Quick summary: A new ebook by pharmacy scholar and scientific writer Janhavi Ahirrao applies neuroscience research to explain why motivation fades, identifying the interplay between wanting and liking as central to sustaining goal-directed behaviour. The work draws on Professor Kent Berridge’s dopamine research to show that motivation is a biological response shaped by perceived progress rather than a fixed personality trait, with implications for how mental health practitioners understand low motivation in clinical settings. With up to 94% of people abandoning New Year resolutions within two months, the ebook offers practical, brain-informed steps for rebuilding drive, including environmental adjustments and the use of small actions to overcome resistance.
A new ebook is offering readers practical neuroscience insights into one of the most common daily struggles: why motivation fades even when goals still matter. The free sample edition of Neuroscience in Daily Life by Janhavi Ahirrao draws on brain science to explain everyday experiences such as focus, procrastination, and habit formation in accessible terms.
Ahirrao, a second-year pharmacy scholar and scientific writer, presents the content through real-life situations rather than heavy theory, helping readers work with their brain rather than against it. The full digital edition covers stress, habits, overthinking, emotions, sleep, focus, and decision-making.
Why motivation fades
The ebook explains that motivation is not simply feeling inspired. Neuroscience suggests it is built through two distinct experiences: wanting (the desire to reach a goal) and liking (enjoying the process of moving towards it). When someone begins going to the gym, wanting may come from the desire to become healthier or stronger, while liking comes from enjoying the routine, noticing progress, or feeling active. When both are present, motivation is stronger. When one starts fading, motivation begins to weaken.
This aligns with established research. The distinction between wanting and liking was pioneered by Professor Kent Berridge, whose studies show dopamine primarily drives wanting, or incentive salience, the motivational pull towards a goal, while liking is handled by separate brain systems.
Dopamine, a chemical messenger involved in drive, attention, reward anticipation, and goal-directed behaviour, is central to this process. Contrary to common belief, dopamine release is not reserved for achievement alone. It is also triggered during the process itself, particularly when progress is noticed. One chapter completed, one workout finished, one small improvement made: each signals to the brain that effort is leading somewhere meaningful, which in turn strengthens motivation.
Direction matters as much as desire. The prefrontal cortex helps with planning, focus, and decision-making, keeping motivation connected to purposeful action. Without it, motivation becomes scattered.
Long-lasting stress also plays a role. It can affect the brain’s reward and focus systems, making effort feel heavier and meaningful goals feel distant. The ebook notes that what may appear to be laziness from the outside can reflect a nervous system that has simply been carrying too much.
The moment motivation slips
Motivation often fades when progress becomes invisible. When attention shifts entirely to how far there still is to go, small gains go unacknowledged and the brain loses the signal that effort is working. Using the example of gym attendance, the ebook explains that noticing specific improvements, such as lifting slightly more weight or simply showing up on a difficult day, keeps that signal alive.
Research supports this pattern. Some analyses suggest that up to 94% of people abandon New Year resolutions within two months.
Rebuilding motivation
The ebook frames motivation not as a fixed trait but as a biological response shaped by experience. Its practical section offers the following steps:
- Motivation fluctuates based on brain reward signals and is not stable.
- Action often comes before motivation, not after it.
- Starting with a two-minute task can bypass resistance.
- Environment influences motivation more than willpower alone.
Janhavi Ahirrao is a pharmacy scholar and writer whose work explores the intersection of science, psychology, and human growth. The full ebook is available for £0.77.