Motivation

Usain Bolt avoids thinking about his weaknesses before a race. Sometimes he thinks about how he will celebrate if he wins. See: Self-talk

Usain Bolt beating Tyson Gay and setting a 100 meter world record at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, Germany.

Motivation or motive (from Medieval Latin motivus, from motus, past participle of movere "move") is the conscious or unconscious drive or need that incites a person to some action, inaction or behavior, providing incentive; often a goal or purpose. To motivate oneself or others, is to provide a motive for action or inaction. Both fear and devotion are powerful motivations.

"One of the theories that gives great insight on the first question - how to be sure we find happiness in our careers - is from Frederick Herzberg, who asserts that the powerful motivator in our lives isn’t money; it’s the opportunity to learn, grow in responsibilities, contribute to others, and be recognized for achievements."

See also: Self-motivation

What motivation is

According to Kendra Cherry, MSEd, "The term motivation describes why a person does something. It is the driving force behind human actions. Motivation is the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors."

Articles on what motivation is

• Motivation: The Driving Force Behind Our Actions by Kendra Cherry, MSEd

• What is Motivation? A Psychologist Explains, Positive Psychology website

Importance of motivation for success

See also: Achievement and Achievement orientation and Goal setting and Concentration and Peak performance and Perseverance and Persistence and Grit (personality trait) and Commitment as a virtue and Productivity and Time management and Creativity and Mental toughness and Psychological resilience

Motivation is a prime driver of achievement because it helps people to: set and achieve goals; be more focused; perform at a higher level; overcome various challenges, and persevere. It can also help people to: increase their productivity, be creative, and practice resilience.

Articles:

• 6 Important Benefits of Motivation For Attaining Goals by Jeremy Sutton, Ph.D.

• The Road To Success Is Paved With Motivation, Forbes

• Motivation - The Driving Force Behind Success

• Why is Motivation Important for Success?

• Motivation Is the Key To Success

Types of motivation

See also: Self-motivation

The website Skillsyouneed.com indicates:

"In thinking about self-motivation, it is helpful to understand what motivates you to do things.

There are two main types of motivators: ‘intrinsic’ and ‘extrinsic’.

In their simplest form you can think about these two types of motivation as:

Intrinsic = related to what we want to do.

Extrinsic = related to what we have to do.

A more detailed definition is:

Intrinsic: To perform an action or task based on the expected or perceived satisfaction of performing the action or task. Intrinsic motivators include having fun, being interested and personal challenge.

Extrinsic: To perform an action or task in order to attain some sort of external reward, including money, power and good marks or grades.

Different people are motivated by different things and at different times in their lives. The same task may have more intrinsic motivators at certain times and more extrinsic motivators at others, and most tasks have a combination of the two types of motivation.

There is research indicating that individuals that are intrinsically motivated tend to be more creative. In addition, there is some research that suggests that prosocial motivation (which is defined as the desire to contribute to the lives of others) may also enhance creative thinking.

Low self-motivation and the spiritual strength to turn things around. The limitations of self-motivation

The Resurrection" by Carl Heinrich Bloch.

Quotes

The Christian author John Noe wrote in his book Peak Performance Principles For High Achievers:

“

Now in my own life, I go one step farther in setting my goals. I set what I call God-sized goals. A God sized goal is one that is so far outside your human capabilities that you will never reach it unless God intervenes on your behalf... However, self-motivation theories eventually begin to cave under their own weight because there is only so far they can go. People begin begin to say, Oh no. Not another self-motivation speaker - we had one of those last year! Management circles, I've found are tired of the hype. the rah-rah pep talks, the glorified weather reports and the positive thinking. For many of them, self-motivation has lead to frustration. It's superficial in its effectiveness... The basic building block of out of self-motivation is that there is only one person in the universe who is worthy , who has enough to offer, to become the center of our lives - Jesus Christ , God's son,. The goal is, then to become Christ-directed . Out-of-self motivation is based on the biblical principle of receiving a 'higher self' by surrendering our old selfish nature to Jesus Christ. Then and only then can we receive God's wisdom and power in our lives."

”

• "Most of all, I knew that God, my 'Guide of guides' had made it possible for me to accomplish this great feat. The greatest delusion in the world is that of the so-called 'self made" person. There is no such thing in high achievement." - Author John Noe on climbing on the Matterhorn mountain. See: Peak Performance Principles For High Achievers by John R. Noe

• "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." - Saint Paul, Philippians 4:13

• “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” - Jesus Christ, Matthew 26:41

• "Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned." - Jesus Christ (John 15: 4-16)

Article

• If Your Motivation for Work is Low, God Can Fill It Up, The Gospel Coalition

Factors that increase motivation

SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

See also: Achievement orientation and Action orientation and Habit and Identity (psychology) and Passion and Goal setting and Performance goal and Results orientation and Prioritization and Project management and Organizational skills and Purpose and Responsibility and Social influence and Social intelligence and Mindset and Growth mindset and Positive thinking and Concentration and Time management and Accountability partner

To initially build one's motivation, the best practices include: setting clear, achievable goals; being action oriented and develop good habits and routines in order to gain both extrinsic/extrinsic rewards and to active the reward center of the brain (See: Dopamine); breaking down large tasks into smaller steps; tracking one's progress, celebrating small wins; rewarding yourself for progress; identify what truly motivates you or could truly motivate you such as identifying/developing passions and personal interests; creating positive working/other environments, and regularly review your goals and progress and having an accountability partner. In summary, focusing on making progress towards goals with a positive mindset and by acknowledging your achievements along the way towards achieving goals.

In addition, other ways to increase one's motivation include: increasing performance via peak performance principles and creativity/creative problem solving which may enable one to create better rewards in terms of intrinsic/extrinsic rewards, continuatally upping one's goals and stretching oneself to get out out one's comfort zone to avoid needless plateaus in performance, developing new goals and surrounding yourself with positive people."

A sense of purpose, external positive reinforcement, opportunities for growth, and a supportive environment can also increase motivation.

Goals and motivation

See also: Goal setting

"Setting specific, challenging goals can increase motivation and enhance performance by 11 to 25 percent, according to University of Toronto psychologist Gary Latham and University of Maryland psychologist Edwin Locke. Research suggests that having clearly defined goals can also make employees feel more inspired at work and more likely to stay committed to their organization according to Bi Worldwide. Furthermore, setting challenging but attainable goals can lead to significant improvements in performance, with some studies showing increases of up to 90%."

According to a Dominican University study, people with written goals, action commitments and weekly progress reports to a friend saw a 80.95% improvement over control group which had no written goals, no action commitments and no weekly progress reports.

Goals help increase motivation by providing direction, focus, and a sense of accomplishment/achievement. This is due to goals aiding individuals in: channeling their efforts, increasing their persistence, and encouraging the development of effective strategies.

Articles and videos on motivation

• Motivation, University of South Carolina at Chapel Hill
• How to Develop Self-Discipline and Find Motivation, Wall Street Journal
• To Meet Big Goals, Think Small
• What advice would you give to someone lacking in motivation?
• How to get motivated: 10 tips to inspire and encourage yourself
• 19 ways to get motivated by Elizabeth Perry, ACC
• Beyond Willpower: A System for Diagnosing and Engineering Sustainable Motivation., Efficiency and Management blog
• 41 tips to stay motivated even when it gets tough
• What Are Factors of Motivation? (With Examples and Theories)
• How to Motivate Yourself: 11 Tips for Self Improvement, Coursera
• 20 Simple Ways to Increase Motivation in the Workplace
• Top 25 factors that motivate employees

Work motivation:

• How To Apply Self-Motivation in the Workplace, Indeed
• Work motivation: what it is and why it is important

Videos:

• How to get motivated and stay motivated - video playlist, video playlist

Additional principles of increasing motivation

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win." - The Apostle Paul, 1 Corinthians 9:24

See also: Goal setting and Performance goal and Action orientation and Results orientation and Social influence and Social intelligence and Social networking and Positive thinking and Optimism

One can increase further their self-motivation by further developing passions/interests and important achievements; being more action oriented (which gives more positive feedback in terms of intrinsic/extrinsic rewards); increasing performance via peak performance principles creativity, and creative problem solving which may enable one to create better rewards in terms of intrinsic/extrinsic rewards, improving one's goals and surrounding yourself with positive people."

Below are articles/resources on increasing self-motivation:

• What factors most increase personal motivation?
• How to Motivate Yourself: 11 Tips for Self Improvement, Coursera
• Motivate yourself, Mindtools.com
• Motivation: How to get started and staying motivated, HealthDirect.gov
• 6 ways to boost your motivation, PsychCentral
• 5 Surprising Ways to Get Motivated
• How to Keep Working When You’re Just Not Feeling It, Harvard Business Review
• What to Do When You Have No Motivation
• How to Motivate Yourself: 25 Ways to Increase Motivation
• 5 science-backed ways to increase your motivation
• Motivation Is A Muscle: The 7 Best Ways To Substantially Increase Your Productivity, Forbes
• How to increase self-motivation, AI
• How to increase your whys, AI
• How to increase self-motivation, Yandex AI

Videos:

• Staying motivated and increasing motivation video - playlist

Positive effects of increasing motivation

Increased motivation leads to a number of positive and cascading effects across various aspects of one's life, including increased productivity, enhanced psychological/physical well-being, and improved personal and professional outcomes. Motivated individuals tend to be more focused, resilient, and enthusiastic/passionate, leading to greater success/achievement and a more fulfilling life.

Motivation and its ability to aid one's efforts to postively change one's personality

See also: Neuroplasticity and the ability of individuals to change their personality

• New Year, New Personality: Science-Backed Tips to Actually Change Yourself, 2024

Major schools of motivational models and explanations for peoples' behaviors

Jesus Christ's Sermon on the Mount was highly influential in terms of the morality of the adherents of Christianity and their influence on others.

Below are major schools of motivational models and explanations for peoples' behaviors

1. Pleasure principle - Individuals' desire to gain pleasure and avoid pain. Proposed by Sigmund Freud. See also: Comfort zone

2. Behavioral model. Physical/psychological drives. Proposed by B.F. Skinner.

3. Existential theory as a motivational model. People's need for purpose and meaning.

4. Morality and religion. People's desire to do the right thing and to act in accordance with their religious faith.

5. Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Proposed by Abraham Maslow

• A) Physiological - Hunger, thirst, shelter, sex
• B) Safety - Security, protection from physical and emotional harm
• C) Social - Affection, belonging, acceptance, friendship
• D) Esteem - Self-respect, autonomy, status, achievement, recognition, attention
• E) Self Actualization - following/doing your inner desires

Fogg Motivation Model

• Fogg Motivation Model, Stanford University

• Fogg behavior model in 2 minutes and 30 seconds - video

McClelland's Need Theory

See also: McClelland's Need Theory

Study.com indicates: "David McClelland, a 20th-century psychologist, theorized that humans are motivated by three possible needs: achievement, power, and affiliation. These 3 needs are based on one's life experiences and acquired over time. McClelland's theory of human motivation became known as McClelland's acquired needs theory. McClelland believed that these needs were acquired over time based on life experiences."

Decision making and urgency theory

See also: Urgency theory

Urgency theory is a "psychological and behavioral framework that explains how perceived urgency influences human decision making, motivation, and action. It posits that people are more likely to act quickly and decisively when a situation feels time-sensitive, high-stakes, or irreversible—even if the actual deadline or risk is artificial or exaggerated.

Religious people, motivation and dopamine levels in the brain

See also: Atheism and motivation and Atheism and the brain

According to Scientific American: "Research also suggests that a religious brain exhibits higher levels of dopamine, a hormone associated with increased attention and motivation." See also: Atheism and motivation and Atheism and the brain

Metamotivation

Metamotivation is what motivates an individual and spurs an individual towards self-actualization and excellence.

Motivation in sales

In the field of sales, the professional salesperson seeks to find the key to motivate people to part with their money. The challenge is essentially to deliver a negative message while at the same time appearing to be a friend who is only trying to help the buyer.

Researchers have discovered that fear and greed are the two primary motivational factors to get people to part with their money - fear of missing out on a good deal or having your house burn down with your family in it, or appealing to self-interest and greed such as "Wouldn't you like to be the first on your block to (fill in the blank)".

Motivational speaker and sales trainer Zig Ziglar on the temporary nature of motivational materials

“People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing — that's why we recommend it daily.” - Zig Ziglar.

Journal articles

• Integrating Theories of Motivation, Academy of Management Review 2006, Vol. 31, No. 4, 889–913

Negative forms of motivation

Sloth and indifference can also be a powerful motivation for avoiding responsibility and the possible pain or consequences of making any particular or general effort either for or against someone or something.

Books on self-motivation

See also: Books on self-motivation

• 100 Ways To Motivate Yourself: Change Your Life Forever by Steve Chandler. Career Pr Inc; Revised edition (January 1, 2004)

• Be Your Future Self Now: The Science of Intentional Transformation by Dr. Benjamin Hardy. Hay House LLC (August 1, 2023)

• "Motivation: The Manual (Motivation: Your Manual, Your Way)" by Dr. Dan Bishop. ‎Independently published (December 8, 2023)

• The Motivation Manual: Your Guide to Unstoppable Achievement by Fida Hussain. ASIN: B0CBL6CGZS. Publication date: ‎July 9, 2023

• Master Your Motivation: A Practical Guide to Unstick Yourself, Build Momentum and Sustain Long-Term Motivation by Thibaut Meurisse. Independently published (July 16, 2019)

• How to Motivate Yourself: Secrets of the Motivational Superstars by Lyn Kelley. Independently published (February 6, 2020)

• The Motivation Code: Discover the Hidden Forces That Drive Your Best Work by Todd Henry Rod Penner, Todd W. Hall and Joshua Miller. ‎Portfolio (October 6, 2020)

• 50 Ways To Motivate Yourself In 50 Minutes: Discover 50 Motivational Hacks To Build Self-Discipline, Achieve Your Goals And Get What You Want ... Confidence Hacks and Become Unstoppable) by Riley Stevens. Independently published (January 4, 2019)

• Self-Motivation: Anyone can do IT if I did IT by Dujon Walsham. UK Book Publishing (October 14, 2019)

• 50 Things to Know about Self-Motivation: How to Become and Stay Motivated Through Life’s Hardships (50 Things to Know Coping With Stress) by Amanda Walton and 50 Things To Know. CZYK Publishing; 1st edition (December 21, 2013)

• Understanding Motivation and Emotion 7th Edition by Johnmarshall Reeve. Wiley; 7th edition (January 18, 2018)

See also

• Focus (personal development)

• Mindset

• Growth mindset

• Positive thinking

• Achievement orientation

• Action orientation

• Results orientation

• Fresh start effect

• Temptation bundling

External links

• Motivation
• How To Find Lasting Motivation

Videos:

• Motivation - Video playlist, Video playlist