Go Through The Motions Meaning

(idiomatic) To do something in a mechanical, unreflective manner, especially as a matter of routine and without commitment or enthusiasm; to perform a task perfunctorily.

Example: 1905, Mark Twain, The $30,000 Bequest, ch. 3:
  Aleck was a Christian from the cradle, and duty and the force of habit required her to go through the motions.
1919, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Rainbow Valley, ch. 15:
  They went through the motions of living, but they didn't live.
2003 July 8, Jason Zweig and Benjamin Graham, "Get Rich Slowly: How to Pick a Financial Adviser," Time:
  In screening an adviser, these should be your goals:
  â€”To determine whether he or she cares about helping clients or just goes through the motions . . .