What motivates you?
We are all motivated by different things. Some people are easily motivated while others don't seem to be motivated by anything at all. If you struggle with finding motivation or are frustrated when others don't seem to be as motivated as you are, it may be helpful to learn more about what motivates you. There are two basic motivation concepts; intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation.
Intrinsic motivation involves perceiving rewards as part of the task itself. For example, someone who is intrinsically motivated will complete a task because they like to do it or because they like feeling that sense of accomplishment. Those who are intrinsically motivated generally do well in school and enjoy going on to achieve higher levels of education. People who are intrinsically motivated enjoy the sense of control that they have over their emotions. These types of people feel like their fate is directly ties to their effort. Therefore, those who are intrinsically motivated, or self motivated, feel like they are able to achieve whatever they set their mind to and feel a sense of relief from this. Intrinsically motivated individuals are not generally firm believers in the concept of luck.
Many times individuals may set goals and a part of them simply hopes that these goals will be met, this is not so with self-motivated people. Intrinsically motivated individuals believe that their own actions are going to be the deciding factors in their fate. Self motivated individuals also tend to be labeled as perfectionists. This is because someone who is intrinsically motivated generally accomplishes a task because they want to learn something along the process or challenge themselves in some way. Intrinsic motivators like to master a topic rather than simply go through the motions of getting something done.
|
|
On the other end of the spectrum are those individuals who are extrinsically motivated, or motivated by factors that are outside of themselves. For those who are extrinsically motivated, money is the most compelling motivator. In children, where the concept of money has not yet been developed, the threat of punishment or a reward are the extrinsic motivators. Motivators are generally more social individuals who need the attention of others to motivate them to get anything done. Performers are often extrinsically motivated by the crowds that cheer them on and tend to boost their performance level based on the amount of support they receive from the crowd. This is especially true for sports players. Speaking of sports players, trophies and titles are very strong extrinsic motivators. Competition is very appealing for extrinsically motivated individuals as there are fans cheering, a coach's constant encouragement, and the standing goal to beat the opponent.
While there is nothing wrong with being extrinsically motivated, and many of us have at least a little bit of a need for extrinsic motivation, there are benefits to enjoying intrinsic rewards. Over the course of one's life, psychologically those who have a hard time finding intrinsic motivation may face more serious struggles when it comes to earning a living and coping with the failure that may come with not being able to get yourself to do what is necessary. In the situation where an extrinsically motivated individual marries an intrinsically motivated individual, there can be conflicts that arise and other labels given to the extrinsically motivated individual.
Extrinsically motivated individuals often over justify themselves when they fail to accomplish a task. Additionally, it can become more and more difficult for an extrinsically motivated person to find external motivators as he or she ages. While encouragement and the thrill of obtaining a reward are both in abundance in one's youth, it can be easy to fall into a line of work and lifestyle that may not be as abundantly accommodating in adulthood.
