Motivation.
What is it?
Struggling
to get things done? Wondering why you just cannot be bothered to do something?
This is related to something called motivation (or lack of it in these cases).
This is something everyone comes across at some point in their life… Or not.
Finding motivation and losing motivation are actions that most people go
through in some stages of their life. But what is the real definition of
motivation? Why is it sometimes so easy to lose & so easy to gain? Everyone
experiences this is a different way.
motivation is a condition inside us that desires a change,
either in the self or the environment.
The essence of motivation is energized and persistent
goal-directed behaviour. When we are motivated, we move and act.
Definition
of motivation.
Motivation is the process that initiates, guides, and
maintains goal-oriented behaviour, it is the driving force behind human
actions.
Motivation involves the biological, emotional, social, and
cognitive forces that activate behaviour.
Types of motivation
Extrinsic motivations: Are those that arise from outside of the
individual and often involve rewards such as trophies, money, social
recognition, or praise.
Intrinsic motivations: Are those that arise from within the individual, such as doing a
complicated crossword puzzle purely for the personal gratification of solving a
problem.
Impact
Anyone who has ever had a goal (like wanting to lose 20
pounds or run a marathon) probably immediately realizes that simply having the
desire to accomplish something is not enough. Achieving such a goal requires
the ability to persist through obstacles and endurance to keep going despite
difficulties.
Components:
Activation: Involves the decision to initiate a behaviour.
Persistence: Is the continued effort toward a goal even though obstacles may exist.
Intensity: Can be seen in the concentration and vigour that goes into pursuing a
goal.
How
to feel more motivated?
Sometimes you might feel completely unmotivated and that
is ok. In that situation, allow yourself to feel the discomfort, hear the
negative self-talk, and then take action!
1.
Get positive.
Meanwhile, research
shows happiness increases productivity and success. It is optimism. So how do you get optimistic if you are not feeling it?
Monitor the progress you are making and
celebrate it. Harvard’s
Teresa Amabile‘s research found that nothing is more motivating than progress.
2.
Get rewarded.
Rewards feel good. Penalties feel bad. And that is why
they both can work well for motivating you.
Research shows that rewards are
responsible for three-quarters of why you do things.
3.
Get peer pressure.
Surround yourself with
people you want to be, and it is far less taxing to do what you should be
doing.
When people join groups where change
seems possible, the potential for that change to occur becomes more real.
The groups you associate with often
determine the type of person you become. For people who want improved health,
association with other healthy people is usually the strongest and most direct
path of change.
So there you have it, a brief description of what
motivation is and what it is all about. There are many different types and
different ways to deal with it.
So get out there and get motivated!