The Motivation Formula   

Motivation is like a flame — it needs careful tending to keep it burning. In this follow-up, we delve deeper into actionable strategies to keep the spark alive.

When I was in tenth grade, my science teacher taught us about the different forces in physics. The classrooms were off a long, central hallway with stairs on each end. “What would happen if we had a girl on one side pushing a ball to someone on the other side?” the teacher asked.

The correct answer was that the ball would stop midway — the hall was just too long. The power of movement would power the ball in the beginning, and inertia would keep it rolling (an object in motion…). But as the ball rolls along the floor, friction acts in the opposite direction of the ball’s motion, gradually slowing it down until it stops midway.

I used to view motivation as that initial push you need to give the ball to get it down the hall.

But over time, I shifted my approach. I realized that yes, in the beginning people do need a push. But over time, there’s friction and that slows their motivation. However, if you need to keep providing pushes, you’ll spend your work life running around the halls pushing balls.