Motivation is chemistry.That feeling you call motivation is to do with the dopamine inyour brain, specifically the increase in dopamine in your “nucleusaccumbens” is the brain’s feedback for predicting rewards. Dopamineis known as a neurochemical of pleasure, and sure, dopamine makesyou feel good, so why can we also get a spike of motivation intimes of great stress? Indeed, why are some people motivated tojump off suspension bridges?

Dopamine is the neurochemical associated with pleasure but itsreal role is in motivation[/caption] The role of dopamine goesbeyond our feelings of pleasure; it performs its task before we obtain the rewards. Dopamine’s actual job isto encourage us to act to achieve or avoid something. 

To act or to avoid?

Motivation can be encouragement toact or to run awayMany successful golf players (and business leaders) aremotivated by their dissatisfaction with their performance. It canbe a very powerful motivator. You would expect someone who is thusmotivated to improve their game to be similarly motivated in otheraspects of their life. Do you see a golf course as a series ofobstacles to be avoided, or do you see the fairways and greens asthe thing to hit.There are a few people who aim for the obstacles because theyexcel at the tricky shots – most, however, find themselves in theobstacles due to misfortune… or were they actually responsible?For most people, theself-directed anger resulting from dissatisfaction is not a positive stateto be in. If you condemn yourself for playing poorly and useself-talk phrase such as “I should have…” Or yelling (at yourselfor outwardly) your self-disgust such as “useless idiot” and perhapsmore colourful phrasing – you are doomed to repeat it. Not onlywill you repeat the ‘error’, but you are also physically hurtingyourself – self-condemnation causes self-directed anger causesstress causes physical distress causes physical sickness and, formany, heartfailure. It’s a little as if your heartdecides that’s it’s had enough of your inward abuse and isdesperately trying to communicate your need to stop doing it. Ifyou’ve had a heart attack or stroke you’ve probably completelyreassessed how you live your life – and sought more tranquility,less stressful behaviours – in some cases avoiding the majorcontributors to your previously high-stress levels – workand/or golf.

Driving a car often brings out the worst in our character.Some people don’t realise that this is what they are like. Theway you drive your car is often a good indicator of your style. Howangry do you get when someone cuts into the queue in front of you?When you pull up to the red traffic light, do you swerve over tothe other lane to be at the front of the queue? When motoring alongare you more concerned about getting somewhere quickly, or moreconcerned with the traffic around you? Back togolf. When you stand at the tee, what do you focusyour attention on? Your target?Avoiding the trees/bunkers/water/rough? I hopethe former by now if you’ve been with me all this time. What youfocus on is what you’ll get. Motivation isa multi-faceted phenomenon. In large part, motivation is about thesatisfaction of values held. It is the result of using particularpersonal resources towards a specific goal that satisfiesa value or value held by that individual. Connecting any ofthese three in any order, resources, values and outcome creates thefeeling of motivation as the nucleus accumbens anticipates thereward for the price you are prepared to pay. In smaller part,though often the critical component, is encouragement toachieve a goal.Encouragement to act or avoid

Encouragement is the eageranticipation of doing something fearful It is worth spending some time here onwhat we mean by encouragement. The word has ‘courage’at its root. Thus, to encourage is to develop, enhance orbuild courage. Courage, you’ll remember, is not the absence of fearbut the continuation to do

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.joyatwork.coach