An influential force that drives one’s behavior, actions, or decisions. Motivation may truly characterize every aspect of one’s life: the decision to build a career, retrain bad habits, or achieve a specific goal. But just what is motivation, how does it work, and how can we take advantage of it in our success?
What Exactly is Motivation?
Put simply, it could be defined as the driving force behind an individual’s actions or the inner yearning to attain a particular goal. It is the courage to dream, the ability to focus one’s mind, and the eagerness to withstand obstacles. Briefly, motivation has been explained as a mental power prompting an individual to develop activity.
There are two main types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic.
- Intrinsic Motivation is driven from the emergence of interest in the work concerned. It means that satisfying some idea only on its own behalf is motivating. For example, one engages in a course as it appeals to him and learns a certain sport just for the fun of the sport.
- Extrinsic Motivation is driven from outside oneself. This is where the action is taken in exchange for an external reward, like money, recognition, or praise, to do a particular job. For example, in some organizations, employees work overtime and extra hours in order to receive bonuses; students study hard in hopes of attaining a scholarship.
Scientific Motivation
The brain is responsible for motivation. The modulation of moods involving pleasure, reward, and satisfaction is achieved by aggregation and release of several neurotransmitters, mainly dopamine. Once a person reaches the level of achievement, or makes sure progress toward a goal, the brain rewards the person by releasing dopamine, making him feel happy and satisfied. This reward in the form of a chemical reinforces that behavior so that one would like to strive more in achieving their objectives.
Psychology has brought to light several theories that help in understanding motivation:
- Maslow’s Hierarchical Needs: According to Abraham Maslow’s theory, human beings are motivated by needs that follow a hierarchical opera. These needs, from the most basic moments of low-self-esteem like food, safety, and shelter, need to be met before desires to pursue the higher-level goals combining creativity, self-actualization, and personal growth come forward.
- Self-Determination Theory (SDT): Self-Determination Theory, developed by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, states that people are motivated by three fundamental and universal psychological needs: autonomy (one’s wish to control one’s actions), competence (one’s need to feel effective and capable), and relatedness or belongingness (one’s need to connect with others).
- Expectancy Theory: The motivation process will be brought into existence where the expectancy of a certain outcome guides others toward the opportunity to do some work. In other words, people are highly motivated to act because they believe that their effort will be rewarded.
- Goal-Setting Theory: It is Edwin Locke who proposed it and stated that emphasized clear, challenging, and yet achievable goals and this process of setting goals helps the individual to be focused, track the progress, and measure subsequent successes.
Motivation is a vital part of personal development. Whether seeking weight loss, better relationships, or new learning, motivation plays the basis of change. Without it, the attempts to create lasting change can’t make it. Here is how motivation affects personal growth:
- Persistence: Motivation helps people to stick with their plans since motivation provides people with the strength to push through–even when that initial burst of excitement drops off. It is how people can keep going with their daily workout or start learning a new language, no matter the setbacks.
- Bouncing Back: Challenges in personal growth are unavoidable. Motivation causes one to struggle with adversities and setbacks. With motivation, one becomes stronger during times of difficulty.
- Fulfilling Long-Term Goals: Not only does motivation keep a person pushing forward, but it also keeps him or her inclined towards long-term objectives. For example, one may remain motivated to complete a program lasting a few years despite distractions, fatigue, or hardships.
Cultivating Motivation.
Though it may seem elusive, motivation can be cultivated and grown. To help keep your motivation high, consider using the following strategies:
- Set Clear and Specific Goals: Divide bigger goals into smaller tasks. Winning even the smallest battle gives the feeling of progress, thus creating momentum.
- Find Your “Why”: Understanding the underlying purpose behind any activity imbues value in a goal. Whether it’s personal development, financial independence, or the impetus to help others, make a connection to “why” for motivating purposes.
- Create a Positive Environment: Surround yourself with positive influences. A good support group, motivating music, and an inspiring working environment are key to keeping motivation up and going.
- Celebrate Small Wins: So, reward yourself for accomplishing even the smallest goals. This reinforces positive behaviors and puts you in the mood to keep going.
- Be Kind to Yourself: Motivation has a tendency to die down when we’re hard on ourselves. If you’re nice and forgiving during your unwelcome moments, you’ll be dropping barriers on which your motivation can thrive without fearing failure.
- Visualize Success: Visualization is the most potent psychological weapon for motivation. Visualizing the desired outcome-whether running past the finish line or walking away with an award for a job well done-triggers the brain’s reward system, which makes the goal seem less elusive.
Challenges Involving The Motivation
While motivation is important, it can be challenging to stay motivated. Motivations can go up and down as life happens, with the person concerned mood-swinging between life situations and external stimuli. For example, we may feel super excited starting a project, but obstacles start mounting, and the excitement fades away.
Knowing the reason behind this fluctuation, you may take a proactive step. Sometimes it involves reviewing your expectancy, others it involves honest goal-planning, while in some cases, one should consider getting new sources of inspiration. Outside motivation from friends, mentors, or colleagues may act as a booster to keep you going.
With conclusion
Motivation becomes a fuel that drives people to success in an individual’s personal and professional life. By knowing how motivation works, its psychological theories, and how it can be nurtured and maintained, one can unlock the full potential of work towards one’s goal. It is equally important, whether intrinsic or extrinsic, to move ahead in life to find the right way of keeping motivation alive amid challenges for a person.
