Why you feel stuck — and how to get motivated - Shannon Odell

About this Video

• Video Title: Why you feel stuck — and how to get motivated
• Channel: TED-Ed
• Speaker(s): Shannon Odell
• Duration: 00:05:00

Introduction

This TED-Ed video explores the common experience of feeling stuck during projects, a phenomenon psychologists term the "stuck in the middle" effect. The video examines the reasons behind this motivational dip and offers strategies to overcome it, focusing on breaking down large goals into smaller, achievable steps and building community for support and inspiration.

Key Takeaways

• The "Stuck in the Middle" Effect: Motivation is often high at the beginning and end of a project, but dips in the middle due to a shift in perspective— focusing on the distance remaining rather than progress made.
• Breaking Down Goals: Dividing large goals into smaller, manageable sub-goals creates more frequent opportunities for celebration and maintains motivation. This is particularly important for large-scale societal issues where individual impact might seem insignificant.
• Confidence in Personal Impact: A key factor in staying motivated, particularly for large-scale issues, is believing that individual actions can contribute to meaningful change.
• Harnessing Collective Action: While concern and passion are important, confidence in personal impact and the power of collective action are crucial motivators. Community involvement fosters resilience and provides support and inspiration.
• Taking Action: Overcoming feelings of being stuck often requires taking any action, however small, to generate progress and maintain momentum.