LETS TALK: MOTIVATION

By Abimbola Ige

Motivation is a theoretical construct used to explain behaviour. It is the scientific word used to represent the reasons for our actions, our desires, our needs, etc. 

A popular motivation theory is the conscious and unconscious motivations. A conscious motivation is one people recognise and are aware of themselves. Unconscious motivation refers to hidden or unknown desires that make people push themselves to achieve their goal. Some psychologists believe that a significant portion of human behaviour is energized and directed by unconscious motives. According to Maslow, “psychoanalysis has often demonstrated the relationship between a conscious desire and the ultimate unconscious aim that underlines need not be at all direct.” Another popular motivation theory is the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation theory, as explained below.


INTRINSIC MOTIVATION
Is the self-desire to seek out new things and new challenges to analyse one’s capacity to observe and gain knowledge. It is driven by an interest or enjoyment in the task itself, and exists within the individual rather than relying on external pressures or a desire for reward. For example, students who are intrinsically motivated are more likely to engage in the task willingly as well as work to improve their skills, which will increase their capabilities. They are likely to be intrinsically motivated if they; 
attribute their educational results to factors under their own locus of control
Believe they have the skills to be effective agents in reaching their desired goals, a.k.a self-efficacy beliefs.
Are interested in mastering a topic, not just in achieving good grades.

EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION
Refers to performance of an activity in order to attain a desired outcome and it is the opposite of intrinsic motivation. It comes from influence outside of the individual. Common extrinsic motivations are rewards such as money for showing the desired behaviour and the threat of punishment following misbehaviour. Competition is also an extrinsic motivator because it encourages the performer to win and beat others. 

TIPS FOR GETTING MOTIVATED
**Be happy/ get positive;
we tend to procrastinate the most when we are in a bad mood or when we have our off-days. Procrastination is a mood management technique, although, it is a short-sighted one. A way to get optimistic is to monitor the progress you’re making and celebrate it. Nothing is more motivating than progress. Use small wins to ignite joy, engagement and creativity at work. Of all the positive events that influence inner work life, the single most powerful is progress in meaningful work and of all the negative events, the single most powerful is the opposite of progress; setbacks in the work place.

**Get rewarded; 
Rewards feel good. Penalties feel bad and that’s why they both work well for motivating you. Treat yourself whenever you complete something on your to do list (it is how you train a dog but it will work for you too.)

**Get peer pressure; 
Apparently, peer pressure helps children more than it hurts them, research shows. This can work for adults too. Surround yourself with people you want to be and it is far less taxing to do what you should be doing. According to one Charles Duhigg in his book, he says: “when people join groups where change seems possible, the potential for that change to occur becomes more real.” And a research on friendship confirms that; “Over time, you develop the eating habits, health habits and even career aspirations of those around you. If you’re in a group of people who have really high goals for themselves you’ll take on that same sense of seriousness.

TIPS FOR GETTING MOTIVATED WHEN YOU DONT FEEL LIKE IT:
If you only work when you feel motivated, then you’ll never be consistent enough to become a pro. But if you build small routines and patterns that help you overcome the daily battles, then you’ll continue the slow march towards greatness even when it gets tough.

**Create a routine: tan example is an athlete’s routine or a writer’s routine. A good routine starts by being so easy you can’t say no to it. It might be getting a glass of water or switching on your laptop. The most important part of any task is starting. If you can get motivated in the beginning, then you’ll find that motivation often comes after starting. 

**Make excellence a routine; it is possible to train yourself for success just as well as you can train for failure.  The patterns that you repeat on a daily basis will eventually form the identity that you believe and the actions that you take.

Your routine should get you moving towards your end goal. Literal physical movement. If you’re physically moving and engaged, then it is far more likely that you’ll feel mentally engaged and energized. 

You should stick to the routine pattern every time because eventually this routine becomes so tied to your performance that by simply doing the routine, you are pulled into a mental state primed to perform. This is also important because when you don’t feel motivated, it is often too much work to figure out what you should do next. However, developing a routine solves this problem because you know exactly what to do next.