Motivation - we hear about it from almost everywhere. "You lack motivation!", "You can achieve success, but work on motivation", "How to motivate a child, employee, yourself?". So read what this motivation really is and how to motivate yourself.

Motivation - the key to success

Motivation- if only it could be bought by the kilograms, the world would be easier: we would all know several languages, have an impeccable figure and our CV would contain a streak of endless success. Or at least such a message is sent out into the world by various types of motivational speakers who, with their enthusiasm, knowledge and experience, fill our heads with a sense of agency and willingness to act.

Is motivation really the key that opens all doors, can't we feel fulfilled and happy without it? What actually makes us able to create a state of readiness to take action, direct our energy to a chosen goal and, ignoring temptations and distractions, continue this activity until we achieve a certain result?

What is motivation?

As in the case of most complex psychological concepts, we will not find a single definition of motivation - depending on the approach or times in which the definition was created, they will differ from each other, putting emphasis on other components. In this way, depending on the scientific theory behind the definition of motivation, we can read, among others, that it is the result of various factors, e.g. that:

  • our biology lies at the heart of motivational processes, and it largely determines our behaviors and strategies almost without reflection / instinct, taking into account the interspecies differences in ways of surviving or extending the species;
  • the drives underlying our existence, such as hunger, and the resulting need are the main component of our motivation;
  • the genesis of motivation lies in cognitive structures, how we understand the world and how we learn, focusing on satisfying higher needs, such as the need for respect, achievement or agency, which serve more than just satisfying our biology.

Nevertheless, the common denominator for the motivating process is the resultant of the initiation of activity, orientationher, the degree of involvement and the ability to maintain the accompanying psychophysical processes, taking into account both the biological, cognitive and social spheres.

If you want to use motivation effectively or develop this area of ​​your psyche, you can explore many psychological theories, but what will help bring tangible results is to look at yourself and your actions in the context of types of motivation. I encourage you to recall specific experiences and try them on each type of motivation, checking which of them has so far contributed to the effectiveness in achieving goals.

Types of motivation

External Motivation- The reason for taking the action is due to external factors often resulting from reward or punishment. It is more often accompanied by the word "I have to" than "I want", it is sometimes effective in the short term, but requires additional reinforcement to be able to translate into permanent strategies.

For example I work for money, not satisfaction, I eat he althy because there is social and family pressure and not for the actual need to take care of my he alth, I do not exceed speed, because I am afraid of a fine and not because I do not want to hurt anyone. We often underestimate the power of external motivation.

It happens that before we develop a strong motivation deeply embedded in our beliefs and needs, the only thing we have or what we are able to start with are external factors and circumstances that force us to act. It is worth remembering that if we have a set goal, external motivation is better than none.

Internal motivation- triggers the willingness to take and continue action regardless of external factors. The sentence often repeated to students: "You are not studying for me and the grades, but for yourself" perfectly illustrates this type of motivation. Just taking action or achieving a goal is a reward and positive reinforcement, and what determines the level of motivation is the internalization of values, needs, personality traits and temperament.

Performing training regardless of whether it is accompanied by the trainer or not, keeping an eye on the diet even if there is an opportunity for discreet snacking, or doing an optional foreign language homework. Internal motivation greatly enhances the effectiveness of achieving a goal, but it is worth remembering that the majority of the population must learn how to consciously use it, how to strengthen it and how to undergo crises that result from a temporary reduction in motivation.

It is worth looking at what types of activities naturally trigger intrinsic motivation in us: is it an activityfrom the sphere of he alth, personal development or social relations. Getting to know the mechanisms that work in us then will make it possible to translate these strategies into areas of our lives where, for the time being, "I have to" reign, and not "I want".

Striving for- positive reinforcement motivation, i.e. reward. Regardless of whether the reward is internal (a sense of satisfaction, strengthening the sense of value after achieving a goal) or external (financial bonus), some of us are dominated by the motivation associated with the reward.

Avoidance- that is, motivation related to negative reinforcement, i.e. punishment. Taking action is based on the desire to avoid punishment and the resulting loss or discomfort. For some of us, the dominant motivator is to strive for. Therefore, the reason we stick to the diet is to avoid embarrassment when we wear a swimsuit, not to experience admiration from others. Doing work for fear of the boss's dissatisfaction, learning a foreign language to avoid embarrassment while traveling abroad, etc.

How to motivate yourself?

"If I wanted it if I didn't want it" - this often repeated saying can be put into practice. Unfortunately, those activities that we perceive as desirable or necessary to achieve a goal rarely self-motivate us.

Changing eating habits, getting rid of minor addictions, learning a language or exercising usually end up with a straw eagerness, because there is no motivation to continue the activities already started. I encourage you to try some of the ways you can improve your motivation level, supporting your willingness to continue with your early actions.

How to motivate yourself? Effective ways

Set a goal for yourself

It is difficult to be motivated just to motivate, the state of motivation must be related to a specific goal. An example would be losing a few kilos before a summer vacation. It is worth setting how many kilograms we want to lose (this number must be realistic), by when we want to lose it.

It will also be beneficial to divide the main goal into smaller ones that are easier to achieve. Moving to the next weight thresholds will help verify your progress, while supporting your motivation to continue.

Do I want or must I?

If the set goal is accompanied by "I want" then it is great - "I want" is a great source of motivation. What if, however, "I have to" learn German, because it is a requirement for promotion, but I do not feel that I want it? It is worth looking for and even writing them all downthe benefits of learning a language you don't like. For example, learning German is a promotion and a raise.

Additional resources include the opportunity to go on a dream vacation, purchase equipment needed to practice your favorite sport, ensure the safety of loved ones, further professional development, etc. have a list of the benefits of learning a language.

Associate activity with a specific value

What is important to us is one of the sources of motivation. Every day we do a lot of things for our family, to ensure safety, to maintain social relationships, etc. It is worth writing a list of values ​​that guide us in life: let them be things that are really important to us. Suppose the list includes: he alth, family, faith, sense of justice, and our action is to lose 6 kg.

Losing weight in this context is no longer just a process of losing weight, but it can also be an example for children, how to eat he althy and play sports regularly, it can directly translate into better he alth, etc. is really important to you and check how the activities you want to motivate yourself compare to it.

Countdown timer

Try to arrange with yourself that during 10 minutes you will do as many tasks as possible, e.g. I will learn as many words as possible, I will prepare a report for 10 minutes without a break, etc. This is a simple trick that helps to cheat a bit our perception and getting to realization.

Public declaration

The announcement in the face of the science plan, reducing sweets, etc. is an effective motivator. It's harder to retire knowing you have an audience and fans.

Remove demotivators

Try to look at factors that negatively affect your motivation. If you find it difficult to focus and receive constant notifications, silence your phone. If reducing sweets is a challenge, because you pass four patisseries next to work, change the route a bit, etc. Sometimes the simplest methods are the most effective.

Find a partner

An effective motivator can be another person, someone who will also exercise, learn, etc. A partner in the journey to the goal, will support with his motivation when ours weaken.

Small prizes

Celebrate each completed stage. Reward yourself for even the smallest success. Let the path to your goal be dotted with positive reinforcements. However, remember that the reward should not be against the designated onetarget.

This will be useful to you

Motivation rarely remains constant high. It is natural for it to weaken and need to be re-strengthened. Try to remember what has already been achieved, looking for what serves your goals. Avoid blaming yourself for a momentary deviation from the designated route - crises when crossing your comfort zone are necessary and favor development.

Category:

Psychology