Dopamine is the main chemical being produced in your brain when you feel motivated. This makes you ready to act. When you experience something rewarding or even anticipate a reward from an action, dopamine is released. Witnessing progress can fuel motivation, making us want to repeat a behavior. But many goals we have are not instant, they require consistency. What happens when we don’t get rewarded immediately or can’t see the potential rewards close ahead? Motivation drops as dopamine goes down. We feel less engaged and inspired, often leading to a decrease in productivity and it becomes harder to push towards action. This drop can also make you feel less compelled to plan, schedule or stay consistent. Some people struggle to continue working for a goal if there is no evident immediate result, making them care less about the outcome of something that’s important to them. 

Being Motivated and Feeling Unmotivated

When you are motivated you will experience high dopamine, a lot of energy, focus, excitement about the goal and anticipation of a reward.

When you feel unmotivated you will experience low dopamine, low energy, difficulty focusing and a sense of disinterest or resistance to act.

Why we go into shutdown

Motivation is influenced by external factors (praise, clear results, rewards etc) and internal factors (mood, values, current emotional state etc). It will always fluctuate and should not set the expecation of how we need to feel in order to act. If we wait for this, we ask our feelings for permission of when to work for something we want to acheive. You can see how problematic that could become and how much this mindset restricts you. When your goals appear too large, you can experience overwhelm and anxiety as if they seem impossible which makes reward or even anticipating reward seem far away. This can make you anxious leading to a shut down of motivation to avoid the feelings of discomfort. Your brain perceives this as a need to protect you, which is why this happens. Discomfort could be seen as dangerous. You will not feel motivated here. So how do we avoid this from happening?

Managable steps to navigate motivation

Break Big Goals Into Smaller, Manageable Tasks. Instead of focusing on a huge, distant outcome, break your goal into smaller, more achievable milestones. This allows you to see immediate progress, which in turn fuels motivation. By setting short-term targets, you can celebrate small victories along the way, making the journey less daunting and more rewarding.

For example, if your goal is to write a book, focus on writing just 500 words a day instead of thinking about the whole manuscript.

Focus on Action, Not Emotion

Instead of waiting for motivation to be fueled by a certain emotion, commit to taking small, consistent actions, regardless of how motivated you feel. Action often creates momentum, which in turn generates more motivation. You’ll be surprised how much easier it is to get started when you focus on the process rather than waiting for the right emotions to show up.

Think of it like going for a run when you don’t feel like it. Once you start moving, the initial resistance often fades, and you find yourself gaining energy.

Reframe Discomfort

Instead of viewing discomfort as something to avoid, reframe it as a natural part of growth. Discomfort often signals that you’re stepping outside of your comfort zone and moving closer to your goal. Embrace the discomfort as a sign of progress, rather than as a signal to retreat.

This mental shift helps you manage the anxiety of big tasks and makes it easier to push through difficult moments without shutting down.

Accept That Motivation is Not Always Linear

It’s important to accept that motivation will fluctuate, and that’s normal. Acceptance of this natural ebb and flow reduces the pressure to always feel “motivated” and helps you push forward even when the energy isn’t there. Consistency, not perfection, is key. Building the habit of showing up every day, even on days when motivation feels low, leads to progress over time.

Celebrate Small Wins

When you accomplish a step, no matter how small, take a moment to acknowledge and celebrate it. This reinforces motivation. Celebrating small wins can trigger the brain’s reward system, giving you a boost of dopamine to keep moving forward. The more you recognize and celebrate progress, the more you’re conditioning yourself to enjoy the process, not just the end result.

Was this helpful for you? Are you struggling with motivation and procrastination? Don’t hesitate to reach out, support is right here where you need it. Send me an email and lets connect!