Psychology Behind Motivation

Motivation is what drives and aligns people towards a common goal. That is, motivation involves goal-directed behaviour. It is the driving force behind human behaviour. We are not all born motivated. Without motivation, you will not be able to achieve or complete anything. It aids in goal clarification.

Also Read: Importance of Motivation during Childhood

Abraham Maslow, a well-known psychologist has stated “If you deliberately plan on being less than you are capable of being, then I warn you that you’ll be unhappy for the rest of your life.” Thomas Edison whose dad invented the light bulb, failed many times but in each failure, he has learnt something. Imagine he had given up in the quest of inventing the bulb, his name probably would not be remembered today. He said, “Our biggest weakness lies in giving up”.

Source of Motivation

We have two types of motivation, which are intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. You will do something which you desire or have personal gratification if you have intrinsic motivation and you will perform a task for any reward or appreciation if you have extrinsic motivation. Arousal theory states that someone with high arousal is likely to perform adventurous, risky behaviour.

Also Read: The Psychology of Discipline

Drive reduction theory states that our behaviours are spurred by the necessity to meet particular needs. Hence, we find rest, drink, food etc. Instinct theory states that instinct, which is a fixed inborn pattern of behaviour, is what motivates us to complete goals. According to Abraham Maslow, people are motivated to acquire self-actualisation if other primary needs are satisfied. The other primary needs include physiological, safety, love/belongingness and self-esteem.

Ways to Increase Your Motivation

Motivation is not something that happens to you, you should go out of your way and make it happen. All need to get started on an action or task is just a little push, and then your motivation goes off the ceiling. Increase your motivation by reducing your to-do list and focusing on a smaller number of things first. Some of the ways to boost your motivation are as follows;

• By simplifying the task you can increase your motivation. Eliminate activities that don’t motivate you. When your mind is clustered and confused, it would be challenging to stay with all the tasks. So keep doing less by carving away unnecessary tasks.
• Combining your small tasks is one of the easiest ways to simplify your tasks. Combine easier tasks together and think about how can you perform them.
• Our success should be measured by how far we are away from it. We can boost our motivation if we are able to change our mindset Pay attention to your accomplishment.
• Always think about the progress you have achieved from a starting point rather than focusing on your ideal.
• Set measurable goals. You may start comparing yourself with others if you are not happy with the progress you are making which would reduce your motivation. So don’t compare yourself with others. Have a self-respect and self-esteem.
• Surrounding with people of a similar mindset, and focusing on gratitude will level your motivation. So focus on deepening your relationships.
• Develop a positive new habit. Start your day with breathing exercises or any kind of simple yoga and be consistent. Practising this every day would bring about a big result.
• Increase your gratitude. For that you can think about important people in your life, then write down 6 things you appreciate about that person and tell them about it if you meet that person. Also, after the end of each day, write down what you are grateful for today. Look inwardly at what you have achieved to this day and take time to appreciate yourself.

Why do You Procrastinate?

Understanding the reason for procrastinating is the first step you need to know. When you are not well-organized it will definitely lead to procrastination. By creating effective schedules, using prioritization, and a to-do list would be grateful to avoid procrastination. Breaking the habit of procrastinating is not all of a sudden but being consistent with practising it makes the difference

 Adopting Anti-procrastination Strategies

• Forgive yourself if you have procrastinated in the past. You can complete the task by putting it down on paper so that you stay committed and accomplish it.
• Practice giving yourself a treat after completing a task. Treat could be a coffee, movie, cake or something you like. So, before you start a task, promise to reward yourself.
• Self -help group would be helpful to push you to perform the task. There are online tools available now.
• Switch your notifications of apps on mobile while doing work would be grateful for completing the task without delay. The difficult or unpleasant task would be the one to handle first. Then it would be easier to concentrate on other simple tasks.
• Another way is to instead of using the phrase “I choose to”, rephrase it with “I have to” and “I need to”, it will mean that you are not considering any other choice than to do it.
• Another powerful way to make an unpleasant task enjoyable is to identify the consequences of not completing the task. You can prioritize the urgent task at first to work on it.
•  Identifying the long-term benefit of completing the task, is also one of the effective ways of tackling procrastination habit.

Now, you have learnt the importance of motivation in your life, ways to increase motivation, and to tackle procrastination, helping you to achieve success, go ahead and live the life you have desired by setting approachable goals and accomplishing them fully.

As Pablo Picasso once said, “Action is the foundational element of success”. So stay motivated!