After first consuming his "limitless pill," the main character, Eddie, proceeds to clean his filthy house from top to bottom. Once done, he says to himself, "I knew what I needed to do, and how to do it." In an instant, Eddie sits down and quickly starts writing the infamous book that he had been putting off for God knows how long.
The next morning, Eddie wakes up feeling like his old self again. All the motivation and self-discipline bestowed to him by that magical pill was gone....but his manuscript still remained. Eddie had been putting this off for so long that even his publisher was shocked to see a manuscript sitting on her desk. By the time Eddie gets home, his publisher has left 3 voicemails asking for a callback because of how impressed she is with his work.
So what's the lesson here?
Eddie has held the intention to write this book for a long time. He wasn't able to achieve his intention because he's been in an unmotivated slump that wouldn't end. But after experiencing a burst of motivation, Eddie sat down and did exactly what he needed to do.
When I first began my self-improvement journey, I thought the goal was to get motivated and sustain that level of motivation for eternity. But the truth is that motivation is an emotional state that comes and goes. There are times when I wake up ready to tackle the day. Other days, I can spend hours at a time chilling on the couch.
I used to get bummed out whenever I allowed a day (or more) to go by without being productive. Then I realized that I didn't have to get down on myself whenever I was unmotivated as long as I applied this simple lesson from the movie.
"When Motivated, Build Something That Lasts."
A while back, I wrote an article about making the most of your bad days. I'm someone who is highly driven to take action when a situation is bad. But when things are going well, I just sort of sit back and coast. On our "good days," we're probably vibrating on a high level but many of us aren't taking advantage of it.
So, if you wake up feeling a little more energetic today, use that opportunity to work out. The workout might last only 30 minutes but, with that action, you're building something (a stronger body) that lasts well beyond the time you invested.
If I were to get a b12 shot for increased levels of energy, the best way to maximize that additional energy would be to create something that lasts. Maybe that's the week that I focus on higher income-generating activities for my business. Once the effects of the b-12 shot have worn off, I'll have multiple strategies in place that produce residual results.
Basically, the idea is not to try to become motivated 100% of the time. That's darn near impossible. A smarter approach would be to leverage your motivation into powerful actions that pay dividends long after the motivation has dissipated. Eddie woke up the next morning in a funk, but he still had a physical copy of his manuscript sitting on the desk.
What do you do if you go long periods without feeling motivated?
Eddie's initial motivation came after he consumed a magical pill. Such a pill doesn't currently exist but there are some nootropics that can help spark mental clarity and focus. I grabbed a bottle of Herb Farm's Brain & Memory after it went viral on TikTok for its brain-enhancing powers. I've tried it several times and experienced positive results with my mental focus. Now, I'm going to be strategic and only take it on days when I plan on working on certain projects.
Another way to manufacture motivation organically is by utilizing the placebo effect to motivate yourself at will. That's a whole nother topic that we'll be covering in the upcoming days.
Stay tuned.
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