Discovering motivation is like discovering the keys to a spot of magic—a spot the place effort feels easy, motivation seems naturally, and drive transforms into circulation. On this sacred area, your life’s function may be revealed.
That is the story of how I unexpectedly discovered my manner into that hidden chamber.
In 2008, I turned curious in regards to the rise of social media after logging into Fb. In a couple of minutes after creating an account and coming into some fundamental info akin to the school I went to, I used to be immediately linked to my colleagues I hadn’t seen or heard of in over 30 years.
Instantaneous world connection to a previous tribe and time appeared a bit magical. That curiosity and commentary turned compelling and I sensed that this was a game-changer.
The following step was to enroll to Twitter (somebody with an “X” fetish modified its identify lately) and I began to have interaction with individuals on-line in 140 characters. As I used to be in Sydney, Australia and a lot of the viewers was within the USA, I might see America get up as they got here on-line on Twitter within the morning.
This was my late night. Being an evening owl allowed me to look at People wipe the sleep from their eyes, sip espresso in entrance of their screens, and go from dazed and sleepy to aware.
The curiosity about this new expertise become a sluggish burn that turned a compulsion. The following step was to start out writing about it on a weblog.
I then shared my writing on social media about what I used to be observing and studying. My easy weblog posts gained some consideration. Folks thanked me for writing an article. They commented and re-shared.
I began to get some visibility on-line. I managed to creep as much as 10 views a day after which 50. I used to be receiving affirmation. It was a easy virtuous loop. Write, share and be seen.
I didn’t know then how highly effective that straightforward suggestions loop was. It lit a fireplace that flipped a swap. It’s affirmation.
What’s affirmation?
Affirmation is the place your actions are strengthened with constructive reinforcement. The suggestions tells you that you’re heading in the right direction and transferring in the appropriate path and builds confidence. It’s motivating and affirming.
Up to now and “Earlier than Social Media” (BSM) for those who wrote a guide it might take years earlier than the writing obtained affirmation. Immediately you’ll be able to write a weblog put up or put up a video and immediately obtain likes and feedback.
Affirmation on social media
Affirmation on social media is motivation on steroids.
And is revealed in a number of methods with interactions that present validation, constructive reinforcement, and emotional help. Social media platforms amplify the results of affirmation by providing customers on the spot suggestions from a large viewers.
Social media platforms amplify the results of affirmation by providing customers on the spot suggestions from a large viewers.
Right here’s the way it manifests:
- Likes, hearts, and reactions (Instantaneous validation)
- Feedback and constructive suggestions
- Shares and reposts that gives social proof
- Follower development and engagement metrics (quantified validation)
- Viral Content material is a sort of supercharged validation the place you see your consideration unfold like a wildfire globally.
The mix of all these psychological components through the worldwide social media platforms in actual time present a “Dopamine Impact” with “Social Media Affirmation.”
That is neurological affirmation in virtually its purest type. The moment suggestions loop of likes, feedback, and shares triggers the mind’s reward system, releasing dopamine, the feel-good chemical. And like all properly designed drug it may be laborious to disregard.
Affirmation on social media has the ability to be a launchpad for achievement. Take Justin Bieber, as an illustration. He started as a child importing movies of himself singing cowl songs on YouTube. The constructive suggestions he obtained from early viewers caught the eye of music producer Scooter Braun, resulting in a document deal and world superstardom.
Equally, Shawn Mendes adopted a parallel path, gaining fame on Vine with cowl songs that went viral, resulting in thousands and thousands of followers and in the end a serious recording contract. Their tales present how validation from an viewers can gas creativity and open doorways to alternatives that had been beforehand unimaginable.
Why it issues
As people we want and secretly crave affirmation. And social media can try this right away. This reinforces a need to hunt additional affirmation by posting extra content material, checking for brand new likes, and staying lively on social platforms.
This virtuous and in addition harmful loop is addictive as we at all times need extra consideration and affirmation. We now dwell in a world the place the cult of celeb places celebrities on pedestals and bows right down to them as gods.
Going deeper
The important thing components that present affirmation to people, fueling motivation and motion, may be distilled into a number of psychological and emotional drivers:
1. Recognition and validation
People are motivated by exterior validation, akin to reward, awards, or constructive suggestions from others. This offers a way of accomplishment and reinforces a perception in a single’s talents.
2. Progress and achievement
Seeing measurable progress or attaining small, incremental targets creates a way of momentum. This fuels a need to proceed, reinforcing motivation and motion.
3. Sense of function and which means
Feeling aligned with a deeper function (e.g., a trigger, mission, or private worth) offers motivation a strong, intrinsic dimension. Goal-driven motion feels extra fulfilling and significant, which makes effort worthwhile.
4. Autonomy and management
People really feel extra motivated after they have management over their decisions and actions. Having the ability to direct their very own paths or really feel empowered results in extra engaged and sustained motion.
5. Belonging and connection
Social affirmation from a gaggle or neighborhood offers a way of belonging. Whether or not from household, mates, colleagues, or a neighborhood, this emotional connection motivates people to take motion and stay engaged.
6. Optimistic suggestions loop (The virtuous cycle)
Affirmation usually results in confidence, which inspires extra motion. Profitable motion leads to additional affirmation (e.g., recognition, progress, validation), which additional strengthens motivation. This self-reinforcing cycle can create a virtuous loop: success breeds extra motivation, which results in additional success.
Being conscious of those psychological drivers will help you faucet into them for constructing motivation to create a full life. Joseph Campbell found his function throughout his lifetime.
He took his childhood curiosity of American Indian myths and tales that turned so compelling that he distilled them into many books and led to his creation of the framework that was unveiled within the guide “The Hero’s Journey.” That guide turned the inspiration to George Lucas writing the movie play and the film “Star Wars.”
His easy reply to motivation was distilled into this 3 phrase phrase – “Comply with your bliss”. However he lived in an easier world the place social media hadn’t been invented.
When you’re within the virtuous loop, social media affirmation can gas your creativity and show you how to make an actual impression. Simply take a look at Lilly Singh, who began her YouTube channel by posting comedic movies. The constructive suggestions she obtained motivated her to maintain creating, finally touchdown her a late-night TV present.
Then there’s MrBeast, whose fixed pursuit of larger and higher content material fueled by the limitless cycle of likes, views, and feedback led him to construct a model that now spans thousands and thousands of {dollars} and philanthropic endeavors. These creators live proof that while you keep within the virtuous loop, your work can develop and encourage thousands and thousands.
Is your affirmation a “virtuous loop” or a harmful dependancy?
When the assorted affirmation components are repeatedly met, they have a tendency to type a virtuous cycle that motivates us to create, publish and share, or at its worst a vicious circle and dependancy that stops us leaning into life.
However many people are hooked on our telephones watching a digital world whereas the actual world passes us by. “Smelling the roses” is changed by Watching the Jones’ small lives on a small display. No significant work has been finished however your consideration has been stolen.
The virtuous loop
Optimistic affirmations create emotional rewards (dopamine, a way of achievement), which will increase motivation to behave, creating extra alternatives for achievement and additional affirmation. And the virtuous loop applies extra to the creator stepping and sharing their artwork with the world.
The loop is especially robust when the person:
- Receives constant recognition or validation
- Feels that their actions are contributing to a significant aim
- Positive factors a way of autonomy and connection within the course of.
The great aspect of this loop is to step into creating content material and artwork that issues and sharing it with the world. This motivation can find yourself offering a physique of labor that may change the world and inspire a tribe that craves your artwork.
The vicious and addictive cycle
However what occurs when the pursuit of affirmation takes a darker flip? After we aren’t creating however as a substitute discover ourselves endlessly consuming, misplaced in a sea of content material? That is the place the vicious and addictive cycle begins.
I’ve seen it occur first hand—each in my very own life and within the experiences of others. Moments when what started as a supply of inspiration and motivation slowly morphed into one thing way more harmful.
For me, it wasn’t nearly sharing anymore; it was about chasing these likes, these feedback, these fast hits of dopamine that might mild up my mind like fireworks.
I keep in mind catching myself checking for updates virtually obsessively, feeling a way of unease when the notifications had been quiet. Was I nonetheless related? Was my work nonetheless resonating?
For others, it’s the same story: creators who began out passionate, pushed by the joys of sharing their artwork or concepts, solely to seek out themselves burnt out and disillusioned. The fixed want for affirmation turns into an dependancy, pulling us into the comparability lure.
You see another person’s put up go viral, and immediately, your individual success feels insignificant. As a substitute of staying grounded in your inventive journey, you get misplaced within the numbers, craving extra consideration, extra validation, and shedding sight of the enjoyment you as soon as had in merely creating.
Even creators like Charli D’Amelio, who skyrocketed to fame on TikTok, have spoken in regards to the pressures that include being on the prime. The fixed must please followers and keep their consideration can flip right into a heavy burden, the place success is not fulfilling however fairly a supply of tension.
The addictive nature of affirmation pulls creators deeper into looking for validation as a substitute of specializing in their inventive function.
This cycle doesn’t simply rob you of your creativity—it could possibly chip away at your psychological well being. You may end up questioning your price when the likes don’t come, when the feedback are few, or when the engagement drops. Anxiousness creeps in.
The stress to carry out, to continually create content material that pleases others, turns into overwhelming. And that’s when the hazard lies—affirmation turns into a double-edged sword, a drive that may propel you ahead but in addition drag you down right into a spiral of self-doubt and exhaustion.
So, what can we do to interrupt free?
Sensible Steps for Sustaining Stability
The important thing to avoiding this vicious cycle is to stay intentional with how you employ social media. It’s essential to do not forget that whereas affirmation may be motivating, it shouldn’t outline your inventive course of. Listed here are a number of steps you’ll be able to take to take care of steadiness:
1. Set intentional targets
Outline what success means to you past likes and shares. Is it producing work that feels significant to you? Is it connecting with a neighborhood? If you anchor your inventive targets in one thing extra substantial than exterior validation, it turns into simpler to remain grounded.
2. Affirmation detox
Take common breaks from social media to reconnect together with your core motivations. Step away from the noise and spend time creating offline. Use these breaks to replicate on why you began creating within the first place and to make sure that your creativity isn’t solely fueled by exterior affirmation.
3. Conscious creation vs. consumption
Grow to be conscious of how a lot time you spend creating versus consuming. Ask your self: are you actively placing your work out into the world, or are you getting misplaced in limitless scrolling? Set boundaries for your self—restrict the time spent passively consuming content material and refocus that power into aware creation.
4. Construct a supportive circle
Encompass your self with a neighborhood that values and helps your work past the metrics. Having individuals who recognize what you create, not simply the way it performs on-line, will help you keep linked to your function and remind you that your work has worth, whatever the algorithm.
5. Mirror in your affirmation wants
Why do you crave affirmation? Is it rooted in insecurity or real need for suggestions? Understanding your individual psychology will help you method affirmation with extra consciousness, avoiding the slippery slope of dependancy.
The underside line
Motivation by way of affirmation is a two edged sword. And social media cuts two methods.
Social media gave me world consideration to my writing. It took me around the globe talking at worldwide conferences. I obtained on the spot affirmation and motivation to maintain writing. It lit a fireplace that modified my life.
But when the affirmation of some on-line consideration diminishes your life by stealing your thoughts and time then you may have landed on the unsuitable aspect of motivation through affirmation.
So…do you wish to play the system or be “performed by it”? Do you wish to be a creator of data and content material that issues? Or only a scrolling dopamine searching client of data that doesn’t matter?