It’s Motivation Monday! As I start my new blogging plan this week, I wanted to introduce you to what these posts will look like moving forward.
So, what is Motivation Monday?
Motivation means different things depending on your personality and goals. While it can be fun to see what others in your field are doing, this can lead to jealousy and doubt. What worked for them might not work for you.
As I look deeper into creative ways to stay motivated, whatever the goal might be, I’ll break down specific ideas and tips in future Monday Motivation posts. Today, though, I’m staying high level. In order to help you find ways to add creative moments of motivation, we need to better understand how motivation works.
WHAT IS MOTIVATION?
According to Dictionary.com, motivation is, in part, our reason to act in order to accomplish something.
A reason to act. That’s a big statement. Motivation isn’t some mythical creature that comes and goes. It is the reason why we do what we do. We take action on hundreds of things without realizing it. We choose what to wear. We choose to take the same route to work. We choose to either make dinner or run by the drive-thru. All moments of action, but the motivation in completing the action isn’t something we spend much time thinking about; we just do it.
When it comes to taking action on larger goals, like writing a book or training to run a marathon, where does our long-term motivation come from? These goals aren’t something we can complete in a day. They require consistent work, time, and sometimes, money. That means we find ways to procrastinate, change course, or flat out quit.
If you’ve spent any time in a psychology or education course, you’ll be familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Developed by psychologist Abraham Maslow, he argued that there are five basic human needs
- Physiological – air, water, shelter, sleep, clothing, etc…
- Safety – personal security, employment, health
- Love and Belonging – friendship, family, community
- Esteem – respect, recognition, freedom
- Self-Actualization – desire to become the person you’re meant to be
Breaking down these needs to their basic level, they fall into two types of motivating factors: external and internal.
EXTERNAL MOTIVATION – We are motivated by the need for food, shelter, and security. Our motivation to go to the grocery store or have a garden comes from the physical need to have enough to eat. Having a job, even if it’s one we don’t like, comes from the motivation to be able to pay for shelter and clothing. External motivation drives us to meet our basic needs for life.
INTERNAL MOTIVATION – Once our basic needs are met, we look inward to those things that make us happy and provide value. These things include relationships and a sense of community. At the highest level, internal motivation leads us to want to add something to the world and find ways to create value for ourselves and others.
WHY IS INTERNAL MOTIVATION SO HARD SOMETIMES?
Internal motives are harder to define because what people find value in differs. Some take pride in creating a business, while others find nurturing those in need has more value. Whatever it is you believe to be your purpose in life or your desired goal, staying motivated to take action isn’t usually something seen outwardly. The desire to write a book, teach others, and be recognized for an accomplishment comes from within. That’s why when faced with challenges along the way, it’s harder to keep going.
Staying motivated every day to complete a big goal is difficult because if you don’t finish writing a book or running a marathon, you’re not going to have less to eat or suddenly get sick. In order to keep going on these big projects, your reason to act has to come from your own desires and efforts. You see others succeeding and get discouraged at your lack of progress. You put other’s physical needs first – making dinner for your kids or caring for an elderly parent. Your time to act on your own internal goals gets less and less. This is why you need to develop a motivational system to help you keep going when you’re tired and discouraged.
By system, I do not mean some planner or course you take online (although there are certainly some good ones out there that can help you define priorities). I’m talking about things like how you set up your day in order to be more productive, and how you prepare for the unknown. This becomes your own system, no one else’s.
Going forward, Motivation Monday will dig down into more specific and practical ways to help you sort out what works for you. Realizing your personal potential takes time, but by finding creative ways to motivate yourself you’ll be better suited to reach your goals. In the meantime, be thinking about why you take on big projects or set certain goals. The reason for your actions play a significant role in your success.
Reignite your creativity!
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