Most people think of motivation as “the probability that my emotional state is perfectly aligned with what I need to do.” But if you stop and think about it, that is not really how motivation works. Here is a breakdown of how motivation actually functions and what you can do to improve the likelihood of taking action, even when you do not feel motivated.

Rethinking Motivation: How to Align Your Actions with Your Goals

What Is Motivation, Really?

A lot of people do not stop to think about what motivation actually is.

Many associate motivation with a random desire to engage in a behavior. But if you dig deeper, where would this random desire even come from? If we have no control over our subconscious thoughts, why would we assume we can control when motivation strikes?

Try this quick exercise. Think of a city. Now, as you go through names in your head, ask yourself—where did those names come from? You did not actively create them; they just appeared in your mind. You cannot name a city you do not know.

Now apply that same logic to motivation. If we have almost no control over complex thoughts, why would we expect to control when and how often we feel motivated?

Creating an Environment That Supports Motivation

Since you cannot force motivation, the next best thing is to create an environment where your brain is naturally inclined toward the behaviors that lead to your goals.

Think about the definition of motivation: “The reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way.”

If you want something—like getting in shape—there should never be a lack of motivation, at least by this definition. But we know that is not how it works in reality.

For example, you might want six-pack abs, but today you do not feel like going to the gym.

Clearly, the standard definition of motivation does not match the experience most people have. Instead, we should redefine motivation as:

“How do I increase the probability that my emotional state aligns with the behavior I need to do?”

Increasing the Probability That You Take Action

There are two primary ways to increase the likelihood of following through on behaviors that help you reach your goals.

1) Build the Skill of Separating Behavior from Emotion

The most controllable way to take consistent action is to stop relying on emotions to dictate behavior.

Alex Hormozi uses a great analogy: think of yourself like a Yeti cup. The inside of the cup can be hot, cold, or lukewarm, but every time you grab the outside, it is always the same temperature.

This is a powerful metaphor for how you should approach action. No matter how you feel internally, your external behavior should remain consistent.

This does not mean ignoring emotions, but rather developing the skill to act independently of them. For certain people, this approach works exceptionally well.

2) Strengthen the Habit Loop by Rewarding Motivation

The second way to improve the probability of action is to strengthen the feedback loop between motivation, action, and reward.

Every time you feel a spark of motivation to work out, immediately go exercise. Then, tie that action to a reward.

This strengthens the reward response in your brain, making it more likely to repeat the behavior. Over time, your brain will naturally start seeking out that reward, increasing the likelihood of taking action in the future.

This process builds a subconscious feedback loop:

1. Emotional state – feeling even slightly motivated
2. Behavioral response – exercising immediately
3. Reward – reinforcing the behavior through positive outcomes

The more you reinforce this cycle, the more automatic the behavior becomes.

Final Thoughts

Motivation is not something you wait for—it is something you set up. Since you cannot force yourself to feel motivated, focus on increasing the probability that you take action.

By developing the skill to act regardless of emotions and strengthening the reward loop, you can create an environment where motivation becomes less of a factor. The more you implement these strategies, the more successful you will be in consistently taking the actions needed to reach your goals.