By K J Foxhall 
Misplaced motivation? Depressed drive? Endurance stuck on idle?
Motivation is behaviour and in this article we will briefly look at something that has always fascinated me, where our motivation comes from. Is it something that is driven from our youth, can it be nurtured, or is it just a mindset adjustment that is needed?
Motivation affects our choices and it is a case of joint responsibility. The responsibility of the individual and the responsibility of the situation (or others involved in the situation). Therefore, could the real question be; ‘do we allow ourselves to be governed by negative experiences’? Or is a lack of motivation and/or determination to change be down to unreasonable tasks we set ourselves?
These were questions I included in my educational psychology doctorate when I researched motivation in children shaping the choices we make as adults.
Where many concepts from operant conditioning can be understood in motivational terms, another example is the concept of extinction. This is not in the sense of a species, but where learned behaviours become less likely when reinforcement no longer occurs. This is a sort of ‘unlearning’, or at least a decrease in performance of previously learned.
The classroom time machine
We’ve all heard that our childhood shapes us. Groundbreaking, right? But I wanted to look specifically at the educational psychology of it all. Does a bad experience with long division in 1998 stop you from pursuing a Master’s degree in 2026?
To find out, I used my colleagues as ‘educational guinea pigs’ for a case study. The results were… unexpected. You’d think these high-achieving, hyper-motivated adults were the same kids who sat in the front row with apple-polished desks. Nope! Many of them were actually the ‘troublemakers’, the kids who were bored out of their minds or completely disengaged.
I can relate. Back in primary school, my confidence was non-existent, but even back then, I did notice the difference between the way boys and girls saw learning. Boys often have this effortless way of moving through school, whereas us girls tend to overthink every semicolon and decimal point.
The myth of ‘natural ability’
One of the biggest takeaways from my research involved Jean Piaget’s theories on child development. The high level summary is that development happens regardless.
Whether you are a fast learner, a slow learner or there is a disability involved, everyone has the fundamental capability to learn. It’s like breathing, it’s instinctive. So, if we all have the capacity, why do some of us feel like we’re bad at school?
The environment is the silent killer of productivity. A high-stress classroom or a teacher-led dynamic that doesn’t fit your style can leave a bitter taste in your mouth that lasts for decades. To be successful, you don’t need a higher IQ; you need a support system. You need to know that if you fail, there’s a remedy not just a bad mark on your paper.
Why we ‘flourish’ late
Ever noticed how you hated Science in school but now you’re obsessed with space documentaries? That’s because you finally moved from a teacher-led environment to a self-led one.
I used to loathe maths, now, I use it every day and actually enjoy it! Well, except certain areas such as algebra and geometry (well done to those who work with complex maths). We branch out when we find things we enjoy and as a result we are normally successful at achieving more.
The verdict; is it ‘you’ or your past?
So, does primary school shape your adult motivation?
The answer is: Yes, but it’s not an excuse.
While your environment sets the stage, the individual ultimately has to take the lead. Motivation is a collaborative process. We rarely reach our goals entirely alone (hello again, support systems), but we have to be the ones to provide the initial spark.
We are biologically wired to make things harder than they need to be. We let negative experiences govern us, or we set ‘reasonable tasks’ that are actually boring. Then there’s the ultimate enemy: Time.
Time is what you make it, and if it is yours you can govern it, but don’t set unrealistic expectations because then you will become deflated, and you will be less motivated to try something again if you fail the first time.
Failure is part of life, it is good character building even though it feels horrible at the time, but if you want it all, it is possible. You have to be organised, reasonable and be prepared to compromise in other areas of your life.
Final thoughts for those who are struggling
If you’re feeling demotivated right now, look at your surroundings:
- Is your environment high-stress? (If so, maybe don’t start a PhD this week.)
- Are you overthinking? (The ‘effortless’ approach has its merits.)
- Do you have a support system? (It doesn’t matter how old you are, almost everyone needs a cheering section.)
Your past might have written the first chapter, but you’re the one holding the pen now. Don’t let a bad experience from age seven stop you from being a legend at age thirty-seven.
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Further reading: The Emerging Neuroscience of Intrinsic Motivation: A New Fronti
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