Why Motivation fades and Purpose changes everything
Why Motivation fades and Purpose changes everything.
Every January, people across the world make promises to themselves. They declare this year will be different. They set goals, sign up for challenges, fill notebooks with new intentions. Motivation surges. The future feels exciting.
But by February, that spark fades. The gym visits drop off, the journal gathers dust, and the old habits quietly return. It’s not that people lack willpower.
It’s that motivation isn’t designed to last.
Motivation is emotional kindling; it burns fast and bright. It takes a small spark and makes it bigger. Meaning is the substance; it keeps you moving once the initial excitement burns out.
This is the paradox of purpose: the more we chase motivation, the more we lose connection to the deeper “why” that sustains real growth. Because what truly drives us forward in the long term isn’t motivation, but meaning.
The Science of Motivation and Why It Fails
Motivation feels exciting and powerful because it activates the brain’s reward system. When we set a goal, we release dopamine, the neurotransmitter that fuels anticipation and excitement.
That’s why starting something new feels good; dopamine rewards us for imagining success. But here’s the catch: dopamine is short term. It’s designed to spike with the novelty, then fade.
This is the cycle of extrinsic motivation, doing things for external reward or recognition.
It could be approval from others, financial gain, a sense of achievement, or even the simple pleasure of crossing something off a list. The problem is that extrinsic motivation depends on outcome. The moment the result doesn’t come quickly, the brain withdraws the reward, and we stop.
Intrinsic motivation, on the other hand, comes from within. It’s driven by values and aligned with identity. It’s what happens when we do something because it feels right, fulfilling, or meaningful.
When we operate from intrinsic motivation, the brain still releases dopamine, but now it’s tied to purpose, not performance. The drive becomes self-sustaining because the process itself holds value.
Motivation fades. Meaning endures.
The Power of Purpose in Growth
Viktor Frankl, the psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor who developed logotherapy, understood this truth deeply. He observed that those who survived the most extreme conditions weren’t necessarily the strongest, but those who had a reason — a why — to keep going. He summed this up in his seminal work Man’s Search for Meaning referencing philosopher Friedrich Nietzche when he wrote, “Those who have a ‘why’ to live can bear almost any ‘how.’”
Purpose gives context to pain.
It transforms obstacles into opportunities for meaning-making. When you connect your actions to a greater purpose, effort stops feeling like struggle and starts feeling like progress.
Vision: The Compass for Purpose
Meaning needs direction. That’s where vision enters the picture.
A vision gives purpose form; it turns abstract values into a tangible path forward. It’s the bridge between who you are and what you’re becoming. Think about how the world’s most successful organisations articulate vision.
Disney, for example, defines it as:
“The Walt Disney Company is to entertain, inform and inspire people.”
It’s simple, but deeply human. It doesn’t talk about theme parks or profits. It speaks to the impact; to inspire people. That’s meaning turned into motion. Your personal vision statement can work the same way. It’s not about setting goals or ticking boxes. It’s about identifying how you want to contribute to the world, and how that contribution reflects your deepest values.
When you know your vision, you stop asking, “What should I do next?” and start asking, “What would be most meaningful right now?”
That’s the difference between chasing progress and living with purpose.
The Purpose Equation: How Meaning is Built
Purpose isn’t a mystery — it’s a structure.
And it can be understood through a simple but powerful formula:
Purpose = Values + Contribution + Direction
Let’s break that down more deeply.
Values – The Foundation
Values are your internal compass. They represent what matters most to you, honesty, growth, kindness, curiosity, service. When your choices align with your values, you experience coherence, that inner sense of “this feels right.” When your life drifts away from them, you feel restless, disconnected, or lost.
Living by your values doesn’t mean everything feels easy. It means your actions feel authentic.
Contribution – The Expression
Purpose expands when it reaches beyond the self. Contribution doesn’t always mean grand gestures; it means knowing that what you do makes a difference — that your effort has an impact. Research consistently shows that people who feel they contribute to something larger than themselves report higher happiness, lower stress, and stronger resilience.
Contribution gives your story context.
Direction – The Movement
Values and contribution give purpose substance, but direction gives it momentum.
Direction is the vision that connects your choices into a cohesive path. It’s the answer to the question, “Where am I heading?” Without direction, effort scatters. With it, effort compounds.
When you integrate values, contribution, and direction, you create psychological alignment — a state where what you believe, what you give, and where you’re going all support one another. That’s when life stops feeling like reaction and starts feeling like intention.
From Motivation to Meaningful Action
So how do you shift from chasing motivation to creating meaning?
You begin by aligning what you do with what you believe.
Here are three practical ways to start:
1. Redefine Success
Instead of measuring success through outcomes, measure it through alignment. Ask, “Did my actions today reflect my values?” This subtle shift in perspective changes everything suddenly we aren’t focussed on the outcome but the intention of our actions. When effort feels meaningful, external validation becomes optional.
2. Reframe Struggle
Meaning doesn’t erase discomfort, but it gives it a direction. When you’re challenged, remind yourself, “This moment is building something in me.” Resilience grows when struggle is reframed as purpose in motion.
3. Craft Your Personal Vision
Write a one-sentence statement that captures how you want to live.
Keep it clear, honest, and human.
“To inspire calmness and connection wherever I go.”
“To learn continuously and help others grow.”
“To lead with compassion, courage, and curiosity.”
When life gets chaotic, return to it. This is your personal compass — a way to realign meaning when motivation falters.
The Meaning Alignment Practice
If you’ve ever felt that you start strong but struggle to sustain momentum, this is for you.
Choose one area of your life where motivation fades quickly.
Identify the deeper “why” behind it.
Replace outcome-driven language (“I need to finish this”) with value-based language (“This matters because it helps me grow”).
Each time you reconnect to your “why,” you rewire your brain to associate effort with meaning, not exhaustion. Over time, this practice builds consistency, and consistency builds transformation.
Motivation gets you started. Meaning keeps you steady.
Purpose doesn’t require perfection. It requires presence.
When life feels uncertain, remember that purpose is not found in external milestones. It’s cultivated through daily alignment, through living in a way that reflects your values, honours your contribution, and moves you toward your vision.
When your motivation fades, return to meaning.
When you lose direction, return to vision.
And when life feels heavy, return to purpose.
Because happiness isn’t about constant excitement, it’s about enduring fulfilment, the quiet confidence that comes from knowing why you do what you do.
And as always, remember the day is what you make it.
