Your Motivation will cause you to give up
Your Motivation will cause you to give up
Oh yes, you read it right! Motivation is not all what it seems, because there are two different types of motivation; there is extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation. And it’s important to understand both distinctions if you want to embody a truly fulfilled and successful life.
As a Leadership Coach for high achieving entrepreneurs I greatly value the importance of creating sustainable transformation for everyone I work with, and one way in which I do this is to help my clients understand the distinctions of motivation, so that they can use it more effortlessly in their lives.
So let’s get down to it, so you can become a Motivational Guru too!
Distinction 1: Extrinsic motivation
Extrinsic motivation is what a lot of us live by and it can be related to our business, our personal life, our relationships, our careers….anything. For example, if you have a business and your reason for having that business is extrinsically motivated, it means that you’re seeking rewards from the external world, such as wealth, fame/recognition etc, regardless of whether you enjoy working on your business or not.
Now this form of motivation can be dangerous to your self-esteem, fulfilment and freedom. Why I hear you ask? The reason being is because it will trap you in a mind-set whereby you’re trying to get something in return for your work/action taken. So you will have to bend over backwards in order to get the reward you want. You might go against your own values and you may also do things you don’t enjoy, such as running a business you dislike, but because it enables you to make millions, you keep pursuing it, despite the fact that it makes you extremely unhappy.
Distinction 2: Intrinsic Motivation- for lasting fulfilment and success
However, in contrast, intrinsic motivation is when you take action on something or pursue something because you simply love doing it. The process of taking action is what fuels you, not the outcome, result or reward. When you are intrinsically motivated you’re not expecting or profoundly anticipating anything in return.
Think about it, the biggest legendary inventors (ie. Steve Jobs), who have positivity contributed to the world didn’t do it in order to seek fame, they did it because they wanted their creation to exist in the world. They wanted to contribute to the greater good. They didn’t just want to feed their children because that could cause them to set smaller goals, but they did it for a greater reason, a bigger visionary accomplishment, an achievement that would allow them to contribute to something that was bigger than themselves.
So if this is you, if you have reached this mind-set of intrinsic motivation whereby what you do allows you to do what you love and you do it because you love doing it, then you are in a powerful place. You’re not doing it in order to get something, and you have more noble reasons for doing what you’re doing. As a result, when you go through challenges or when you face your greatest fears, you will not give up. You will become so resilient to set backs because you believe so strongly and authentically about what you’re creating.
So how do tap into the power of intrinsic motivation?
It’s simple and FUN!
Right now I want you to spend some time (10-15 mins), and write down 10 things you like to do simply because you love doing it, not because it gets you something or it gets you somewhere or gets you someone. What is it you love to do?
Also, if you feel that in your business or your job you are extrinsically motivated (you get something in return despite the fact that it’s detrimental to your level of happiness and fulfilment), brainstorm and ask yourself if there is an intrinsic motivation for why you have this business/job. If you cannot find an answer beyond reasons such as: to get money, to pay the bills, to get fame, to get attention etc, then maybe you’re doing the wrong thing, especially if you’re not enjoying it at all.
If that is the case then write down 5 ways in which you could enjoy your business/job more, to enable you to feel more intrinsically motivated.
If you are still not able to come up with strong enough reasons which inspire and excite you, then you need to consider starting a new venture or finding a job that is aligned with your goals, strengths and values.
It takes courage, but your well-being, happiness and fulfilment is more important than feeling like you are missing out on life.
If you’d like more information or support on this topic, please feel free to contact me via email on chrissy@empowerment-coach.co.uk.
You can also visit my website via http://www.empowerment-coach.co.uk.
Now go out there and live your life under your own terms through the power of intrinsic motivation!
