Motivation is overrated…try Routine…

Here is how most of the time motivation works:

Task Performance goes up initially and then falls down.


1. We exert our willpower or use an external factor to get motivated.

2. We improve on the task through an increase in motivation level.

3. Once we cross a level, motivation level drops for the task as we stopped applying willpower, and start failing on the task.

4. We feel much more deprecated and self sinking than earlier further cementing our belief that the task is something I cannot do.

It’s the same old story again and again for most of the time. If we look back what stayed with us is something we were able to do repeatedly, daily, weekly & monthly.

Hence “Routine” is a much better replacement for “Motivation”.

Dictionary definition of Routine:

Routinea sequence of actions regularly followed.

Create a routine to improve yourself in any task. Routine will slowly grow into a habit and in the end, lead to excelling in it.

I always wanted to learn guitar and tried picking it up multiple times.

Joined guitar classes, registered in a band, group practice, bought different types to keep motivated. It always went well for a couple of months but after some time it drops and then completely goes down. After a year or so had to start again.

After a lot of frustrating cycles, I decided to play guitar for 2 minutes daily (Routine-Small steps). Even if I just take the guitar and do a couple of strumming but do it daily consistently.

Today I am much better in guitar, learned acoustic guitar to a decent level and can play in front of an audience. I still keep practicing for at least 5-10 minutes on an average daily. And trying to pick up up the violin now :).

Motivation comes and goes, but follow a Routine however small it is and it slowly grows into you!