Barrier VS Motivation (inspired by the book: Smarter Faster Better)

Often times I find myself struggling with the activation barrier to actually go and do something. For example, it's challenging to overcome the barrier to go into the swimming pool because, for one thing, it is cold walking in the ~20 to 50 meter-long hallway between the swimming pool and locker room; for another, the process of taking a shower and drying my hair is not as comfortable and easy as doing it at home. However, the reward for doing something I have yarned for can be big. For example, I feel physically and mentally refreshed and accomplished after I reach my swimming goal. And the feeling is often carried on for days and can fuel up my work.

So now, how can I surpass the barrier and do get the thing done instead of escaping? First of all, I try lowering the "energy barrier". For example, I put a showering kit with my favorite shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion, and my own hair dryer in the locker room. Also, I bring my hair combs to make sure that I dry my hair properly and beautifully like I do at home. But this is not enough. The barrier is still high that I still try to talk myself out of not going to swim. The cold is cold; the temperature difference is a fact that I cannot control, and everyone faces it when they go swimming.



I recently read a book that addresses the self-motivation and efficiency issues. It is an informative book with a lot of examples from hard science and social science. I have learned how to motivate myself in all cases, especially when I have to do an important chore, or do something beneficial but not simple. The book is called Smarter Faster Better by Charles Duhigg.

The key takeaway messages I acquired from the book are, first, allow yourself to make decisions so that you feel that you are in control of the challenge, even a tiny portion; second, ask yourself why you want to do that and what is the bigger picture or holistic view here.

I took the tools I learned from the book and applied to the swimming workout today. When I was finally in the pool, I reflected on the huge reluctance I felt this morning. I first identified the source of my activation barrier, and then I acknowledged that the challenge in the temperature difference is unavoidable although I can minimize the effect by bringing a huge towel. I then asked myself WHY I want to swim and HOW do I feel after swimming. After thinking through the questions, I realized that most of the things people aspire to achieve are not easy in nature, and because it is not simple, it is actually worth doing it. The challenges involved in doing something, in turn, go into the reward, making it even worth the effort. So, what are the GREAT goals that you are struggling with? Are you motivated again to give them a try?