Motivation Myths

• Publication year: 2022
• Pages: 22

Motivation Myths No. Vol. 51, No. 6 [Page 22] Colorado Lawyer June, 2022

DEPARTMENT WELLNESS

BY ELIZABETH LEMBO

Enthusiasm, patience, and the energy of a Jack Russell terrier; despite our increasing access to convenience products, there are still many things we can't bottle and use on demand. For many, motivation can be a difficult resource to forge. For this reason, researchers, gurus, athletes, and spiritual leaders alike have attempted to assist us in increasing our access to motivation on demand. Most of us are deeply familiar with the need for motivation and the many ways we call upon it in our lives. From accomplishing professional and academic goals, to being present with loved ones after a long day, or just taking the dog on a leisurely stroll, motivation is the tide pushing us forward. And yet, the ability to summon motivation varies greatly from person to person. Ideas and practices surrounding motivation have conflicted and morphed over time, leaving several myths in their wake. This article explores some of the most common motivation myths and identifies some behaviors that studies have shown really do boost motivation.

Myth 1: Positive Vibes Only

People often attempt to find motivation by focusing on successful outcomes and avoiding thoughts of failure. Perhaps they find the possibility of failure immobilizing, draining them of all energy and motivation. Or. perhaps they believe that thinking about failure will manifest failure, much like visualizing a successful outcome can help us accomplish tasks or help athletes "get in the zone." As intuitive as this may seem, some research suggests that visualizing or focusing solely on best-case scenarios is counterproductive to honing motivation.

Dr. Gabriele Oettingen is a professor of psychology at New York University and author of Rethinking Positive Thinking: Inside the New Science of Motivation.^[1]In her book, she discusses the common practice of a "positive fantasy" (aka, focusing on best-case scenarios). Her research found that effort and motivation can be stymied by positive fantasy alone. Participant's blood pressure decreased, they began to feel accomplished without action, and they relaxed. While this is excellent for stress reduction, the research team found it didn't promote motivation, with participants completing the desired task at lower rates. Dr. Oettingen invites us to think of the positive fantasy as an important first step in gaining motivation, but not the end-all, be-all. Employing a tool called mental contrasting, Dr. Oettingen developed an acronym for the steps that she believes fuel motivation: wish, outcome, obstacle, plan (WOOP).

■ Wish: Identify and imagine what you are attempting to accomplish.

■ Outcome: Identify and imagine what the best possible outcome is (positive fantasy).

■ Obstacle: Identify and imagine your internal obstacles to accomplishing the task. Dr. Oettingen suggests avoiding external obstacles that may lead to creating excuses or feelings of hopelessness.

THE WOOP METHOD

Wish	Identify and imagine what you're attempting to accomplish.
Outcome	Identify and imagine the best possible outcome.
Obstacle	Identify and imagine your internal obstacles to accomplishing the task.
Plan	Create a plan for mastering the obstacles, following an if/then behavior formula.

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