Increase Your Motivation with This 5 Minute Daily Practice

Summary

A recent study suggests that a daily 5-minute gratitude journaling practice can significantly and sustainably increase motivation.

Abstract

The article discusses a study conducted by Ritsumeikan University and the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) in Japan, which found that college students who engaged in daily gratitude journaling for two weeks experienced a marked improvement in motivation. This increase in motivation was sustained for at least three months after the journaling practice ended. The study involved 84 students, divided into a control group and a treatment group, with the latter listing up to five things they were grateful for each day. The researchers attributed the positive effects to the participants' focus on positive external factors, which may have reduced feelings of helplessness and instilled a greater sense of purpose and privilege.

Opinions

Motivation is identified as a critical factor in improving habits and productivity.
The article implies that a simple daily practice can have a profound impact on one's motivation levels.
The study's findings suggest that the benefits of gratitude journaling extend beyond the duration of the practice itself.
It is suggested that focusing on gratitude can help mitigate negative emotions and enhance positive emotions, contributing to increased motivation.
The article encourages readers to adopt a daily gratitude practice, offering various methods such as journaling or verbal expression to family members.
The author believes that regular reflection on gratitude can lead to a healthier and happier future.

A recent study has found a simple way to improve motivation.

In just a few minutes each morning, you can improve your motivation.

Motivation is often cited as the biggest barrier to people improving their habits and getting things done. Without motivation, it’s hard to get started. However, sometimes a simple shift is all it takes to mitigate this.

A recent study by Ritsumeikan University and the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) in Japan has revealed an incredibly short and simple way to increase your motivation every single day.

The Study

The researchers took 84 college students and divided them into two groups: a control group — which did nothing except recording their level of motivation periodically throughout the 3 month-long study period (with the use of the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS)), and the treatment group — which completed a short, online gratitude journaling practice each day for two weeks and then recorded their levels of motivation.

The gratitude practicing consisted of listing up to 5 things the participants felt grateful for each day.

The researchers found incredible results:

The journaling practice significantly improved the students’ motivation

Even though the treatment (gratitude journaling) was only for 2 weeks, the effects lasted beyond the 3 months of the participants recording their motivation, with no decrease in motivation noted during this period

The researchers hypothesized that this effect came from the participants focusing on positive things occurring that were outside of their control, which mitigated feelings of helplessness. This practice may have also helped the students feel a renewed sense of purpose in what they were doing, as well as a feeling of privilege to be in the situation they were in.

What You Can Do

Create a daily gratitude practice.

There are various ways you can incorporate gratitude into your life — whether journaling in a physical notebook or in an online app, like this study used. You can also simply just tell someone what you’re grateful for — maybe going around the table at breakfast or dinner with your family.

The key is to regularly think about what you’re grateful for.

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