Because it is.
When a pursuit is something recreational that gives us enjoyment or titillation, it is an interest. We are drawn to it by our very nature, impelled to see it through.
If the pursuit is an obligation or “for our own good”, it is an outcome for which we feel little to no elation (in the present). We have to grudgingly see it through and need the “motivation”. Thus, it is a goal and the motivation pushes us through the hurdles – ironically, one of the hurdles being ourselves (our ever growing apathy).
So it’s semantics. Interests or goals. Excitement or motivation. Carrot or stick.
Interests have elements of excitement. Not attaining it is like an itch that can’t be scratched so we quest feverishly for gratification. On the other hand, we can feel utterly indifferent about goals (like those perennial New Year’s resolutions). Unlike interests, there are usually penalties or disadvantages to not completing them. Thus, they often feel like work – chores.
In terms of hurdles, interests have no formidable hurdles as they beckon and draw us in, sometimes against our better judgment. Goals have hurdles also, but they range from minor through to why-the-hell-do-we-bother? We need every advantage and convenience to help us along, sometimes even just to stay focused on the blasted goal itself.
This waywardness and loss of focus means motivation is a two step process for the likes of us:
- choosing to muster every resource (within both us and our reach) and then
- choosing to direct them at the goal.
That’s an awful lot of choices to make. 🙄
Furthermore, appreciating the value of a goal and choosing to attain it aren’t the same. We often make the error of selecting a goal only to pay it mere lip service. When our goals are basic and fundamental (like better health) we can appreciate them, but we frequently lack conviction. No conviction means we’re unlikely to steel ourselves for the task, nor devote our time and focus to it.
The way we work
By conventional measures: poorly.
As we’ve just outlined, we don’t often take on goals with much conviction. That’s why we often find ourselves late bloomers. It takes us a long time to get started, and we need a looming deadline to feel any urgency. Despite our low regard for the stick, it is actually one of the few mechanisms that can motivate us. Sadly, the stick itself is losing its menace as we age since our years of experience taught us to manage pain and, occasionally, to accept abject failure.
When we require motivation, the task is obviously not interesting. Nothing is attractive about it and we have zero conviction. So how do we handle these situations? We’re still racking our brains on this one.