Feeling stuck in your career? Science says you need wisdom, not willpower, to stay motivated

If you have ever beaten yourself up for “not being motivated enough,” science has a surprising message for you. According to motivation scientist and University of Chicago professor Ayelet Fishbach, the key to staying motivated is not about willpower or grit — it is about knowing how to work with your mind and environment.

Speaking in her TED Talk, "The Science of Motivation," Fishbach challenges one of the most common metaphors we use for motivation. “It’s not a muscle,” she says. “It’s knowledge.”

Motivation Is a Skill, Not a Gift

Many people believe some are naturally “stronger” when it comes to self-control. Fishbach says this view is misleading. Motivation, she explains, is something you can learn and refine. Her science-backed framework is simple: to stay motivated, you either change the situation itself or change how you think about it.


For example, she recalls wanting to walk more. Instead of forcing herself through sheer discipline, she got a puppy who loves long walks — turning the task into something she looked forward to rather than dreaded.

Why So Many Goals Fail

Fishbach’s research, cited in her book Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation, reveals that the biggest reason people abandon goals is not because they are unimportant, but because they are unenjoyable to pursue.

“Most goals are about wanting to have done something rather than wanting to do it,” she says in the TED Talk. This gap between the desire for the outcome and the reluctance to embrace the process often leads to quitting halfway.

Her advice: set goals that excite you along the way, not just at the finish line. If you enjoy the process, you are far more likely to stick with it.

The “Middle Problem”

Even when people start strong, motivation tends to fade during the middle phase of a project. Fishbach calls this “the middle problem.” Motivation is naturally high at the start and toward the end, but the mid-point often feels like a slump.

Her solution? Make middles shorter. Instead of setting a vague yearly resolution, break it into monthly, weekly, or even daily goals so the finish line always feels close enough to push toward.

Fishbach’s perspective reframes motivation from a matter of personal toughness to one of strategic design. By aligning goals with enjoyment, breaking them into shorter spans, and altering your environment to make progress natural, you can make motivation sustainable.

In other words, you do not need to be “stronger” to achieve your goals — you just need to be wiser about how you set them.

Psychologists have long emphasized that motivation is more than sheer determination. According to an article from Verywell Mind motivation has three key components — activation, persistence, and intensity — all of which shape whether you reach your goals. Motivation can fluctuate naturally, but it can be strengthened by setting personally meaningful objectives, breaking large ambitions into smaller, manageable steps, and building confidence through past achievements.

Experts also note that low motivation is often linked to factors like all-or-nothing thinking, chasing quick fixes, or using strategies that worked for others but not for you. The takeaway: with the right approach, motivation is something you can cultivate, not something you either have or don’t.