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💡 Here are 3-ideas to help you learn, grow, and be inspired this week!

🎓 Learn

I wanted to share something fascinating that I recently stumbled upon (from the book Feel Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal)—it’s about what really motivates us to do hard things. This question has intrigued psychologists for decades, and Edward Deci’s research in the early 1970s sheds some light on it.

What motivates people to do hard things?

Deci, a psychologist, was curious about this and conducted an experiment with a puzzle called the Soma cube. He found that people offered financial rewards for solving the puzzle enjoyed it less and were more likely to quit once the reward was removed. Surprising, right? This led him to conclude that external rewards can actually decrease motivation.

Deci and his colleague Richard Ryan discovered two types of motivation:

1) Intrinsic Motivation: This comes from within us. It’s driven by self-fulfillment, curiosity, and a genuine desire to learn.

2) Extrinsic Motivation: This comes from outside us. It’s driven by rewards like money, praise, and social approval.

Their research revealed a powerful truth: intrinsic motivation is far more effective than extrinsic motivation. Why? Because it’s rooted in our passions and values, making us feel alive and engaged. When we pursue something for the sheer love of it, we’re more likely to persist and excel.

A key element of intrinsic motivation is a sense of control and ownership.

When we feel we have power over our actions, our motivation soars. This is why external rewards can be demotivating—they reduce our sense of ownership and control.

Think about your own life. We all crave control. It’s why we dislike being micromanaged and why personalizing our spaces feels so satisfying. Losing control, whether in a job we hate or other aspects of life, can harm our well-being.

But taking control isn’t always easy.

Some have more autonomy in their jobs than others. Yet, the power of ownership can be integrated into almost any situation. We often have more agency than we realize.

Here are some examples and suggestions for how to find more autonomy and integrate ownership into different areas of life:

1. Work Projects: Even if you have a structured role, look for aspects of your projects where you can exercise creativity and decision-making.

2. Personal Goals: Set personal goals that align with your passions. This could be learning a new skill, starting a side project, or engaging in a hobby you love.

3. Daily Routine: Take ownership of your daily routine. Create a schedule that includes activities that energize you. This sense of control over your time can significantly boost your motivation.

4. Self-Care: Make decisions that prioritize your well-being. This includes setting boundaries, taking breaks, and engaging in activities that rejuvenate you.

In Summary:

Remember that intrinsic motivation thrives on a sense of ownership and control in all these areas. Embrace what you love, find joy in the journey, and take ownership of your actions. Let your inner drive guide you to greatness, and remember that true motivation comes from within.

You might wonder: “Aren’t external rewards important too?”

They can be, but they often fall short in sustaining long-term motivation. When the rewards disappear, so does the drive. Intrinsic motivation, however, keeps the fire burning even when challenges arise.

🚀 Growth Tip

Here’s a fantastic journaling and planning activity from Ali’s book that I loved called “The Odyssey Plan.” Reflect on this prompt:

Question: What do you want your life to look like in five years’ time?

Your Current Path: Write out, in detail, what your life would look like five years from now if you continued down your current path.
Your Alternative Path: Write out, in detail, what your life would look like five years from now if you took a completely different path.
Your Radical Path: Write out, in detail, what your life would look like five years from now if you took a completely different path, where money, social obligations, and what people would think were irrelevant.

This exercise is incredibly valuable because it encourages you to think deeply about your future and explore different possibilities. By considering multiple scenarios, you can gain clarity on what truly matters to you and identify potential changes you might want to make.

Give it a try and see where your imagination takes you!

🤩 Inspiration

A journey to peaceful growth starts with pain because a big transformation needs a big change.

Growth is rarely accompanied by joy and celebration. On the contrary, growth is usually painful to some degree. That’s because growth requires loss—a loss of your old values, your old behaviors, your old loves, your old identity. Change always has a component of grief to it. So be sure to let yourself grieve.
— Mark Manson

[On a different note, here’s something I’m excited to share to help you boost your productivity and performance through better writing in 2025]

How Samir, an Engineer, Transformed His Career with One Skill

Samir wasn’t a writer. He was a software engineer, great at building things but struggled when it came to explaining ideas, pitching projects, or sharing updates.

After being passed over for a promotion, he realized something: It wasn’t his technical skills holding him back—it was his writing.

He signed up for a copywriting course, thinking it would help him write better emails. (It did that and more.)

In a few months, Samir’s emails were clear and persuasive. His project proposals got approved faster. He became the go-to person for internal presentations. And, yes—he finally got that promotion.

Why? Because writing is a meta-skill.

Whether you’re an engineer, designer, accountant, or manager, writing impacts everything. Emails, reports, pitches, presentations—good writing makes you more productive, more effective, and more valuable.

Here’s the good news: WRITING IS A SKILL. You don’t “have it”, you learn it.

If you can improve only one skill in 2025, make it writing.

I’ve spent over $5,000 on different writing courses, and out of all of them, I highly recommend CopyThat—an email-based copywriting course you can complete in just 30 minutes a day for 10 days.

✍🏻 Check it out here: CopyThat

Anil

May the Peaceful Growth be with you! 🪴

P.S. I’m curious, what other blogs or email newsletters do you read? I’d love to know! Please share them in the comments or reply to this email.

Learn + Grow

What Motivates People to Do Hard Things…