Motivation comes in two flavours, towards and away from. Does it matter which type of motivation you have if you want to reach your goals?
Away from
“Away” isn’t a specific direction. Imagine there’s something you want to escape; it doesn’t really matter which way you go, as long as you’re moving away from it. If you have a goal but your desire to escape is stronger than your desire to move toward something positive, you might find yourself heading in the wrong direction, ultimately distancing yourself even more from your goal. Relying solely on “away-from” motivation won’t lead you to your destination.
Once you’ve distanced yourself enough from what you wanted to escape, what happens to your drive? If your motivation is only about getting away, it fades once you’re far enough from that source of discomfort. You may find yourself lacking the motivation to push forward until you identify something else you want to avoid, leading to a cycle of demotivation. This is why many people struggle to reach their goals, like shedding those last few pounds.
If your motivation is solely “away-from,” you’ll need to keep focusing on what you dislike and/or want to avoid to stay driven, which is stressful.
"Towards"
With "towards" motivation, you have a clear path to your goal. If obstacles arise, you can easily adapt and continue moving forward. In contrast to "away-from" motivation, which can feel random and aimless, "towards" motivation provides a sense of direction.
With “towards” motivation, your motivation actually intensifies as you approach your goal rather than diminishes.
Ultimately, "towards" motivation is inspiring; by focusing on your goal, you experience less stress compared to constantly worrying about what to steer clear of.
So, yes it does matter which type of motivation works best. Away from motivation is good for having the impetus to get you started especially if you don’t have a clear idea of your goal. Toward motivation then keeps you going all the way to completion.
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