How to Increase Your Action Volume Without Relying on Motivation
Many people believe that the reason they cannot take action is a "motivation problem." They read books and watch videos to boost their motivation, trying to inspire themselves.
However, successful people who consistently produce results are not always overflowing with motivation. They have systems in place to take action regardless of whether they feel motivated or not.
In this article, I will introduce concrete methods to reliably increase your action volume without relying on something as uncertain as motivation. If you are interested, please read until the end.
Motivation is an Illusion
Motivation is a type of emotion. And emotions change just like the weather. It may be sunny in the morning, but it might rain in the afternoon. Similarly, there are days when you are full of motivation, and days when you don't want to do anything.
Many people think, "I'll take action once I feel motivated," but this is like deciding not to leave the house until the rain stops. Just as you cannot control the weather, you cannot control your motivation.
And often, on the very days you think, "I'm motivated today!", unexpected events occur that prevent you from acting, or by the next day when you decided you would definitely do it, your motivation has vanished without a trace.
Do what needs to be done, whether you feel motivated or not. Move according to a system, not swayed by emotions. This is the common trait of people who can take action consistently.
Write the "Purpose," Not Just the Schedule
Many people's schedules are filled with tasks like "meeting," "document creation," and "replying to emails." However, these are just names of tasks, not purposes.
When the brain is unclear about "why" it is doing something, it judges that it can be done later, leading to procrastination.
On the other hand, when the purpose of "why you are doing it" becomes clear, the brain starts to move.
For example, instead of just writing "create proposal" in your schedule, write "create proposal to acquire new clients." Instead of "exercise," write "exercise to extend healthy life expectancy."
By simply adding a "purpose" to your schedule in this way, the meaning of the action becomes clear, and your brain will be more willing to engage in that meaningful action.
The Magic of "Just a Little Bit"
The human brain is designed so that once you actually start an action, motivation follows afterward.
That is why it is important to "start just a little bit."
Thinking 'I'll spend an hour finishing this proposal' makes it feel like a chore to start, but if you think 'I'll just spend five minutes writing the title and table of contents,' you can get going.
And before you know it, even though you only intended to spend five minutes, 30 minutes have passed.
This is the power of 'task excitement.' Instead of waiting for the perfect start, just start 'a little bit,' even if it's imperfect. This small step leads to big actions.
The Pitfall of Perfectionism
'I'll start once I'm fully prepared,' or 'I'll start once I've made a perfect plan.'
This way of thinking is the biggest obstacle to taking action.
This is because perfect preparation, a perfect plan, and perfect conditions will never arrive. You will always make excuses like 'I'm not prepared enough' or 'I need to research a bit more,' and in the end, you won't start anything.
What's important is not aiming for perfection, but starting in the first place.
Even if it's only 60% complete, just get it into some form. Even if it's not a perfect proposal, try making just the framework. Even if it's not an ideal workout menu, try moving your body for just 10 minutes.
Improving while you act is far more productive than waiting for perfection and doing nothing. And in many cases, once you actually start, you realize, 'It wasn't as hard as I thought,' or 'It was good enough even if it wasn't perfect.'
Let go of perfectionism and adopt a 'just try it' mindset. This is the secret to dramatically increasing your action volume.
Time is Limited
'If I can't do it today, I'll do it tomorrow,' 'If I can't do it this year, I'll do it next year,' 'I'm still young, so I can do it anytime.'
This kind of thinking creates procrastination. Tasks without deadlines and goals without urgency will be put off forever.
However, time is limited. Life has an end.
As long as you look away from this fact, the things you 'want to do someday' will never be realized. Because that 'someday' will never come.
On the other hand, when you become conscious of your own death, human behavior changes.
When you realize that 'the time left for me is limited,' your priorities become clear. You can distinguish between what is truly important and what is trivial. You realize you don't have the luxury of wasting time.
There is an ancient Roman maxim: 'Memento mori' (Remember you must die). Living without forgetting death leads to the most fulfilling life. This truth remains unchanged even today.
If you only had one year left to live, what would you do today? The answer to that question hides what you truly should be doing.
In conclusion
There are mornings when you are full of motivation, and days when you don't want to do anything. As long as you are human, this is unavoidable.
However, the difference between those who achieve results and those who do not is not the presence or absence of motivation. It is whether or not they have a system in place that allows them to act even when they lack motivation.
Write your purpose in your schedule to give your brain a clear reason. Do not wait for perfection; start by doing 'just a little bit' to utilize task-induced excitement. Recognize that time is finite and understand the preciousness of today.
These do not require special talent or strong willpower. You simply need to discard the illusion of motivation and resolve to move according to a system.
Your life is built upon the accumulation of today's actions. Instead of waiting for motivation to strike, start moving even without it. Actions become habits, and habits change your life.
Thank you for reading until the end.