The Desperation Cycle And Failing Motivationby Kurt Mortensen

Many think motivation is useless because it doesn’t ensure
long-lasting results. This thought tendency can be seen in what I call
the Desperation Cycle. The Desperation Cycle shows how human nature
influences us to take the easiest path instead of the best one. In
persuasion, we need to pull people out of the Desperation Cycle and
into permanent, long-term motivation.

We all know we are creatures of habit. We are like water following the
path of least resistance. As creatures of habit, we dwell in our
comfort zones, places where we don’t have to think or expend
much energy in analyzing our surroundings. In these zones, we become
complacent, comfortable and resistant to change. We live by habit and
routine in our comfort zones. We don’t stretch or strive for
excellence. We consider change only when the pain of our current
situation becomes too intense to ignore. Fear of the unknown and fear
of making mistakes are also reasons why we stay in our comfort zone. We
love our comfort zone because it is a safe place where we can reduce
our mistakes and keep our failures to a minimum. Mark Twain said,
“A cat that steps on a hot stove once will never step on a
hot stove again but neither will it step on a cold one.” The
comfort zone is safe and warm, but it keeps us paralyzed and
unmotivated to venture out of it.

In the Desperation Cycle, we first feel safe in our comfort zone. Then,
fear even begins to creep into our complacency. Only then do we realize
that we haven’t accomplished any of the things we need to do.
Suddenly, we fear what we are becoming and where we are going. As we
contemplate our destination, we panic and work frantically to save
ourselves. This frantic rehabilitation lasts just long enough for us to
see exactly how steep the hill is going to be or how long the marathon
really is. Then the excitement dies. We numb ourselves to these stark
realizations and find ourselves lulled back into our comfort zone.

Let’s say you have a high school reunion coming up, but for
the past decade, you’ve been enjoying some of
life’s finer foods. Over the years, your pants have become a
little tighter and tighter. You don’t want to go your reunion
in this fat stage. You then begin to fear what it’s going to
be like to show up at your reunion looking this way. Panic hits and you
vow that you will lose weight before the looming event arrives. To that
end, you starve yourself. You even start to exercise. The pounds come
off and you go to your reunion, a slimmer and more confident
individual. Then the cycle comes full circle. You get home and think
it’d be nice to continue shedding the pounds, but you realize
it’s harder than you thought. You begin to enjoy the finer
things in life again, just a little bit at first then more and more as
time goes by. The weight then returns and you start the vicious cycle
all over again.

About the Author

Learning to persuade and influence will make the difference between
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