Motivation is what drives us to do everything. It’s our get-up-and-go: It wakes us in the morning, drives our work for the day and propels us forward toward our long-range goals. Even the most ambitious dreams, without motivation, would simply end up as dreams. But what is motivation, and why is it so potent?
What Is Motivation?
Motivation is described as the internal or external element that motivates us to do something or achieve a particular objective. It’s what drives us to study harder, learn more and push through barriers. So the motivation can come from internal drives, personal values, external rewards, or social pressure.
Simply put, motivation is what compels us to go from “I should” to “I will,” converting words into deeds.
Types of Motivation
Types of MotivationIntrinsic & Extrinsic
Intrinsic Motivation is been driven from something deep down within. It’s when you do something because it’s personally fulfilling or meaningful to you — not because of external rewards or pressure. So, the pursuit of a hobby/passion, e.g. painting or writing, out of joy and satisfaction or working out to make yourself feel strong and healthy.
Extrinsic Motivation refers to the drive to engage or complete a task in order to receive external rewards or recognition. It can really be something as wide as getting paid for a job, participating in a sports competition, or simply having the acceptance from your peer group. Those incentives might spur us to work hard, but they’re often ephemeral motivators that may not deliver long-term gratification.
The Psychology of Motivation: How It Pushes Us to Achieve Goals
- Clarity and Purpose: Probably the most significant motivator is having clarity in what you really want to achieve. Be it landing a dream job, writing a book or running a marathon, the clearer your vision of the end result, the clearer your motivation to achieving it becomes. Goals provide us with direction and a sense of purpose that drives us while we weather the storms.
- Motivation: Overcoming Challenges Motivation is what gets us through the inevitable setbacks and obstacles that we will encounter. Having a strong reason for doing something helps keep your focus on what is important when times get difficult. If you try to establish a business and are hit with obstacles, that might be a reason to discourage you, but you want to make it work due to the financial freedom or pride that it will give you.
- Staying the Course: The path to success is rarely clear. It takes work and practice over time. Motivation is what keeps us in the saddle when the novelty has faded. It’s the gas we share as we power through rote chores, habitual habits and months (or years) of grind.
- Finding Resilience: Motivation is very often linked directly to resilience; in business, the ability to get back up after a fall. Motivated people tend to view challenges as opportunities for growth when they do experience setbacks. And so they know that each failed attempt gets them one step closer to winning as their desire to learn and do better keeps them going
How to Create and Maintain Motivation
- Goal in a realistic (, realistic) way: Set Broken Down Steps You get clarity, a path forward, and a sense of achievement as you move forward.
- Discover Your ‘Why’: Identify the underlying motivation behind your goal. Whether it’s on passion, financial freedom, or personal freedom, knowing the reason for which you are working toward a goal will help you remain faithful to it.
- Celebrate Small Wins: Appreciate and celebrate even that minor triumphs in the process. This maintains momentum and reminds that your work is out there making a difference.
- Surround With a Supportive Environment: People who help, inspire and motivate you. Support systems are a huge part of keeping motivation high, whether that’s in the form of friends, family or a professional mentor.
- Be Flexible and Adaptable: Life doesn’t always go as planned. Change is important in the face of adversity to keep your motivation levels high.
Motivation: The Key to Success in Both Your Personal and Professional Life
Motivation has the cosmos back — and then some. That’s why motivation is so important — when we are motivated, we tend to be more productive, more focused, and more driven in all aspects of life, from career to relationships.” Motivation helps us step to the plate, tackle obstacles, and ultimately, achieve our goals.
In a professional environment, employees who are motivated tend to take initiative, perform above and beyond the call of duty, and foster a positive work environment. For entrepreneurs, motivation can be the difference between quitting after a painful setback or persisting long enough to succeed.
In personal life, motivation assists us to create better habits, relationships and goals. It enables us to grow, and to strive to become better, in a manner that is fulfilling our sense of meaning and resulting in ever larger joy and satisfaction.
Conclusion
Motivation goes so much deeper than simply a feeling that can come and go out of our lives—it is what gives us the power to create greatness, to drive through the struggles, and to constantly extend the limits of our untapped potential. And motivation, whether from within or catalyzed and enhanced by the rewards that are offered to us by the outside world, is where dreams become real. By recognizing what makes us tick, cultivating it, and riding it to a goal, however huge or small, we can live a happier yet more meaningful life.
Ultimately, it’s motivation that ignites it all and makes it happen. Without that we could never fully reach our dreams or achieve the wondrous things we can create.
