Motivation. We all want it, but half the time it feels like it walked right out of the front door. It has a way of slipping through your fingers. One minute you’re fired up, ready to conquer the world. Next, you’re sprawled on the couch, scrolling through your phone, telling yourself you’ll “start tomorrow.”

What is it? Testosterone? Purpose? Willpower? Is it in the food we eat, or is it some mystical force that appears from time to time?

Here’s the truth: motivation isn’t magic, and it isn’t a mood. It’s not some lightning bolt from the gods. Motivation is a pattern your brain runs, a rhythm you can learn to catch. The real question isn’t “Where did it go?” – it’s “How do you make it show up tomorrow, the next day, and the day after that?”

We’ve all started the project with lots of motivation, but it often disappears before the finish line.

Scientists recently discovered something fascinating about motivation. In September 2024, researchers hooked participants up to brain monitors while they worked on learning tasks. What they found was striking: the instant someone realized they were making progress, their brain lit up like a switchboard. Focus sharpened. Distractions faded. Engagement skyrocketed.

Think about that for a second, it isn’t about standing at the finish line – it’s about noticing that you’re moving forward. Each time you recognize progress – no matter how small – your brain tosses you a reward – effort feels lighter. Momentum builds.

But here’s where some of us get stuck. We’re so focused on how far we have to go, we forget how far we’ve come.

I’m not a mountain climber, but I have hiked some challenging trails. It’s easy to start at the trailhead with determination, but when you’re only halfway and passing out on a boulder from exhaustion, complacency can take over fast. Perhaps you didn’t want to reach the top. Still, maybe you did, and you just lost motivation. Why?

It’s called finish line fixation. When you only measure yourself against the summit, your brain feels incompetent. When you’ve been hiking for 14 hours, night is approaching, and you still have another 14 to go, it’s easy to feel inept, to think, “I thought I’d be at the peak by now!”

It’s no good to beat yourself up, especially when you’re giving it your all.

A 2018 study found that people do best when they keep two things in mind: big, meaningful goals and the small victories along the way.

So when you’re only part of the way toward your goal, and frustration sets in, look back at the ground you’ve already covered. That perspective shift turns discouragement into momentum.

There have been many studies on motivation, and the science is clear: People are far more successful when they regularly track progress. Recognize how far you’ve come.

The summit matters, but so does the trail. Looking back at the challenges you’ve overcome thus far and recognizing your progress produces the dopamine your brain needs to gather more steam.

The brain doesn’t hand out dopamine for nothing – it’s a survival mechanism. Progress signals that you’re learning, adapting and moving closer to a reward, which is exactly what kept our ancestors alive. That same wiring still runs the show today: every step forward tells your brain, “This path is working – keep going.”

Your brain doesn’t reward perfection – it rewards progress. That’s why some people quit inches from the breakthrough – not because they weren’t moving, but because their brain couldn’t recognize how far they’ve come. No receipts equals no motivation.

Of course, there will still be days when even focusing on your progress feels like it’s not helping. That’s when you pitch a tent, take a break, and start climbing again the next day.

So here’s my challenge. Don’t wait for a spark. Don’t wait for the mood to hit. Today, write down one thing you’ve already done that proves you’re moving. Then take another step forward. Track it. Tomorrow, repeat it.

Do this long enough, and you’ll stop wondering where motivation went.

Because motivation doesn’t reward the dreamers. It rewards the doers.

• Toby Moore is a Shaw Local News Network columnist, star of the Emmy-nominated film “A Separate Peace,” and CEO of CubeStream Inc. He can be reached at feedback@shawmedia.com.