The Real Reason Some Comedians Take Off
Misunderstanding Motivation (Comedy Mindhacks #113)
How do I keep going when I don’t feel like it? What if my growth depends on feeling inspired? What if I lose motivation? Those are important questions, but that’s also the problem with motivation: Many people try to build a house on it when it’s just meant to be a bridge. Let me share a story then some thoughts bearing in mind something that Barry Katz recently said: There’s no such thing as overnight success in comedy; it might look like it, but the people who seem to come out of nowhere have been at it way more years than you realize (my paraphrase).
At the start of every semester, one of the things that surprises my college students most is when I tell them I give no quizzes or tests. In nearly twenty years of teaching at the college level, I’ve rarely ever given any kind of exam. That’s mainly because I just don’t find them particularly helpful to anyone in anyway; in fact, I find them counterproductive. In most cases, all tests do is measure short-term information retention. But they pretty much completely overlook long-term transformation. I’m not especially fond of homework either. My philosophy has always been fairly simple: Show up to class, put in the work while you’re there, engage the material, and leave still thinking about it after class is over.
That approach didn’t emerge by accident. During and after my PhD studies, one of my abiding interests became “Motivation Theory,” which I’ve talked about on my website before. I’ve presented conference papers on motivation, written about the differences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and spent years thinking about what actually causes people to change. The more I’ve studied the subject, the more skeptical I’ve become of approaches that depend primarily on external pressure.
Fear, for instance, can produce action. And rewards can produce action. Deadlines can also produce action. But none of those things necessarily produce lasting change. In recent days, I’ve been thinking about “The Effort vs. Automaticity Curve.” The idea really shows up everywhere. I see it in writing, exercise, parenting, faith, and so on. Most of all, I see it in the difference between people who start something and people who stick with it.
When most people think about growth, I think motivation also comes to mind. Folks assume that successful people are somehow better at staying motivated than everyone else. If I had a nickel for everyone someone said to me, “I don’t see how you do it all!” I’d be much better off than I currently am. But it’s not really accurate to say that motivated people keep improving while everyone else falls behind.
You see, motivation is good when it shows up. It helps us start new projects, pursue ambitious goals, and take risks we might otherwise avoid. Every comedian remembers the excitement of those early days when every open mic felt like an opportunity and every joke felt like a breakthrough. Every writer remembers the rush of a new idea. Every entrepreneur remembers the energy that comes with starting something from scratch.
The trouble begins when people expect motivation to carry the entire journey. The reality is: Motivation is emotional and, as we all know, emotions fluctuate. Like everyone else, some days I feel energized and productive. Other days I feel tired, distracted, and far more interested in doing almost anything else. So, if my progress depends entirely on motivation, then my progress becomes fragile because it rises and falls with my moods. And that’s precisely where “The Effort vs. Automaticity Curve” becomes useful.
At the beginning of any worthwhile pursuit, effort is incredibly expensive. Every action requires conscious attention. A new comedian has to force himself to attend the open mic. A new writer has to force herself to sit down and write. A new runner has to talk himself into putting on the shoes. The new behavior feels difficult because, well, it hasn’t yet become normal.
Many people quit during this phase because they assume the effort is evidence that something is wrong. The easiest example to prove this is New Year’s Resolutions. But here’s where we all go wrong: Telling ourselves and assuming that the people who don’t finish must lack discipline, talent, or commitment. That’s wholly wrong! The real issue here is simply that, in such instances, people are experiencing the natural cost of unfamiliarity. That’s it. And there isn’t a worthwhile habit that doesn’t begin this way. Indeed, every worthwhile pursuit demands a season where effort exceeds automaticity.
But here’s the secret: The people who continue growing eventually cross an invisible threshold. The behavior doesn’t become effortless for them, but it becomes more automatic. The writer writes because writing is what writers do. The comedian goes and performs because that’s what comedians do. The runner runs because that’s what they do. The activity, in other words, gradually shifts from something they force themselves to do into something they simply do. It’s all about habit formation.
And that’s why I think motivation is best understood as a bridge rather than a dwelling place. Its purpose is to get us going, to get us moving. Motivation provides the initial force necessary to begin the journey. It helps us survive those early stages when effort is high and automaticity is low. Once the habit begins taking root, however, motivation becomes less important because the system starts carrying part of the load. And, ah, that’s a great place to be in!
I see this constantly in comedy. The comedians who continue improving year after year aren’t necessarily the most motivated people in the room. They’re often the people who stayed with the process long enough for it to become part of their identity. They stopped negotiating with themselves every week. They stopped waiting to feel inspired. They built habits strong enough to keep moving even when enthusiasm temporarily disappeared.
That’s encouraging because it means growth doesn’t depend on maintaining perfect emotions. It also means progress isn’t reserved for people who wake up excited every morning. And it means momentum can continue even during ordinary weeks when inspiration is nowhere to be found. The goal, my friend, isn’t becoming someone who feels motivated all the time. The goal is becoming someone whose habits keep carrying him or her forward long after motivation has completed its assignment.
Now, let me just say, before you go, that I’d love to share two comedy resources with you. The first one, which is FREE, is my fifth joke “Joke Writer’s Lab” joke writing workshop live stream on 6/6/26 at 12pm EST. You can click the image below to access the link or click HERE. If you’re free and have a joke you’d like to workshop, I’d love for you to attend.
Also, check this out…my new book is ready for preorder: Comedy Mindhacks: 100 Mental Shifts To Help Comedians & Creatives Succeed. Secure your copy HERE.
If you click HERE, you can see some sample pages. If you don’t yet subscribe to this site, you can still get a 10% discount at your purchase with the code: MH10LIVE. But, if you become a FREE Subscriber, you can automatically get a 15% discount.
If you sign up as a paid subscriber, I’ll send you a 35% discount. Also, when you join that inner circle, you’ll instantly unlock my entire premium comedy vault:
The Joke Writer’s Lab Video Course: Unrestricted access to my step-by-step joke writing course on Udemy.
The Comedian Spotlight: A feature and promotion to my entire audience in an upcoming newsletter!
The Joke Blueprint Playbook: My 17-page manual for structuring your thoughts and polishing your jokes.
The Premium “Round-Up” Newsletter: My exclusive weekly deep-dive delivered every Sunday.
The Round-Up Repository: Full access to my private database containing every past and future newsletter.
👉 Click HERE to Upgrade Your Subscription & Unlock the Vault.