The Secret Motivational Trick – Let’s Hack the Formula 

You ever sit down to work and instantly want to do anything else? Like suddenly cleaning your desk feels urgent, or alphabetizing your snacks seems productive? 

Here’s the thing — that’s not you being lazy. That’s your brain quietly saying, “Something about this task doesn’t add up right now.” 

And motivation? It’s not random. Psychologists have actually mapped out why that resistance happens. Once you understand the pattern, you can work with your brain instead of fighting it. Not by forcing motivation, but by understanding what’s getting in the way. 

If you haven’t already, you can watch The Secret Motivational Trick video on YouTube. We break down the psychology behind motivation and give you a practical worksheet to diagnose exactly what’s blocking you. 

The Three-Element Motivation Formula 

There’s this framework from educational psychology called Expectancy-Value Theory. Researchers like Allan Wigfield and Jacquelynne Eccles have been studying it for decades, and here’s what they found: your motivation tends to follow a kind of pattern based on three key elements. 

Think of these as three sliders that need to be balanced: 

1. Expectancy: How much you believe you can succeed 

2. Value: How much it matters to you 

3. Cost: How much effort, stress, or time it feels like it’ll take 

When one of those drops, motivation drops with it. So sometimes what looks like a motivation problem is actually more like a mismatch problem. 

Now, this isn’t the whole story of motivation — there’s also your mood, your energy levels, whether you’ve got ADHD or anxiety, your environment — all of that matters. But these three elements? They’re a really useful place to start when you’re trying to figure out why you’re stalling. 

Why Understanding This Matters 

Let’s say you’ve got an essay due. If you secretly think, “I’m terrible at writing,” that’s low expectancy. If you’re thinking, “This topic’s pointless,” that’s low value. And if it feels like it’ll take five hours of mental pain? That’s high cost. Three elements working against you. 

Or maybe you’re preparing for a presentation. You know you can do it — expectancy’s high. You care about the topic — value’s there. But you’re already burned out from three other deadlines. That high cost isn’t in your head. It’s real. And your brain’s telling you something important. 

The Science Behind the Formula 

Albert Bandura spent decades studying what he called self-efficacy — basically, your belief in your ability to succeed. And he found it’s one of the strongest predictors of whether we actually take action. Even when we want to do something, if we don’t believe we can, we won’t start. 

Researchers like Wu and Corpus found that perceived cost — how draining or difficult something feels — can completely override motivation, even when you believe in yourself and care about the goal. 

In other words, your brain’s quietly running a cost-benefit check. You move forward when you believe you can do it, when it matters, and when it doesn’t feel impossibly heavy. If you’re stalling, there’s usually a reason. One of those elements is out of balance. 

The Aha! Moment 

Here’s what changed things for many people: Maybe it’s not that you lack motivation. Maybe one of these elements just slipped out of balance. 

You don’t fix motivation by telling yourself, “Just try harder!” You fix it by asking, “What’s actually getting in the way today?” Is it my belief I can do this? Is it that I can’t see why it matters? Or is the cost genuinely too high right now? 

Once you know that, you can actually do something about it. Motivation stops being this mysterious thing you either have or don’t. It becomes something you can troubleshoot. 

The Practical Exercise: Diagnosing Your Motivation 

Here’s the worksheet exercise that can help you figure out exactly what’s blocking you: 

Grab a sheet of paper and draw four columns: 

| Task | Expectancy (1-10) | Value (1-10) | Cost (1-10) | What needs adjusting? | 

Alternatively, you can download the free Motivation Equation Check-In worksheet.

Now, choose one task you’ve been avoiding. Rate each element from 1 to 10. Then find the lowest score — that’s your starting point. 

If Expectancy Is Low 

You’re doubting whether you can do it — so shrink the task. Instead of “finish the essay,” try “write one sentence.” Or “open the document.” This comes from Bandura’s research on self-efficacy: small wins rebuild belief faster than big promises. 

The key here is that your brain needs evidence that you can succeed. By making the task small enough that success is almost guaranteed, you’re building that evidence one tiny win at a time. 

If Value Is Low 

You’re struggling to see why it matters — so try linking it back to you, not just external pressure. Ask yourself: “Why does this matter to me? Not my boss, not my tutor… me.” 

Maybe it builds a skill you want. Maybe it reduces stress later. Maybe it keeps a promise to your future self. When work feels personal, motivation tends to follow. Because caring about why it matters to you is what keeps you going. 

But here’s where honesty matters: Sometimes value is low because the work genuinely doesn’t matter. If you’re doing busywork, or something that goes against your values, your brain might be right to resist. Not everything deserves your motivation. Sometimes the real fix is changing the situation, not changing yourself. 

If Cost Is High 

It just feels like too much — so ask yourself: is this cost inflated by fear, or is it real? 

If you’re exhausted, burned out, or running on empty, that high cost is a signal. Maybe you need rest first. Maybe you need to ask for help or an extension. That’s not weak — that’s listening to yourself. 

But if the cost feels high mostly because you haven’t started yet, lower the barrier. Work in short blocks: 15 minutes on, 2 minutes off. Once you get going, your perception of cost often drops. Your brain recalculates and realizes, “Oh, this isn’t as bad as I thought.” 

The Re-Rating Check 

After 20 minutes of working, re-rate your elements. Expectancy up? Cost down? Value clearer? That shift you feel — that’s the pattern rebalancing. 

This simple check-in helps you see that motivation isn’t static. It shifts as you engage with the work. Sometimes the hardest part really is just starting. 

When the Model Doesn’t Apply 

It’s important to acknowledge: this framework isn’t a cure-all. Sometimes motivation drops because you’re dealing with depression, anxiety, ADHD, chronic illness, or burnout. Sometimes it’s because your environment is toxic or you’re being asked to do genuinely meaningless work. 

If you’ve tried adjusting all three elements and nothing shifts, that might be a signal that the issue isn’t your motivation — it’s the situation. And that’s valuable information too. Your brain might be telling you something important about what needs to change externally, not internally. 

Final Thoughts 

The Expectancy-Value framework isn’t about forcing yourself to feel motivated. It’s about understanding why motivation drops and what you can actually do about it. 

You’re not broken. You don’t need more willpower. You just need awareness. Motivation isn’t a personality trait — it’s feedback. Every dip is your brain saying, “Something here doesn’t feel doable, meaningful, or sustainable yet.” 

So instead of judging yourself, get curious. Which element needs adjusting? And sometimes, the answer is “none of them — I just need rest” or “this task genuinely isn’t worth it.” That’s okay too. You’re allowed to decide some things don’t deserve your energy. 

The real power comes from knowing the difference between when you need to adjust your approach and when you need to change the situation. This framework gives you a starting point for figuring that out. 

👉 Ready to troubleshoot your motivation? Download the free Motivation Equation Check-In worksheet and watch the full video breakdown on our YouTube channel Hey Mindset Matters. 

What’s Coming Next 

Want more mindset strategies? Check out our next video: Procrastination Winning? Crush It with This Daily Habit — where we explore the one daily practice that makes starting easier, even when motivation is low. 

👉 Subscribe to Hey Mindset Matters on YouTube so you don’t miss future videos on productivity, mindset shifts, and psychology-backed strategies for lifelong learners. 

Research Referenced 

The articles and research referenced in creating our YouTube video and this article include: 

• Expectancy-Value Theory to Situated Expectancy-Value Theory: Reflections on the Legacy of 40+ Years of Working Together – https://doi.org/10.1037/mot0000275 

• Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control – https://www.worldcat.org/title/self-efficacy-the-exercise-of-control/oclc/36074515 

• The role of perceived cost in college students’ motivational experiences and long-term achievement outcomes: A mixed-methods approach – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2023.100229 

👉 Watch the video now, and let us know in the comments which element you struggle with most: Expectancy, Value, or Cost?