The Yerks-Dodson Act demonstrates that motivation is not always useful for effective work and can lead to a decrease in overall performance. Therefore, popular stereotypes about the desire for action may not justify themselves, driving a person into a dead end.
Myth 1: a synonym for motivation - development
If we compare the famous character of Oblomov with an employee who wants the workday to end faster, and with a student who signs up for additional courses, you would think that only the latter has motivation. The student thinks about his education and how it will help him in the development of his future career. However, Oblomov also has motivation, and he wants to quickly return to a state of rest, wrapped in a cozy old bathrobe, and lie on his favorite sofa.
The intentions of an employee who is thinking about returning home only say that he wants to relax and enjoy home comfort. Therefore, motivation is rather a desire to improve your life in any way possible and to feel inner stability. The main thing is to keep the surroundings familiar and comfortable if someone wants to take a person out of their comfort zone.
Myth 2: the easiest way to motivate yourself is in the comfort zone
In fact, motivation directly depends on the level of danger when there is a direct threat to human stability. That is why we cannot get out of the deadlines, putting off our work and the execution of other even less interesting assignments until the last moment. And the point here is not laziness, but the energy-saving mechanism, which from birth dominates our subconscious.
Myth 3: It’s hard for an average person to prioritize
Such a stereotype can only justify a truly unhappy person. In reality, each of us chooses for himself that version of existence that satisfies specific basic needs. Therefore, the priority is always not what is important, but what is easily accomplished and familiar, which means it does not require energy. The subconscious mind dictates a simpler way of survival, and if the task posed does not carry a risk of danger, then it can be postponed the next day or for several hours.
Myth 4: getting started with the toughest challenges
Such advice can be taken only as a drastic measure of action, when other methods of motivating oneself do not work. To make the task easier and more attractive for the subconscious, it is necessary to specifically formulate your goals. Dividing a large project into stages, a person will be more willing to begin work, without experiencing stress and pressure. Even if in reality the project has remained large, divided into points, it looks simpler.