The Motivational Triad
Hey lawyers! There’s something about your brain that’s going to change the way you think about why you tend to repeat those same old patterns that you hate. It’s called the Motivational Triad, and once you understand it, you’ll see your daily decisions in a whole new light.
Your brain’s number one job is to keep you alive. To do that, it’s constantly working behind the scenes with three core priorities that make up the Motivational Triad:
1️⃣ Seek Pleasure — Your brain loves feel-good moments. Your brain’s always scanning for what’s enjoyable and easy. FOr lawyers that looks like being drawn to "easy wins" like checking email or responding to Slack messages instead of tackling that meaty brief that’s been on your to-do list all week. It’s a quick dopamine hit, and your brain loves it.
2️⃣ Avoid Pain —Your brain is also programmed to steer clear of anything uncomfortable, uncertain, or risky. This includes physical pain, but also emotional discomfort like rejection, embarrassment, or failure. For lawyers, that can look like avoiding having hard conversations — maybe you’re hesitating to ask a partner for clarity on an assignment or to ask for a promotion — because your brain equates it with potential rejection or discomfort. The longer you avoid it, the more anxiety builds.
3️⃣ Conserve Energy — Your brain is obsessed with efficiency. It’s always looking for the path of least resistance — habits, routines, and automatic actions that don’t require much mental effort. For lawyers that can look like, procrastinating or avoding learning new technologies or work flows and sticking to the way you’ve always done things.
You don’t have to let the Motivational Triad run the show. Just knowing it’s there gives you more power. When you’re engaging in behavior you don’t love you can ask yourself: “Am I seeking pleasure, avoiding pain, or conserving energy?” Once you spot it, you can challenge it.
🚀 For example, instead of avoiding that uncomfortable conversation, remind yourself, “This will be uncomfortable for 5 minutes, but I’ll feel so much better after.”
🚀 Of instead of defaulting to email for the 5th time in an hour, you can ask, “What’s one thing I can do right now that’s aligned with my bigger goals?”
🚀 And when your brain’s telling you to stick with “what’s familiar,” you can say, “Growth isn’t supposed to feel comfortable. This means I’m doing it right.”
So, next time you’re stuck in a pattern, ask yourself which part of the Motivational Triad is driving your choices. Once you’re aware of it, you can take back control.
