#161| Why Motivation Doesn’t Work - and How to Really Achieve Peak Productivity Without Overwhelm: Overwhelm, Productivity, Time Management & People Pleasing

Feeling stuck because you’re just not motivated enough to start?

This week, Michelle explains why waiting for motivation actually keeps you overwhelmed and unproductive — and introduces a science-backed concept to help you begin tasks without feeling drained.

In this episode, you will:

• Discover why “activation energy” matters more than motivation itself
• Learn practical ways to make starting feel effortless, even on your hardest days
• Get simple strategies to lower resistance so you can finally make progress on big goals

Listen now to transform how you start projects and beat overwhelm for good.

Wondering why you're overwhelmed? Take my "why am I overwhelmed" quiz to find out the source of your overwhelm, and what to do about it.

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Work With Me - Interested in working with me 1-on-1, taking a class, or joining one of my coaching groups? Message me here to get the scoop.

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Life can be overwhelming, but on this podcast, you'll discover practical strategies to overcome overwhelm, imposter syndrome, and negative self-talk, manage time effectively, set boundaries, and stay productive in high-stress jobs—all while learning how to say no and prioritize self-care on the Overwhelmed Worki...

Episode Transcript

Michelle Gauthier (00:00):
Even if it seems like it, you don't need
more motivation.
You're listening to OverwhelmedWorking Woman, the podcast that
helps you be more calm and moreproductive by doing less.
I'm your host, MichelleGauthier, a former Overwhelmed
Working Woman and current lifecoach.

(00:20):
On this show, we unpack thestress and pressure that today's
working woman experiences, andin each episode you'll get a
strategy to bring more calm,ease and relaxation to your life
.
Hi, friend, thanks for joining.
Today we're going to talk aboutmotivation and why motivation
actually isn't the key toproductivity.

(00:41):
I'm going to teach you about ascience-based concept that helps
us get started on tasks evenbetter than this airy-fairy
concept of motivation, and thenI'm going to talk to you about
three ways to reduce theresistance to getting started
without feeling overwhelmed.
So the first thing that I wantto talk about here is the idea

(01:03):
of once I feel motivated, I'llget started on that.
But motivation isn't the thingto rely on for productivity, and
it's because motivation isflaky.
Sometimes we feel motivated andsometimes we don't, and if you
just let what you get done bedependent on that like I wasn't
in the mood or I just didn'tfeel motivated so I didn't do it

(01:24):
it's going to be very hit ormiss whether you accomplish the
stuff that you want toaccomplish.
So I want to introduce you tothis concept called activation
energy, which is actually achemistry concept, and I learned
about this in this book that Ihighly recommend it's really
great called Atomic Habits byJames Clear.
The concept of activationenergy is how much energy you

(01:47):
need to get started on a task,and the example that he uses is
the idea of if you have a matchin your hand and you want to
start a fire, so get a flame onthat match.
The activation energy is theact of striking the match
against the side of thematchbook.
What's that called Flint orsomething that you strike the

(02:08):
match against and then it startsthe fire and then, once the
fire is burning, it keeps going.
You only have to have thatactivation energy one time.
So let's make the assumptionthat in order to do anything, we
have to have that activationenergy, and instead of trying to
boost your motivation, your jobhave to have that activation
energy and instead of trying toboost your motivation, your job
is to lower the activationenergy required to get started.

(02:31):
So let's think about a coupletasks that you might do that
would require high activationenergy Anything you've never
done before.
So let's say that you want tolearn how to do 20 push-ups and
today you know how to do zeropush-ups.
It's going to take a lot ofactivation energy.
If your idea is okay, I've gotto get to 20, so I'm just going

(02:51):
to practice doing 20 everysingle day.
Versus, if you think of yourjob as lowering activation
energy, you could lower youractivation energy by having the
first step of.
You know what I'm going to do.
I'm going to watch a videoabout how to learn to do a
push-up and then the next dayI'm going to try to do one and

(03:12):
I'm going to do one push-up aday for 30 days.
That is so much loweractivation energy, which means
let's picture yourself doing onepush-up, and if you're doing
one push-up and it's the 28thday, you can probably do more
than one and you're probablygoing to do it.
So the concept is, if you lowerthe activation energy once you
get started on something, you'remuch more likely to keep going

(03:35):
on that.
The same can be true for aproject at work.
Or let's just say, like I havea dream to write a book, the
activation energy required forme to get started on that feels
overwhelming.
Where do I even start?
What do I even do, maybe tolower the activation energy?
What I want to do is set up acoffee with my friend who's
already written a book and justtalk to her about it, instead of

(03:58):
saying, oh yeah, I'm just goingto sit down with a blank piece
of paper and start typing out mybook.
So think about the places inyour life where you're feeling
unmotivated and try to lessenthe resistance by lowering that
activation energy.
So, in summary, even if itseems like it, you don't need
more motivation.
You just need to lower theactivation energy in order to

(04:21):
get started, and that's how youget things done without feeling
overwhelmed.
Speaking of overwhelmed, if youwant to understand more about

(04:48):
why you're feeling overwhelmed,take my free quiz the link is in
the show notes and you will getpersonalized insights to
explain exactly why you'refeeling overwhelmed and what to
do about it.
Have a great week.
Thank you for listening to theOverwhelmed Working Woman

(05:09):
podcast.
If you want to learn more aboutmy work, head over to my
website at michellegauthier.
com.
See you next week.