The document discusses the concept of "motivation waves" for physical activity. It proposes that people are most likely to experience a motivation wave when they have a medium-sized block of free time directly after finishing an intense project. Specifically, having 2-4 hours of free time after a major life accomplishment, like completing an important work project, can trigger a motivation wave if the person has enough time to build momentum but not so much time that they feel other priorities are more important. An intense project leads to deep satisfaction, and in that moment of satisfaction people may be motivated to pursue physical activity to continue feeling a sense of accomplishment.

1. Motivation Waves
When am I likely to be in a Motivation Wave?
What contexts promote motivations around
physical activity?
Musings on Motivation and Behavior Design
By Andrew Evans

2. Motivation Waves
Post
large-­‐scale
success
is
the
best
Intensity of a Finished Project
1me
to
find
someone
Primetime for
in
a
mo1va1on
wave
Motivation Wave
But
with
too
li9le
free1me,
they
don’t
think
they
can
affect
meaningful
chance,
and
with
too
much,
they
think
they
should
focus
on
things
more
important
than
physical
ac1vity
Amount of Continuous Free Time

3. Motivation Waves
The
previous
framework
predicts
that
people
are
most
likely
to
be
in
a
mo1va1on
wave
for
physical
ac1vity
when
they
have
a
medium-­‐sized
block
of
uninterrupted
free
1me
directly
aCer
finishing
an
“intense”
project
ACer
a
major
life
accomplishment
(finished
a
test,
completed
a
work
project,
great
job
interview,
etc)
people
appear
likely
to
enter
a
mo1va1on
wave
for
physical
ac1vity
given
a
2-­‐4
hour
block
of
“free
1me”
It
appears
that
too
much
free
1me
promotes
the
pursuit
of
seemingly
more
“important”
topics—such
as
work,
friends,
family—but
a
1-­‐2
hour
block
of
1me
isn’t
enough
to
allow
people’s
mo1va1on
to
build
and
compound
itself
into
a
true
mo1va1on
wave
A
more
intense
project
leads
to
a
deeper
sa1sfac1on—in
this
moment
of
sa1sfac1on
people
appear
more
mo1vated
about
physical
ac1vity

4. Motivation Waves
EXAMPLE:
Sally
just
finishes
a
major
project
at
work.
Her
clients
are
happy,
her
boss
is
happy,
she
is
happy.
When
she
goes
back
home,
she
finds
she
has
some
free
1me
on
her
hands
without
having
to
worry
about
a
deadline.
She
is
s1ll
energized
form
the
project
at
work
and
doesn’t
feel
like
siXng
down
and
watching
TV
or
youtube
videos...
She
wants
to
do
something
where
she
can
feel
that
same
sense
of
accomplishment
she
did
with
the
comple1on
of
her
project.
If
triggered,
THIS
IS
WHEN
she
might
join
a
gym,
or
buy
a
new
running
ou[it,
or
buy
a
Fuelband/fitbit.
She
wants
to
con1nue
feeling
a
sense
of
accomplishment!

5. Motivation Waves
The
desire
aCer
experience
a
large
accomplishment
is
NOT
to
relax
and
do
nothing,
it
is
to
CONTINUE
feeling
that
sense
of
accomplishment
but
it
a
different
realm.
Big
work
project
+
another
big
work
project
=
exhaus1on
Big
work
project
+
chance
to
achieve
something
else
of
value
=
Mo1va1on
Wave