MOTIVATION

What is Motivation? Principles, Theories & How it Works

Motivation comes from the root "motive" and defines the driving reasons behind our actions and
behaviors. It's a physiological desire fueled by specific internal or external rewards or incentives.
There are many variations of motivation best for different situations, but all motivational-types are
comprised of three similar components you can use to increase overall motivation.

By understanding the science and theories behind motivation, its types and their component parts, you
can increase your motivation as well as motivate others in the pursuit of higher-level goals. Read this
article for the ins-and-outs of motivation and how to harness it to achieve your dreams.

How Motivation Works

Motivation identifies the specific why behind someone's thoughts and actions and is typically
explained by either internal or external rewards or incentives. Motivation driven by internal factors is
known as intrinsic motivation while externally-driven motivation is known as extrinsic motivation.
Within these two motivational-types are many variations that point to a specific motivating reward or
incentive.

For example, those motivated by internal factors may be driven to get a promotion because of the
learning and personal growth while those motivated by external factors may be driven to get a
promotion because of the raise. Neither is bad, but both types are explained by a separate and unique
motivating incentive or reward.

This means that if you can identify your underlying motivating factor you can use it to increase your
motivation. To help, there are many motivational theories that use a blend of biology and sociology to
point out and explain why people are motivated by specific rewards or incentives. None are perfect,
but most provide insight into the inner-workings of the human mind and how we can motivate
ourselves.

The same also goes for motivating others. Some people around you will be more motivated by an
internal driver while others are motivated by an external factor. The key is to identify the motivating
factor of the individual (or group of individuals) and focus on cultivating that that in an effort to
increase desire, action, and performance.

Ultimately, whether you're trying to motivate yourself or others, remember the following:

 Motivation is based on a specific internal or external reward or incentive

 All motivational-types are typically comprised of three interdependent parts
 Most people are motivated by biological needs, emotional wants, or social desires
 Identifying the underlying "motive behind the need, want, or desire can increase motivation

3 Main Components of Motivation

Motivation may appear to be an abstract concept, but it actually consists of three interdependent parts.
The three key components of motivation are activation, intensity, and persistence. These three
components work together and compel people to act in a certain way. Understanding these
components will help you better cultivate motivation as well as better understand the types and
theories that come next.

1. Activation
Activation represents the decision to commence a behavior in order to achieve a reward or incentive.
Also known as direction, activation involves committing to action in pursuit of a greater goal, such as
taking a coding class in order to make a career-change or saving money in order to retire early.

Think of this first component as action. Regardless of the motivational-type and the specific incentive
or reward, at the end of the day, all motivation starts with action. For this reason, the level of activation
will be largely dependent on the importance of the reward or incentive you're trying to achieve.

2. Intensity
Intensity is the dedication and effort committed to pursuing a reward and is driven by your expertise
and level of desire. For example, those who demonstrate high intensity strongly desire something and
will effectively prioritize their time, energy, or resources to get it. However, not all individuals operate
with the same intensity. For some, it may take less effort while others need higher levels of intensity to
achieve the same thing.

For example, a student who easily grasps material and doesn’t need to devote much time to studying
demonstrates low intensity. Conversely, A student who needs to study hard in order to get the same
grades demonstrates greater intensity. This means that high or low intensity isn't necessarily bad or
good, but that intensity is the degree to which you must take action in order to achieve your desired
reward.

3. Persistence
Persistence represents the ability to stay on course through challenges or setbacks and maintain your
required action and intensity over time in order to achieve your reward. As I'm sure you know, often
it's not just action and intensity that will cultivate the motivation necessary to achieve your dreams.
You'll also need a healthy level of persistence because anything worth achieving will take time and will
need consistent effort.

Types of Motivation
All motivation includes the components above, regardless of the type or theory behind the motivating
driver. That said there are typically two broad types of motivation: Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.
Intrinsic motivation represents all internal rewards or incentives while extrinsic motivation
represents all external rewards or incentives. Together, they represent all internal or external
"motives".

These motivational types shouldn't be confused with motivational theories. Intrinsic and extrinsic
motivation define the broad incentives or rewards that drive our desires while motivational theories
suggest specific ways to increase motivation based on specific drivers. Let's look at intrinsic and
extrinsic motivation first and then move onto the theories which use them.

Intrinsic Motivation
Intrinsic motivation refers to someone's internal drivers. Behaviors driven by intrinsic motivation are
implicitly rewarding or satisfying to an individual and are typically not dependent on anyone else to
achieve. An example of this is someone who learns an instrument for enjoyment, challenges
themselves with games or puzzles, or takes a class to indulge their curiosity.

There is no external reward like money or praise driving these behaviors. Instead, it's an internal
reward like the joy of learning driving these actions. This doesn't necessarily mean that intrinsic
motivation is better or worse than extrinsic motivation. Still, it's often a good idea to identify a
motivating factor within your control rather than basing it on something given to you, like an award or
praise.

Extrinsic Motivation
Extrinsic motivation represents behavior driven by external rewards. Extrinsic motivation is typically
used in situations when the action or reward for performing such action may not be personally
satisfying. These rewards can be tangible, such as money or a prize, or intangible, such as praise or
public recognition, but are typically not within your direct control.

For example, if you're motivated to do a good job because of the incentive of a raise, you're externally
motivated. Using another example, writing a screenplay in the hopes of earning an Academy Award is
an extrinsically motivating factor. Neither is bad, but the best solution is perhaps to find something
that is intrinsically rewarding but also has an external incentive if achieved.

Top Motivational Theories

There are many theories on what motivation is, the rationale for why it exists, the specific internal or
external drivers behind it, and the process for cultivating it within yourself and others. Here's the
truncated list of the best motivational theories to know and use:

 Expectancy Theory of Motivation: States that people are motivated by the expected result of
their actions, and the more sure someone is of the result, the more motivated they are to take
action.
 Equity Theory of Motivation: Posits that people are motivated by their perceived level of
fairness rather than a reward or expectation. The more fair things are, the more motivated
people are.
 Arousal Theory of Motivation: This theory explains that a person's level of motivation is equal
to their mental alertness or "arousal". However, if arousal becomes too high or low, it causes
demotivation.
 Goal-Setting Theory of Motivation: Self-explanatory theory stating that challenging goals can
be motivating. If you want to learn more, check out my article on SMART goal-setting.
 Acquired Needs Theory of Motivation: States that people are motivated by their desire to
acquire achievement, power, and social affiliation. More of these desires results in more
motivation.
 Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory: Well-known theory stating that people are motivated
by five specific needs, and can only move onto the next need after the previous one is fulfilled.
  Three-Dimensional Theory of Attribution - Attempts to explain how people interpret events
and how those interpretations affect their motivation. If we view an event positively we will be
more motivated to have that event recur.

While these are all important theories of motivation, it only scratches the surface on the breadth and
depth of this motivational topic.

How to Motivate Yourself & Others

While there are many motivational tips and strategies that can help motivate yourself and others, I've
found that you can break down the process into a few tried-and-true steps. These are based on my own
experiences trying to motivate myself as well as those around me, both in workplaces as well as in
other social settings.

How to Motivate Yourself

Motivating yourself is the first step towards achieving much of anything. Self-motivation is unique to
the individual, but when I need to motivate myself I typically do the following:

1. Make sure I have a positive outlook and growth mindset

2. Ensure I understand my ultimate end-goal
3. Identify the "why" behind my desire to achieve said goal
4. Create a series of smaller stretch goals that help me get closer to my ultimate end goal
5. Find an accountability partner you can use to keep yourself accountable
6. Celebrate each of these small wins as you approach your larger goals
7. Always focus on the process and the learning experiences along the way
8. Don't lose sight of the bigger picture as you focus on the smaller goals

How to Motivate Other People

Even though it may seem similar, motivating other people is different from motivating yourself. Often
times, this happens in the workplace and you want to motivate a team member or employee. If you
need to do this, try the following, which has worked for me as a leader of a larger team:

1. Understand the person's personality type

2. Help them learn the skills necessary to be successful
3. Come up with a set of shared goals and expectations
4. Give the person a sense of autonomy over their day-to-day work
5. Make sure you give them consistent feedback and coaching
6. Praise them when there is work well-done and coach them when they need to improve

Conclusion

Motivation is often something that seems intangible and ephemeral, but you can motivate yourself and
others consistently if you follow a few directions. Remember that all motivation is based on some sort
of internal or external incentive, and if you're able to identify that and create an environment that
supports the pursuit of that incentive, you will become more motivated over time.