Finding the Right Kinds of Motivation

By Adelle Belnap

What motivates you? Everyone is different. We all have our own set of motivators that push us towards change, achievement, and success. Understanding your personal motivators will be a critical element to goal actualization. There are countless ways that people find motivation. This article breaks them down into two categories, Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation.

Intrinsic Motivation
The first type of motivation is called Intrinsic Motivation. These are the internal desires a person has to perform a particular task. The motivation comes from the pleasure one gets from the task itself or from the sense of satisfaction in completing or even working on a task. For example, this includes performance for pleasure, increasing a particular skill, or doing it because it is morally the right thing to do.

An intrinsically motivated person acts because they enjoy what they are doing. The act or doing is what brings them pleasure.

Extrinsic Motivation
The second type of motivation is Extrinsic Motivation. Extrinsic motivation refers to motivation that comes from outside an individual. The motivating factors are external. For example this includes things such as: money, good grades, promotions, gifts, and other physical rewards. These rewards provide satisfaction and pleasure that the task itself may not provide.

An extrinsically motivated person will work on a task even when they have little interest in it because of the anticipated satisfaction they will get from some reward. They don't have even have to enjoy the task as long as the reward is great enough to make the action worth it. The anticipation for the reward or payoff is what pushes the person to complete the task.

Intrinsic Motivation is the stronger type of motivation, when the desire to change or complete a task is directly tied to some internal ambition or desire. However, there is a need for both. There are basic needs that we are required to fulfill. Finding ways to mix these tasks with things we enjoy will ensure the best success. For example, we all need money. Finding a job that is more than just an income stream will be the best path to money. It is ideal to actually enjoy your work and obtain internal satisfaction from it. This combines your external need for money to an internal need for personal satisfaction, growth, and happiness.

Understanding what motivates you will help in the process to a better, more fulfilling and happier life!

Adelle Belnap graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Business Management. She is contributor to the Power of Three website. The Power of Three community provides practical tools and information on how to create the right mindset, actions, and results in your life. Don't just live, live free! http://www.thepowerofthree.net

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