Intrinsic Motivation

Funny how it’s so hard to quit bad behaviours.?You know the ones, yes I saw you squirm a little in your chair.?Whether is smoking, drinking, sugar, gambling, all of the above……. It’s so hard to quit.?You are motivated to pour another drink, roll another cigarette.?You know it’s bad.?You know you should quit, but you might be too preoccupied with quitting your good habits.?It’s easy to quit the things that would improve our lives.?Feeling motivated in January, join a gym.?February, quit the gym!

So how do we motivate ourselves, for as leaders and entrepreneurs it’s not healthy to us or our colleagues to be motivating them to achieve results if we ourselves are having an attack of the CBAs (Can’t Be Arsed).

Intrinsic motivation is driven purely by a strong and emotion centred internal award.?It arises from behaviour and actions that are self-gratifying, lead to love, whether that’s self-love or your love for others.?Initiating sex with a spouse is intrinsic, it’s driven by love and the reward is emotional release.?The caution comes when that initiation is accepted by the spouse on an extrinsic level rather than a reciprocated intrinsic one, from the fear of rejection or punishment, or an expectation of reward.?

In a nutshell, intrinsic is the motivation that’s led by the love in your soul, rather than by any rather or methodological thought processes.?It creates a positive emotional response.?The majority of volunteers in relief efforts are acting out of love, they are no expecting external recompense for their actions.

Interestingly, intrinsic motivation, albeit a superpower when harnessed, if it is met with or coupled with extrinsic reward, the motivator becomes LESS powerful.?If Mary decides she wants achieve her next promotion, and is determined to achieve for an intrinsic reason, and her upline offers her a reward if she achieves it (I was guilty of accidently doing this only a few days ago and kicked myself straight afterwards.?It was driven by MY intrinsic desire to see them succeed at their goal), that offer of reward belittles the intrinsic motivator. ?With positive parenting for families, one of the key things is not bribing children to behave well, but after they have achieved through their own intrinsic rationale to behave the parent giving recognition and reward, without a pre-promise.?????

Intrinsic boils down to doing something for the love of it. When exploring your personal motivators consider the language of self talk you are using to add emotional depth.?

I am working to get a holiday à I would love to earn a holiday for myself and my family, the quality time together brings me joy and beautiful experiences, as well as providing me a time to rest.

I need to pay the bills à When I have met all of my core financial demands I feel less anxious and experience an inner wellbeing

I want a forever home à Having my own home will bring security to my family, it will provide them with a financial asset when I’m at rest.?Having my own home will be the fulfilment of a life goal to bring me a sense of security and an ability to grow deep roots in my community.

Dig deeper into each and every goal.?What are the emotive triggers to each one??And of course, there are steps you can take to increase those internal love filled motivators.

If you find the root to of the goals is a love centred one.?If that love is for a significant other or a child, ensure you safeguard quality time to spend with them, whilst working towards that goal, as if your life depends upon it.?If it’s more self-love motivated (note this is far from selfish), for example to have more time freedom to pursue a hobby, start putting in steps and time to enjoy that hobby now.?If it’s a holiday get the magazines, choose where you would go, research the places you’d visit and visualise yourself there.

Identify how you can

1.??????Accept and receive recognition from others for achieving your goal.?This is where public celebration of milestones or having that amazing accountability partner comes into play.

2.??????How can you control your environment??IF you procrastinate easily, delete the Candy Crush App from your phone!?If the school holidays are coming up, arrange those playdates for the children.?You’ll be amazed how much fun not only you will have, but your brood when it’s your turn to host.

3.??????Cooperate and collaborate.?Identify how your goals can help other people.?Even offer to help the competition with grace.?Keep in your lane and run your race, but cheerlead others on the way and make the world a better place for you being in it.

4.??????Challenge yourself and compete against no one other than your own performance yesterday.?Track everything, so you can see even the smallest amounts of progress.

5.??????Spark your curiosity!?Learn more, explore more, spend more time actively contemplating your goals, your actions and your thought processes behind them.?

6.??????Failing all that, add more coffee and chocolate and wing it.?I can tell you which will be more effective, and it’s unfortunately not this last tip.

Remember a goal isn’t the line by the net, the way to the goals covers the full area of the pitch, dive a little deeper into what emotionally motivates you to put in action every day.?