Yerkes-Dodson's Law demonstrates that motivation is not always beneficial for effective work and can lead to a decrease in overall performance. Therefore, popular stereotypes about the desire for action may not justify themselves, driving a person into a dead end.
Myth 1: synonymous with motivation is development
If we compare the famous character of Oblomov with an employee who wants the working day to end faster, and with a student who enrolled in additional courses, then you might think that only the latter has motivation. The student thinks about his education and how it will help him in the development of his future career. However, Oblomov also has motivation, and he wants to quickly return to a state of rest, wrapped in a cozy old robe, and lie on his favorite sofa.
The intent of an employee who is thinking about returning home speaks only of the fact that he wants to relax and enjoy the comforts of home. Therefore, motivation is rather a desire to improve your life in any way possible and to feel inner stability. The main thing is to keep the surroundings familiar and comfortable if someone wants to take a person out of his comfort zone.
Myth 2: The easiest way to motivate yourself is by being in your comfort zone
In fact, motivation directly depends on the level of danger when there is a direct threat to human stability. That is why we cannot get out of deadlines by postponing our work and completing other even less interesting assignments until the last moment. And the point here is not laziness, but in the mechanism of energy conservation, which from birth dominates in our subconscious.
Myth 3: It's hard for the average person to prioritize
Such a stereotype can only justify a truly unhappy person. In reality, each of us daily chooses for himself the option of existence that satisfies specific basic needs. Therefore, the priority is always not what is important, but what is easily accomplished and familiar, which means that it does not require energy. The subconscious mind dictates an easier way to survive, and if the task does not carry the risk of danger, then it can be postponed for the next day or for several more hours.
Myth 4: start with the hardest tasks
Such advice can only be taken as a cardinal measure of action when other methods of motivating yourself do not work. To make the task easier and more attractive to the subconscious, you need to specifically formulate your goals. By dividing a large project into stages, a person is more willing to get down to work without stress or pressure. Even if in reality the project is still large, divided into points, it looks simpler.
Myth 5: Willpower alone can lead a person to the pinnacle of success
A person is able to work for wear and tear, relying only on his willpower. However, the work efficiency will decrease each time, causing the employee to stress, fatigue and hate the project. Such violence against oneself will sooner or later lead to a fall and a complete leveling out of past results. In this situation, we can advise to be guided by the famous 20/80 principle, which was identified by Pareto and successfully applied in various spheres of human life.
