How giving advice boosts motivation

Scientific litsketch on boosting motivation

Contrary to the common belief that getting advice can increase your motivation, the act of giving advice to someone can increase your motivation to achieve a goal much more than receiving advice (Eskreis-Winkler et al., 2018).

Their experiment recruited people who were struggling to save money, control their temper, lose weight or find a job. They were asked to write their advice on saving money, controlling their temper etc which was to be shared with others who are struggling with the goal, and to read the written advice given by experts. Next they were asked to choose which of the two activities made them feel more motivated to pursue their goal. Compared to reading experts’ advice, the act of giving advice to others increased the confidence in their own ability to achieve the goal, which in turn, increased their motivation.

Try to keep a notebook that records all the advice you could give someone in different domains where you want to improve further. This will boost your confidence that will enable you to work harder. So give, and the strength will be given to you. 

Eskreis-Winkler, Lauren, Ayelet Fishbach, and Angela L. Duckworth. "Dear Abby: Should I give advice or receive it?." Psychological science 29, no. 11 (2018): 1797-1806.