Probably the biggest new years resolution I heard this year was to “ stay motivated ”. If this is you, read on.

People often ask me:

Motivation is one of those things that we all seem to be searching for. It’s our 3:30pm fuzziness, as well as the struggle to get up in the morning. Motivation has come to define who we are as people, as we almost always put people into the categories of “ motivated ” and “ un-motivated ”.

I’m going to say very honestly that though I think this can be useful in recruitment, it isn’t helpful when describing yourself. Not only that, but motivation is a myth. It is useful but finite, and it is also the leading cause of burnout.

Though I may not be an expert in the matter, I know what works. There’s lot of guidance here, so pay attention. Here are my top 3 myths about motivation busted.

Most people seem to argue that motivation, inspiration and willpower are what truly drives us to be successful. While this is true to an extent, many people use motivation and willpower to mask their own self-loathing.

There is a famous quote from strength coach Charles Poliquin that goes like this:

“There is no such thing as discipline. There is only love”

There may be never a truer word spoken. Motivation and inspiration that come from unhealthy places such as self-loathing or a desire to prove yourself only lead to misery and emptiness. At a certain point they start to lose their potency.

That’s why it is so important to do things out of the love of them, not out of self-loathing. It’s way more sustainable, and will lead to happiness and fulfillment.

It’s a common adage that motivation is due to having a high regard for yourself. If you love yourself, you may be more motivated than your average person to work harder and for longer hours. Self-esteem , or how you value yourself will often be tied to your work, therefore those with higher self-esteem will be those that are high performing at work.

The sad thing is, this isn’t true. Motivation is far more related to your self-confidence than it is your self-esteem . To make things very clear, self-esteem is your faith in your value as a person, whereas self-confidence is your faith in your ability e.g. you are the best in the world at something, but you are still an average person.

This is how we get burnout a lot of the time. People who have high self-confidence but low self-esteem will eventually burn out. It is better to work sustainably, rather than to be “highly-motivated” but then crash under the weight of your own self-esteem.

The most toxic myth about motivation is that highly motivated people are more successful than those that are not so highly motivated. This myth is perpetuated amongst working cultures to help people become more productive, but it is the most common cause of people losing their motivation and “coaxing” at work when they realise they won’t be the best.

The most successful people I’ve met are not the most highly motivated, but are the ones that are able to best match their own self belief with the work that they are capable of. One of the happiest people I’ve ever met told me once:

“I’m happy not because I am the best, but because I am continuously able to push myself to be a bit better each day, to the best of my ability”.

That is the true key to success. Simply do a little more, a little better .

It’s that simple.

So for those playing at home, motivation is a myth. It will only last so long, and if you can’t find a healthy place to push yourself from, you will almost certainly burn out at some point.

If there’s one point for motivation it’s this:

Happy 2018! Make sure it’s your best ever.