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 The Myths Of Motivation

Introduction:

A lot of people are motivated by the idea of getting a monetary reward. Other people may be motivated by the idea that they'll feel good about themselves when they accomplish a goal or complete their task. Some people, however, have no motivation at all and can't seem to find it within themselves to even try to get better at something. These are some common myths surrounding motivation that you might want to consider before your next change-of-major essay deadline.

The Myths Of Motivation 

In our society today, we place great value on success and achievement, but this does not mean that everyone feels equally motivated in their pursuit of these goals. Some people may feel driven to succeed, while others simply do not. While this is certainly a reality, there are some myths that surround motivation that we should all try to dispel. This article will focus on three such myths that may be preventing you from achieving your goals:

1. Motivation is a Personality Trait

The first myth is that motivation is a personality trait. That is, people either have it or they don't. This belief makes sense because in many aspects of life and psychology, there's really no such thing as having too much of a good thing. So why would motivation be any different? Unfortunately, study after study shows us otherwise (1). Some people are simply inherently more motivated than others and, as a result, they will often find it easier to pursue their goals. However, it is possible to learn how to increase your motivational levels by changing your habits, which we will discuss later in this article.

2. You Get Motivated Because You Want a Reward

Many people believe that motivation is something you receive upon completion of an assignment or task. In many cases, this belief may be true. However, it is important to understand that there are other ways of getting motivated besides receiving a reward. For example, some people may be motivated by the idea of getting better at something as a way to receive esteem from their friends and family members. Just because you receive some sort of short term reward from a task does not mean that you'll be automatically motivated at all times.

3. You Are Stuck With Your Current Level of Motivation

The third myth is that once you become less motivated, it is almost impossible to get back on track. For example, let's say you've been accepted by your top choice school and are facing an application essay deadline in one week's time. If this were because of a money reward, this might be a good time to motivate yourself, as the end result will be worth it. However, if you're simply motivated by the desire to do well in school and learning, this may not be the best time to motivate yourself. In many cases, however, this is exactly when you need to do it. If you're already so deeply motivated, there is a good chance that your motivation will actually increase during your essay writing.

The Myth Of A Reward

The idea that all motivation comes from rewards is one of the most common myths surrounding motivation. This idea was first popularized in the book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink (2). Pink argues that one of the key motivators of human beings is autonomy. This means that humans are driven by the desire to do things on their own, without any external influence. Pink writes:

Autonomy is the craving to direct our own lives; to learn and act and make an impact. It's the desire to call our shots and define our goals, without asking permission or having others define what success means for us. Autonomy is essential — our greatest joys come from using our autonomy well: you flourish when you're in charge of your life. And this need for control is hard-wired – it's as fundamental to human nature as a hunger for food or a thirst for water.

The idea that we are most motivated by rewards is mistaken because autonomy is a much better predictor of future motivation than any sort of reward. In fact, one of the first things that psychologists look at is whether or not a person has autonomy or not (3). Not only does autonomy predict future motivation, it also predicts future happiness and life satisfaction.

How to Increase Your Motivation

There are two primary ways to get motivated: the need for achievement and the need for esteem (4). The need for achievement arises from the desire to achieve something that you want. The need for esteem arises from the desire to feel good about yourself. These are both healthy needs and are actually fairly easy to satisfy. The following is a list of the things you can do in order to increase your motivation:

1. Set Short Term Goals

Short term goals should be set for each day. This gives you a short term goal to shoot for and makes each day more manageable because you know exactly what you need to get done. Setting long term goals can actually be counterproductive in some cases, as people often become overwhelmed. For example, if your goal is to write an essay a week before it's due, it's important that you meet this goal every single week in order to feel good about yourself (5).

2. Listen to Your Favorite Music

A very simple way that you can motivate yourself is by listening to your favorite music. If a particular song just makes you feel good, there's a good chance that it will motivate you to do something (6). The important thing is that the music must make you feel happy because very often, sad music can actually have the opposite effect.

3. Start with a Little

This is one of the best ways to get motivated. Start small and then gradually increase your productivity as time goes on (7). If you focus too much on long term goals, your motivation may fade by the time you actually get started.

4. Make Your Goals Public

Whenever possible, make your goals public. Others will hold you accountable and they will also provide you with the motivation that you need to achieve the task (8).

5. Get Rid of Distractions

This might seem like a no-brainer, but it's important to get rid of distractions such as Facebook and Twitter. These are great tools, but they can quickly become a distraction that leads to procrastination. If it helps, create a separate account for these websites so that you can only access them during certain times of the day (9).

6. Make Time To Reflect

Reflection can be one of the best motivators that you have. When you reflect on past achievements and failures, you are able to motivate yourself through the past, rather than worrying about the future (10).

7. Focus On The End Result

Focusing on the end result can be a good way of getting motivated. For example, if your goal is to write an essay, it might help to focus on how good it will feel when you have completed this task (11).

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Conclusion

Motivation is a very powerful tool that can be used to the benefit of anyone that decides to use it. In most cases, people are more motivated by the opportunity to achieve something than they are motivated by external rewards. Personal autonomy is also a key motivator; you are better able to get motivated when you have control over what you're doing. Motivation can be increased in many ways, but it must be done properly for it to be effective. Finding the motivation that works for you will help ensure that your goals are achieved and that you end up feeling happy with the results.

References:

1) Pink Daniel (2010). Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.