Motivation isn't Garbage, You're Just Consuming It At The Wrong Time

 I recently finished a great book called "The 5 Second Rule" by Mel Robbins. No this isn't the 5 second rule you are thinking of where it is socially acceptable to eat that Cheeto you dropped on the ground so long as it's done within 5 seconds. With this rule, Mel talks about how important it is to take action within 5 seconds or else your brain is designed to talk you out of it. The rule is very simple, you count backwards 5-4-3-2-1 - GO just like a NASA countdown. There is some interesting science behind this and I would recommend reading the book if you haven't already. 

I started to follow Mel Robbins and read more into her work, life story, etc. In doing that I came across a video where she is making the claim that motivation is garbage.  See link here.  Her theory is that motivation simply makes you feel better. And feeling better is the wrong thing to be focusing on. Because after all, we should be making strategic decisions that take us closer to our goals, not making decisions based on what we feel like in that moment. This I agree with. And I do understand that motivation without action can often give people a false sense of accomplishment.

That said, I disagree that "motivation is garbage". My theory is that most people are just consuming it at the wrong time. Someone sends you a motivational video in the middle of work and maybe it inspires you for the next 20 minutes.  Maybe you watch a video in the morning to get you feeling better before your ride to work. But most people consume this media while their physical body is in a sedentary or resting state. Sitting in your desk chair at work, kicking it on the couch, laying in bed. Think about the last time you consumed motivational content and remember what state your physical body was in. 

I would hedge my bets that most of you would say you were in some form of sedentary state. That is why with Aggressive Meditation I incorporated physical activity in conjunction with the motivational content. Think about the message this is sending your brain if every time you consume this content your physical body is in a state of action. I hope to one day have the science to back this, but I have noticed a drastic difference by just changing the way in which I consume this media. 

What I am essentially doing is wiring my brain to expect physical action when it hears and sees motivational content. What is interesting is when I consume this type of media outside of Aggressive Meditation, when I am in a more sedentary state, I feel my body start to trigger the same things physiologically (increased heart rate, increased focus, etc). The feelings are almost identical to the ones I feel before I walk into the gym. Before Aggressive Meditation, this never happened to the degree they occur now. Very interesting and something I do intend to prove scientifically. 

So although Mel Robbins does have some amazing and inspiring content, I disagree that "motivation is garbage". I think it is simply consumed at the wrong time.  Give it a shot while taking some action and see how it affects you. Hope this helps.