How to get motivated even when you don’t feel like it

You've always aspired to be a professional artist. At last, this dream may become a reality, and you're creating a portfolio to submit to art programs. But as the application deadline looms, you suddenly find yourself unmotivated and avoiding the canvas altogether.

Why does motivation seem so fickle? And what even is it in the first place? Psychologists define motivation as the desire or impetus to initiate and maintain a particular behavior. In other words, it's the energy that drives you to do something. And knowing the source of that drive is particularly important when it comes to understanding how to maintain it.

These motivational forces generally fall into two broad categories: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is involved when you experience an activity as an end in itself. Take a hobby, like playing video games. The experience largely explains the desire to do it. Performing tasks that feel right in the moment— or that you find meaningful, interesting, or satisfying— are driven by intrinsic motivation.

Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, refers to pursuing a task as a means to an end. While few would consider going to the dentist as an enjoyable activity, you're often motivated by the outcome of having clean, healthy teeth. Other examples of extrinsic motivation include completing a task to receive some sort of reward, whether it's praise, power, or money.

Notably, these rewards tend to come later, like receiving a bonus at the end of a quarter, or winning a competition after months of training. While extrinsic rewards, like getting paid, may seem appealing, their effectiveness can be surprisingly short-lived. For example, a 2017 study found that those who were highly focused on the outcomes of their New Year's resolutions— or driven by extrinsic motivation— weren't the most likely to stick to them.

What did predict persistence, however, was how much a person enjoyed pursuing their goals. In other words, you're more likely to maintain an exercise routine if you take classes you enjoy, rather than just those that build your biceps. Years of psychology research have shown that high levels of intrinsic motivation— for school, a job, or an exercise class— are more likely to keep you engaged in the long run.

Day-to-day actions, though, are rarely either exclusively intrinsically or extrinsically motivated. Studying for a history exam, for example, can be intrinsically motivated if you're curious about the culture of ancient Egypt. But extrinsic motivators may also be at play, as you aim to get a good grade or feel pressure from family members to do well in school.

But having multiple motivators isn't always better. One study of military cadets found that those who were driven both by intrinsic motivators, like self-improvement, and extrinsic motivators, like the outcome of getting a good job, were overall less motivated than cadets driven by just one of these factors. As a result, these cadets performed worse and were less likely to graduate.

Psychologists call this phenomenon the overjustification effect— the idea that additional extrinsic motivators can actually muddy the waters when you already have the intrinsic drive to do something. But this is only a problem if you already find a task motivating.

When you're faced with an activity you find tedious or uninteresting, adding extrinsic rewards can be beneficial. In this way, extrinsic motivators can provide sufficient justification. While you may never enjoy doing the laundry, it may feel less daunting if you get praise from a loved one, or even promise yourself that you'll watch your favorite TV show when you're done folding.

Motivation is complicated. And sometimes, no matter how passionate you are about a goal or hobby, finding the motivation to actually do it can be difficult. But there are things you can do to increase your drive, even when it feels impossible.

Focus on building intrinsic motivation by making the task more fun in the moment. Asking a friend to join you or simply putting on your favorite playlist can give you the boost to get started— and stick with your goals for the long haul.