Motivation is critical for learning. It’s a bit like fuel for learning — if you’re not motivated then you’ll find it hard to put in the effort to keep learning hard things. Some people think motivation is a personality trait; you’re either a motivated person or not. But that’s not true — we can all change our motivation levels for different things, e.g. I can gradually increase my motivation for running by running slower to begin with, running with friends, and giving myself a reward every time I finish.