run the race
A few weeks ago I went to a presentation on motivation. It was for this program I'm in called Preparing Future Faculty and it was specifically talking about how to stay motivated to complete a current or future PhD program. While it was really helpful in the specific context of staying motivated to do your research and write your dissertation, it also got me thinking about how to stay motivated in our own lives.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
- Hebrews 12:1-2
We need motivation for almost everything we do. This especially applies to following Jesus. The bible compares living a Christian life to running a race - and we're not talking a 100 meter dash. We're talking about a marathon here. A marathon that lasts our whole lives. Sometimes we'll hit a runners high and we can't imagine ever stopping. But then there are the other times. Maybe we're cramping. Maybe we forgot the tape. Maybe we're just tired. It's those times when we need motivation the most.
So how do we get it? Well, today we're going to talk about the two types of motivation and how to use them to stay motivated in everything we do. Let's get started.
1. Extrinsic Motivation -
Extrinsic motivation is motivation that comes from an external source. Essentially, it's being motivated to do something because you're getting something out of it.
It can be hard to admit that we need extrinsic motivation. In American society we highly value a good, strong work ethic. Admitting that you are doing something for a reward rather than just being a naturally hard worker can feel really weird. It's perfectly natural though.
In the book The Depression Cure by Dr. Stephen Ilardi he details out a phenomenon that occurs in research with depressed rats (Ilardi, 2009, p. 65). In order to do research on depressed rats, you first need to obtain a depressed rat. How do you take a happy rat and make it depressed? You put it in a tank of water with walls so high it can't get out. The rat swims and swims until it "accepts" that there is no way out and it goes limp. It stops trying to get out of the tank. It becomes depressed. The first time you depress a rat, it takes about 10 minutes. But if you need to do it again, it'll only take about 2 minutes. The rats can swim and swim and swim, but if they don't experience the reward of getting out of the tank then they realize that all their hard work is for nothing. They stop trying to get out. They are no longer motivated.
Following Jesus can sometimes feel like being a rat in a tank. It's hard to see the way out - the light at the end of the tunnel. We go through seasons that are overwhelming and tiring and just really hard. How do we stay extrinsically motivated?
1. Look for the rewards in your life. Practice gratitude. Sometimes we get so bogged down in the struggles of life that we miss the blessings. Look for them. Keep a gratitude journal where at the end of everyday to write something you're thankful for. Post it on instagram. Get creative with it. Make it your own.
2. Reward yourself. So you don't feel like the rewards are particularly flowing right now? Reward yourself. I know it might feel weird. It's okay, I'm giving you permission. Reward yourself for reading scripture in the morning by spending time doing something you really like afterward. Maybe playing a video game, drawing, exercising, eating a yummy snack.. The possibilities are endless. Reward yourself for resisting temptation. Reward yourself for time in prayer. It's important to look for blessings from God every day and take note of them, but it's also important to be a blessing to yourself.
2. Share rewards with each other. The bible calls us to rejoice with those who are rejoicing (Romans 12:15). I remember when i was in my undergrad I had a friend who was (and still is) so committed to Jesus. She always made sure to have her time with God every day and to never miss fellowship with the body. She gave God everything she had. She said something once that has stuck with me ever since. She talked about how she prioritized God first in her life, even over her studies. And you know what happened? God blessed it. She did well, graduated, and even went on to win many awards for her work. The reward she received for her commitment and perseverance still motivates me to this day. Sure it wasn't something that I directly experienced, but because I rejoiced with her it still felt like a reward to me. Sharing rewards is something I'm not very good at. I get so uncomfortable and worried that people will think I'm trying to brag or show off. It's so important though. I might have a story like my friend's that could go on to motivate someone else but by not sharing it I'm withholding a blessing from them. This is something I'm actively trying to work on in my own life.
2. Intrinsic Motivation -
This is the type of motivation we like better. Being motivated just because we are. Intrinsic motivation is based in internal factors. It comes from within.
How in the world do we change that?
Studies have shown that intrinsic motivation is based on your identity. The way you conceptualize yourself has a lot to do with how motivated you are.
Fun fact about me. I've been on a ~weight loss journey~ lately. After I got married last year I gained a fair amount of weight. Turns out, I had ADHD (I mean, I still have it but you get the idea) that was undiagnosed and really, really affected my eating behaviors. Before I got married I coped with what I now know to be ADHD by being very disciplined in the grocery store. I would only buy very specific foods. Then when I was home I didn't have to worry about impulsively eating a bunch of junk because it wasn't in the house. But then I got married and my husband in the most snacky person I know and all of a sudden my house was filled with junk food and desserts. I couldn't control it. I ate all of the snacks. Before I knew it I had gained a good 20 pounds.
(Side note: if you have ADHD, this information is good for you but know that there is extra information that you may need. I cannot tell you the amount of time I've spent beating myself up for not being as "motivated" as everyone else in the world when really it was my brain playing tricks on me. I'm considering making a separate post dedicated to my experience with ADHD, if that's something you're interested in please let me know)
Anyway, because of the weight I gained I now have weight to lose. As such, I've been watching a lot of youtube videos on other people's weight loss journeys and how they navigated that process. There is one video that really stuck with me. The woman in the video said that the best thing she ever did for her weight loss was to change her identity. She started thinking of herself as if she had already lost the weight. She viewed herself as a healthy person, even though she wasn't there yet, and then her behavior followed. Because of her identity as a healthy person she naturally did things that a healthy person does. She naturally ate better and worked out. She didn't view herself as an unhealthy person trying to be healthy, though that's what she really was. If she had, she would've faced a lot more temptation to give up because her identity still would have been rooted in being an unhealthy person.
Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
- Romans 13:14
We need to apply this thinking to our walk with God. The Bible calls for us to clothe ourselves in Christ. God wants us to make Christ our identity. While it's healthy for us to know that we are broken, sinful people - we cannot wallow in that. We can't view ourselves as terrible people trying to fake good. We need to see ourselves the way God sees us. We need to see that we are good. We are loved. We are capable of great and beautiful things. When we do, we will naturally pray. We will naturally be kind to others. We will naturally spend time with God. Why? Because it's who we are. This is how we become intrinsically motivated. This is how we stay intrinsically motivated.
There is a quote from Zig Ziglar that I love:
People often say motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing. That's why we recommend it daily.
Motivation doesn't last. It's a temporary state of being. But we can manipulate our motivation. We can motivate and re-motivate ourselves daily. Then, we can run the race marked out for us without giving up.
Now get out there and slay.
I'll see you soon.
Ilardi, S. S. (2010). The depression cure: the 6-step program to beat
depression without drugs. Cambridge: Da Capo Press.