As 2024 draws to a close, it’s time for a little year-in-review. Contrived? Maybe, but there’s excellent evidence for the benefits of reflection for all types of learning and performance, and I’ve had a big year of learning.

Since leaving employed life in February, I’ve spent 10 months listening, exploring, reading, teaching, collaborating, sharing, and ideating at the intersection of positive psychology, community leadership, systems thinking and social impact. It's been a year of transformation - so it's been wildly uncomfortable.

It wasn’t the year I planned….

Motivation is the desire to do something.

It's as simple as that.

But it's not simple. Anyone who's ever tried to motivate themselves to develop a new habit, start an exercise regime, change their diet or even learn a new skill knows that motivation is not a simple thing. From a psychological point of view, it's far more complex than most of us anticipate - or want.

One cause of this complexity is the unhelpful beliefs that many of us hold about motivation. Here are the Top 5.

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." - African Proverb.

Hello Wayfinders. Today I’m muddling through collective purpose, leadership, and building a better world. Just your average Tuesday😉

If you’ve been following for a while you might have noticed a shift in my writing and podcast post-pandemic. My interest in what helps us to fulfil our potential has pivoted from ‘you, me, or us’ as individual beings, to ‘us or we’ as collectives or parts of bigger systems.

Pre-pandemic I delved into happiness, productivity, self-care, parenting, the brain, emotions, sleep, play, fun, adapting to change, motivation, procrastination, and more. It was great fun and I learned a lot. I hope you did too.

Post-pandemic, this focus on the individual feels frivolous. A little indulgent. For me, it now lacks a sense of meaning and purpose.