The power of silent motivation

 

A man relaxing at home with his headphones on. [Getty Images]

We’re living in interesting times and days where you have no choice but to make a conscious decision to operate in silence.

This powerful practice while seemingly counterintuitive in a world obsessed with sharing every milestone whether true or staged, offers profound benefits for both your mental and personal wellbeing.

Other than the obvious reasons that doing things secretly allows you to focus on your objectives, it minimises external pressures and influence without the need of external validation or criticism, there is more to it.

When you broadcast your goals and aspirations prematurely, you inadvertently invite unwelcome opinions, expectations and even worse, envy, all of which will interfere with your goals and derail your progress.

That’s because this isn’t a cynical view of human nature, but a pragmatic understanding of social dynamics.

According to what psychologist and author Dr. Angela Duckworth highlights in her work, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, the very act of publicly announcing a goal can trick our brains into feeling as though we’ve already accomplished it thus diminishing the crucial drive needed for sustained effort.

Yes, this interesting phenomenon known as social pre-commitment can provide a temporary dopamine hit that removes the motivation you had to finish what you started. But when you keep your plans to yourself, you deny yourself that premature gratification.

This pushes you to internalize that commitment and rely on your own discipline and drive rather than relying on what people will be saying about it.

Silence also acts as a protective shield for our mental health. Once you have spilt the beans, you now have constant pressure to perform and to update those you told about the progress.

That can be an immense source of anxiety and burnout. But when you choose to operate quietly it liberates you from that burden thus allowing you to do things your way.

You’re now in a position to cultivate your own motivation and pursue what genuinely resonates with your values not because they will garner likes or accolades.

The best thing about it is that breakthroughs will become personal triumphs and setbacks or failures become private lessons no one gets to know or has to know. And what that does is, you will not suffer from public scrutiny, which often magnifies disappointment.

Another advantage is that moving in silence sharpens your discernment. Without the external noise, you are compelled to listen more intently to your own intuition and inner voice.

This self-reliance builds robust problem-solving skills and strengthens our conviction.