What is Motivation and How to get It?
Why do we drop motivation every now and then? Why do some people lose their inner spark over time when that is the pure source of inspiration?
Life is full of ups and downs, and sometimes ups and downs or failures can disappoint people so much that they lose motivation to achieve their goals. It also creates a spiral effect where they start missing opportunities and losing direction in life.
If you, too, find yourself feeling lost and unmotivated, you can restart your journey with a fresh mind and a systematic approach to keep you motivated.
Read on and learn how to find motivation, regain lost momentum, and keep it going.
What is motivation and how does it work?
Motivation is one of the main factors that drive us to be successful. It is the main driver of our lives and can affect every aspect of our lives. Our level of motivation is a determining factor in our level of success.
Oxford Dictionaries has various definitions of motivation:
A person’s reasons for acting or behaving in a certain way.
One’s general wish or willingness to do something.
Motivation is the process of initiating, directing, and sustaining goal-directed behavior.
Motivation drives us to achieve our goals and do the things we need to be successful. This will make you happy and content.
To learn more about the psychology behind motivation, go to The Psychology of Motivation: Why Is Motivation So Powerful?
Learn about motivational theories
Research has revealed many theories about motivation and motivators. By understanding the strengths of these different theories of motivation, you can employ the best methods to keep yourself motivated.
Three popular theories of motivation:
Locke’s Goal Setting Theory – Motivation comes from setting SMART goals that push people to make progress.
McClelland’s Achievement and Needs Theory – One’s motivation to succeed and one’s motivation to avoid failure is the basis of this theory.
Hull’s Theory of Reduced Momentum – It is based on the idea that when homeostasis is disrupted, people are compelled to take action. Homeostasis refers to our general health, meaning it is stable and constant.
To learn more about these theories and how they affect the way we feel motivated, check out How to Use Motivation Theories to Keep Yourself Improving.
The importance of motivation
Do you know what separates confident and successful people from the average folk? This is the level of motivation instilled in the individual.
As humans, we have a distorted perception of time. [2] We tend to lose sight of the really important things in life and get attracted to the unimportant. As a result, we’ve been working toward something we’re not satisfied with.
One of the most common misconceptions is that we have plenty of time and are in control. It is important to realize that our time is limited and we cannot control everything.
In order to fully enjoy life and enjoy its authenticity, you must accept the reality of your limitations. Once you realize that your time and energy are not unlimited, you can use that as your lens to make good decisions with your time.
Highly successful people understand that their time and energy are limited, so they only focus on what really matters. With this laser focus, they can align their time and energy with what they want to do. This is also why they are always motivated and more satisfied with their lives.
Life is to be experienced, not lived. To experience life, you must discover your true source of motivation.
What causes lack of motivation?
The tricky part about motivation is not getting started, but staying motivated. Every New Year, thousands of people decide to change their lives. Less than 10% of people actually stand by their decision, which is generosity. Below are many common reasons why you lose motivation.
Not aiming high enough
While it’s easy to think that setting simple goals will keep you motivated, it can damage your long-term motivation. If you set goals that are too easy to achieve, you will get bored and lose interest. Ideally, you want to strike a balance between pushing yourself and setting realistic goals.
If you get used to staying within your comfort zone, you’ll lose the satisfaction that comes with achieving life-changing goals. When you push yourself, you’ll be able to build unshakable confidence as you smash goal after goal. One day, when you look around and live your dreams, it will all be worth it.
Procrastination
If you find it hard to stay focused and get moving, you can find yourself falling behind.
Procrastination is a bad habit that you must learn to deal with if you want to achieve your short-term goals. You can take some simple steps to beat procrastination: commit to starting a task for at least 3 minutes, create daily, weekly, and monthly to-do lists; and reward yourself when you complete tasks.
Dlurred vision
Uncertainty about the future is a fear many of us face. It can be paralyzing, and instead of action, we start worrying about what if?
What if it doesn’t work out? What if my dream isn’t a real dream? What if I don’t make it?
If you’re having trouble creating a vision, chances are you’re drifting aimlessly through life. When you find your purpose and passion, you will be driven to strive for excellence. You can begin the process of discovering your purpose in life by asking yourself, What does my ideal life look like?
Let fear control your thoughts and actions
Fear can stop you from realizing your dreams. Because of the fear of failure, you may worry instead of taking action and moving forward.
You can’t let fear hold you back. If you don’t learn how to manage your fear, you will inevitably miss out on career, relationship, and self-improvement opportunities. Fortunately, fear can be overcome.
One way to manage fear is to look for the root cause of the fear. Through deep introspection, you can discover the exact moment that triggered the fear that has been holding you back from growing. This will give you a window of opportunity to communicate with your inner self and find release.
Facing your fears is the only way you can be the best version of yourself. You don’t need to solve your problems overnight, but taking slow, deliberate action can have a huge impact on the way you deal with the internal and external world.
Feeling overwhelmed with work and responsibilities
Also known as burnout, it can send you into a depressed state of overwork and make it difficult for you to achieve your goals. Burnout occurs when we put our happiness on the back burner to further our careers or hobbies.
When we feel overwhelmed and forget about ourselves, it becomes difficult to relax and find balance in our lives. Burning out shows that you are motivated, but you need to learn how to separate work from home life. Without this separation, boundaries start to blur, and you may find it increasingly difficult to find motivation for yourself as you keep disappearing from work.
Signs you’re losing motivation
Most people know they lack motivation to do the things they want to do. But some people may confuse lack of motivation with other causes. In fact, there are plenty of signs of lack of motivation beyond feeling tired and wanting to procrastinate.
Additionally, loss of interest in life can indicate a lack of motivation. Find out here why you’ve lost interest in life.
Type of motivation
Knowing and knowing how to use different types of motivation can help you achieve your goals.
Intrinsic Motivation versus Extrinsic Motivation
There are two main types of motivation:
Inherent power
Extrinsic motivation
Intrinsic motivation
Some psychology researchers have linked intrinsic behavior to basic human needs, creativity, performance enhancement, and satisfaction. When we perform a task that satisfies our natural urges (such as hunger, thirst, and sleep), we are more motivated to complete the task.
Other times, we might just do something because it sparks an aesthetic experience in that state of activity, like a hobby.
In short, activities that bring us satisfaction and joy are intrinsically motivated because the internal reward system fuels them.
Intrinsic motivation arises from finding gratification from within without relying on potential external gains.
If you play a sport but only for the enjoyment, you are intrinsically motivated. The same goes for drawing, meditating, studying, and reading.
Anything you pursue for enjoyment rather than potential personal gain is intrinsic motivation.
You’ll find it easier to stick to intrinsic motivation because you’re enjoying the process rather than relying on external factors to bring you happiness.
Find out more about intrinsic motivation in Why Intrinsic Motivation is So Powerful.
Extrinsic motivation
When we are not intrinsically motivated to perform a task because it does not bring satisfaction, we are extrinsically motivated. This motivation fuels our desire to receive rewards or avoid punishment.
Not all work we do brings us joy because of its repetitiveness, urgency, necessity, frequency, duration, or monotony.
Whether it’s dragging ourselves to work/school each morning or working on the weekends, we tend to take on tasks that might not otherwise bring us joy or fulfillment.
Often, external forces or ulterior motives drive us to accomplish such tasks. Rewards such as money, praise, and fame drive our motivation from the outside.
However, alien motivation does not necessarily mean that we are unwilling to do something. We just seek extrinsic rewards from it.
For example, a person may enjoy writing but put in extra effort in order to make money from it.
Extrinsic motivation is working towards a tangible goal with a specific outcome.
Hard work and promotion is extrinsic motivation. Playing a sport just to win is extrinsic motivation.
Extrinsic motivation doesn’t necessarily mean bad, but you may find that extrinsic motivation doesn’t give you the same sense of accomplishment as intrinsic motivation.
Learn more about extrinsic motivation in What Is Extrinsic Motivation and How Can I Use It?
Breakdown of Motivation Types
While intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation are the main motivation types, we can further subdivide them into 7 types.
If you’re interested in learning more about the different types of motivation that can help you achieve your goals, don’t miss 9 Motivations to Achieve Your Goals.
How to Get Motivated Instantly – 4 Quick Tips
Before I dive into the most effective ways to give you lasting motivation, I want to share with you 4 quick tips to instantly boost your motivation.
1.Kingpin on just one or two things
Most of the time, laziness is the product of a full plate and not knowing where to start. It’s hard not to feel like this when you’re trying to tackle everything at once:
But when you focus on one or two things at a time, it’s easier to get motivated and less overwhelming. Once you find the strength to get up and get one thing done, the hey, maybe I can do it thought starts creeping in. Next thing you know, your entire checklist is done and you’re fisting – celebrate with all your friends!
2.Change up your routine
When it comes to changing your life, it’s all about the little things you do every day. If you want to wake up feeling more motivated, you should start changing your routine and habits.
I recommend trying these 30 refreshing routines to boost your motivation.
3. Read, watch or listen to something inspiring
Another quick tip is to get inspired by inspirational material. At Life hack, we offer a number of motivational resources, including:
Inspirational words
50+ Best Inspirational Quotes to Overcome Life’s Challenges
22 Powerful Words to Motivate Your Life
50 Affirmations to Help You Stay Motivated Every Day
Inspirational books
20 Best Inspirational Books to Motivate You
Inspirational podcast
The 16 Best Motivational Podcasts to Help You Reach Your Goals
Inspirational video
20 YouTube Videos That Will Greatly Motivate You
Inspirational song
32 Inspirational Songs to Motivate You
4. Grant yourself time to relax and rest
There’s a difference between being lazy and resting. Laziness has no purpose. Rest is essential to life, it clears your mind so you can face your efforts head on.
Maybe you’ve been working on a project for so long that you’ve burned out. Try sleeping on it. Allow yourself some time to rest. Our bodies and minds need rest to perform at their best.
How to Get Motivated and Stay Motivated
There are two key parts to getting motivated and staying motivated:
Figure out your why and have a clear intention.
Generate momentum by focusing on progress.
They have to work together. Without a clear reason, your actions lose direction and focus. Without motivation, your energy drops when you hit an obstacle.
With these two key parts in mind, you can start building a power engine for yourself.
The three components that make up the incentive engine are:
Surface – Acknowledgment – The top layer, sometimes called acknowledgment, includes all forms of external compliments that can inspire you. It can take the form of respect or recognition.
Support – Enablers – Your goals are basically supported by a second layer of the motivational engine, sometimes called enablers.
CORE – PURPOSE – The most crucial element, and the real source of your inspiration, is your purpose, which is the innermost part of you. Your mission is to keep the motivated from the unmotivated, the good from the underachievers, and the happy from the miserable.
If you want to stay motivated, you have to look beyond the surface.
Find your motivation
To get to the bottom of the answer to this question – what motivates you? We can use a simple technique called onion skinning.
Step 1
Think about your goals. Take hold of 30 seconds to think about it.
Do you have a rough idea? OK, now for step 2.
Step 2
Fill in the blanks for this statement:
I want because of.
For example, I want to go to the gym because it keeps me fit and in shape.
Step 3
Now, to repeat the second part of your statement (i.e. your desired outcome) – peel another layer of the onion.
Step 4
Every time you peel an onion, ask yourself this question:
Is this really what I want?
The key is to get right to the core – this thing will actually motivate you. You should feel it as you get closer to the core. It should trigger your spark.
If not, keep peeling the onion—sometimes it only takes a step or two to get to the core. Sometimes as many as five steps are required! Don’t worry about how much it takes. Be absolutely honest with yourself.
This goal-location exercise is for You, and for you alone. No one will see it. So you can be completely honest about what you really want. Because if You can’t, you have no real motivation to keep going.
The example we used above is from a real student who discovered that what she really wanted was the confidence to take dance class:
What I really want is to be healthy enough to take Spanish dance lessons and I’ll start by getting in shape in the gym.
Motivation for a specific purpose
In addition to all the motivational tips above, we understand that you may be looking for motivation for a specific purpose.
Work motivation
Another area where people lose motivation is their work. Where most people get stuck usually stems from one of four traps:
Your values do not match. A task that doesn’t connect to or contribute to your core values. You see no reason to do so, so you don’t.
You lack confidence. Deep down, you think you’re not capable.
You are experiencing destructive emotions. Whether it’s fear, anxiety, anger, or depression, you can be consumed by all kinds of negative emotions. These emotions sap your motivation so you don’t get things done.
Victim complex. You attribute poor performance to things outside of your control.
To overcome these lack of motivation, check out 13 Ways to Get Motivated at Work.
Weight loss motivation
Sometimes you feel like giving up on your fitness goals, especially when sticking to your exercise and healthy eating routines can be challenging. Here are some reasons why you may lose motivation to lose weight:
You are doing the same thing every day. It doesn’t have to be the same workout, but if you do 3 sets of 10 reps a week, you’ll eventually get tired of doing it.
With these two key parts in mind, you can start building a power engine for yourself.
The three components that make up the incentive engine are:
Surface – Acknowledgment – The top layer, sometimes called acknowledgment, includes all forms of external compliments that can inspire you. It can take the form of respect or recognition.
Support – Enablers – Your goals are basically supported by a second layer of the motivational engine, sometimes called enablers.
CORE – PURPOSE – The most crucial element, and the real source of your inspiration, is your purpose, which is the innermost part of you. Your mission is to keep the motivated from the unmotivated, the good from the underachievers, and the happy from the miserable.
If you want to stay motivated, you have to look beyond the surface.
Find your motivation
To get to the bottom of the answer to this question – what motivates you? We can use a simple technique called onion skinning.
Step 1
Think about your goals. Take 30 seconds to think about motivation.
Do you have a rough idea? OK, now for step 2.
Step 2
Fill in the blanks for this statement:
I want because of.
For example, I want to go to the gym because it keeps me fit and in shape.
Step 3
Now, to repeat the second part of your statement peel another layer of the onion.
For example I want to stay healthy because.
Step 4
Every time you peel an onion, ask yourself this question:
Is this really what I want?
The key is to get right to the core – this thing will actually motivate you. You should feel it as you get closer to the core…it should trigger your spark.
If not, keep peeling the onion—sometimes it only takes a step or two to get to the core. Sometimes as many as five steps are required! Don’t worry about how much it takes. Be absolutely honest with yourself.
This goal-setting practice is for you, and for you alone. No one will see it. So you can be completely honest about what you really want. Because if you can’t, you have no real motivation to keep going.
The example we used above is from a real student who discovered that what she really wanted was the confidence to take dance class:
What I really want is to be healthy enough to take Spanish dance lessons and I’ll start by getting in shape in the gym.
Motivation for a specific purpose
In addition to all the motivational tips above, we understand that you may be looking for motivation for a specific purpose. This section can help you find ways to achieve your terget.
Work motivation
Another area where people lose motivation is their work. Where most people get stuck usually stems from one of four traps:
Your values do not match. A task that doesn’t connect to or contribute to your core value. You see no reason to do so, so you don’t.
You lack confidence. Deep down, you think you’re not capable.
You are experiencing destructive emotions. Whether it’s fear, anxiety, anger, or depression, you can be consumed by all kinds of negative emotions. These emotions sap your motivation so you don’t get things done.
Victim complex. You attribute poor performance to things outside of your control.
To overcome these lack of motivation, check out 13 Ways to Get Motivated at Work.
Weight loss motivation
Sometimes you feel like giving up on your fitness goals, especially when sticking to your exercise and healthy eating routines can be challenging. Here are some reasons why you may lose motivation to lose weight.
You are doing the same thing every day. It doesn’t have to be the same workout, but if you do 3 sets of 10 reps a week, you’ll eventually get tired of doing it.
What Is Motivation And How To Get Motivated (Your Ultimate Guide)