

Most of us rely on extrinsic motivators – money, praise, or status.

These work initially, but the satisfaction fades fast.

The real key to sustained drive lies in intrinsic motivators, the fuel that makes hard work feel effortless.

When these motivators are dialed up, hard work becomes irresistibly easy, like a video game you can't put down…

FORCE YOUR BRAIN.

♠️ INTRINSIC MOTIVATORS

So, how do we upgrade our fuel source from extrinsic to intrinsic?

It starts by focusing on enhancing each of the five intrinsic motivators: curiosity, mastery, autotelicity, purpose, and autonomy.

👁️
Curiosity: The Insatiable Itch to Learn

Remember getting lost in a fascinating topic, unable to tear yourself away?

That's curiosity in action.

When your work sparks your curiosity, it becomes a puzzle you can't wait to solve.

Here's how to fan the flames:

• Focus on "learning from learning.": If you learn something and apply it with tangible results, your curiosity soars.

🔨
Mastery: The Never-Ending Pursuit of Excellence

Ever get so engrossed in a skill that you just want to keep getting better?

That's mastery driving you.

Here's how to unleash it:

• Identify skill gaps: what skills will advance your long-term goals?

• Deliberate practice: Push yourself outside your comfort zone and actively work on improving those skills.

🖤
Autotelicity: Loving What You Do

Imagine working late not because you have to, but because you want to.

That's autotelicity – the feeling of work blurring into play.

Here's the secret:

• Focus on strengths, not just passions: What are you naturally good at? Building a career around your strengths can make work feel more like play.

🌍
Purpose: Contributing to Something Bigger

Purpose takes autotelicity and adds a mission beyond yourself.

Here's how to find yours:

• Find your “why”: Does your work align with your values? Can you connect your daily tasks to a bigger purpose?

• Distill your life mission: Craft a one-sentence purpose statement to guide your work.

🎮
Autonomy: Feeling in Control

Imagine tackling a project your way, without micromanagement.

That's autonomy – the feeling of ownership.

Here's how to boost it:

• Perceptual autonomy: Reframe your work as part of a bigger journey you are designing.

• FU Autonomy: Develop valuable skills and connections, giving you the freedom to pursue other options if needed.

WRAPPING UP.

🌊
The Benefits: Flow and Beyond

By focusing on intrinsic motivation, you enter a virtuous cycle.

Intrinsic motivation leads to flow, a state of complete absorption, and peak performance.

Flow, in turn, strengthens your intrinsic motivation, creating a powerful upward spiral.

This intrinsic motivation makes you "untouchable".

You become less reliant on external rewards and more focused on the work itself.

🏃
Take Action

This week, identify your lowest intrinsic motivator and start to "juice it up" using the tips above.

Remember: 

You don't have to max out all these motivators at once.

Start with the weakest one and gradually "Juice It Up."

As you raise one motivator, it can give you the energy to raise the others.

As always, thanks for reading, and stay elevated. ♠️

Your #1 fan,

- Elevate Start

P.S. Share this email with a friend who struggles with motivation!

Let's help each other reach our full potential.👇

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