What Is Motivation?

Let’s start this discussion first by finding out how motivation is defined. What is motivation? There are different motivation theories which would also alter somewhat the definition but let’s look at the basic premise. There are primarily three main parts to motivation.
They are:
activation
persistence
intensityWhen we activate our motivation we are taking responsibility and making a decision to start a behavior as in the case to begin an exercise program. When we are persistent we continue to put forth effort toward maintaining our decision (activation). This phase is executed even when it seems like it’s just too hard because of the obstacles we face on the path to the goal. The tenacity, level of emotion and degree of effort we put into the new goal is the intensity intensity factor.

If, as in the example used above, you’ve decided to exercise five days a week for forty five minutes are you someone that will throw that decision out the window when a work project comes up that will demand more of your time? Or will you simply be persistent and adjust your schedule so you can exercise and get the new tasks accomplished? Will you approach your exercise time with enthusiasm, (showing intensity) which is energizing, or with a gloomy attitude, which is energy draining.

Let’s look at three question that are pertinent to this discussion:

Q. Can we be motivated by some one else?
Q. Is motivation an internal drive or caused externally?
Q. How can we find greater motivation when we are feeling uninspired?

There really are no set answers to these questions because we are all individuals and our motivation factors vary both externally and intrinsically (internally). One of us might be super motivated to create a successful family so this will form our main external activities. The inner belief system causes us to make a decision (an activation) to put forth the extreme effort (persistence) with intensity to be successful in our goals for a happy family.

Another individual may be mainly motivated by making large amounts of money. Everything else will pale in comparison to this decision, even to the expense of the happy family life that the previous person chose. We are mostly driven by internal factors which are partially part of our core personality or temperament and partly due to the experiences we have had in life. There isn’t a right or wrong on these internal motivations; they just are.

We may learn by trial and error that our natural motivations need to be tempered or adjusted and then we get to start the three part process all over again: activation, persistence and intensity. Our lives really are a series of this equasion repeated over and over again throughout time. An example of this might be the person who is so motivated to make money that his family feels abandoned by him/her so they threaten to leave. In this case, a dramatic shift may happen because external influences are threatening the internal motivation.

We humans are so much the same as one another and yet so different. External factors that motivate some individuals can be reward based including (but not limited to) praise, trophies, social acknowledgement and monetary gain. These, when paired up with a strong internal drive of motivation can cause someone to step into their full potential. Funny enough, though, some people so what they do simply because they feel the inner joy of accomplishing the task. These individuals often don’t care what others think.

So, again we ponder the question, “What is motivation?” As we have seen it is not a question we can give an exact answer to because of all the human variables involved. There are times in our lives that we must pull our self aside and have a heart searching session to find out what our current motivations are now. As our lives change through different phases what motivates us can change drastically. It is a good thing to be in touch with why we are doing what we are doing.

While there aren’t necessarily “good” or “bad” motivations there are positive and negative motivators. We can be very excited to work a little extra to provide holiday presents for our loved ones. The motivation here is giving; it’s a good feeling. We can also be pushing ourselves to accomplish something out a fear motivation. When we act out of fear rather than joy we feel more drained from the effort put out. Life is much happier lived looking forward to something that will make us fulfilled than it is dreading what will happen if we don’t do something.

Consider how you feel when you are studying something that you are passionate about. Time flies when you are involved in the topic. You can’t wait to get back to your studies and you wish you could continue when it’s time to end your session. This is a far cry different than studying something because you have to in order to get a degree in a college or to get a certain job.
To strengthen our motivation we need to look at what we feel passionate about; what is really important to us. Deciding what we want as a goal having to do with this passion is the next step. The mindset has to be that we know we can accomplish this goal. It must be attainable. Then we simply start brainstorming all the different parts and details of this passionate goal you’ve just set. I like to do my brainstorming on paper. I just start scribbling words, ideas and activities willy nilly without worrying about things being orderly. I go back later and put some order to it all. I like to call it my motivation map.

There are times when I have lost my motivation. It feels like being lost in a forest and not knowing how to get out. In these times my various motivation maps have come in handy. They help me remember why I have been doing what I’ve chosen. Sometimes an inner enthusiasm starts to simmer up inside as I am reminded of the reasons I chose the path I’m on. This can be enough for me to stir up my intensity and make a new motivation map and approach my life with new vigor.