Constant motivation is a fundamental element for any action we want to carry out, but it is also an elusive state. It appears and disappears, it comes and goes: the key to reaching our goals is often to reach this state. To help us find that motivation that is sometimes hidden from us, today we will review a concept of curious origin. This is the "Goldilocks rule", do you know it?
In his book The War of Art , Steven Pressfield offers a rather original definition of motivation. For the author, there comes a time when "the pain of not doing something becomes greater than the pain of doing it . " In other words - as James Clear , an author specializing in the study of success stories, points out - at that moment it is more profitable and easier for one to change than to remain the same.
In this sense, for example, it ends up being easier to make that call that we have been putting off - or finally go to the gym - than the negative feeling that invades us when procrastinating. According to Clear, therefore, the key to motivation lies in this mental line that separates both states , and the important question is to know what to do to cross this barrier in a more continuous and habitual way. One of the elements at play here, especially important for maintaining long-term motivation, is known as the Goldilocks rule.
Goldilocks, the warm soup and the key to continuous motivation
As in so many other occasions, everything begins with a children's story . They say that Goldilocks was a girl with blond hair like the sun - hence her nickname - who, on one of her walks through the woods, came across an open house. Curious, she walks in and finds three plates of soup: one is too hot, one is too cold, and the third is lukewarm, perfect for her taste. Later, the girl will discover that the house was inhabited by three talking bears, but let's stay at this point.
The rule that we have been referring to from the beginning of the article revolves around this selection that makes Goldilocks the ideal soup. It is not the coldest nor the hottest that you choose, but the one that suits your palate. Taking this situation to the realm of motivation, Clear compares it to a tennis game : an amateur of this sport would get bored playing against a novice without any experience, but would become frustrated crossing his racket with that of a professional much better than him. .
On the other hand, playing against someone of the same level keeps you in constant tension, since the possibility of winning is real, but only with effort and skill. It is a challenge hard enough to motivate the player to overcome it, but not enough to frustrate him . This is the logic that informs the Goldilocks rule: to stay motivated it is important to propose challenges that are found in this sweet spot between the excitement of overcoming them and the difficulty of the challenge.
Yet this concept is just one of those that make up the vast world of motivation. If you liked it and want to explore more techniques and principles to achieve your goals, we encourage you to watch the following video, "Motivation, the Engine of Change" , given by the director of EDPyN, Montse Altarriba .
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