There are five theories in psychology that explain the fundamentals of motivation:
Instinct theory
Drive theory of motivation
Arousal theory of motivation
Humanistic theory
Incentive Theory of motivation
All of them are valid depending on each individual and what they relate to. These theories pattern the descriptive system of the human brain and soul towards productivity, constant efforts, and growth. There can be any funda to uplift your moral and standing firmly to handle challenging situations in life which may or may not fit these theories but the process of constant growth should never pause or stop.
Example from Our Childhood:
For me when I think of motivation, I always remember the cartoon show ‘Tom & Jerry.’ For most of you, it’s an old cartoon show, which you might not recognize & maybe you can google it, just for the fun of it!
Jerry is a home mouse, who’s always trying to get to the forbidden food, which is protected by Tom, the cat. Jerry is internally motivated & he wants that food for himself, he’s not trying to share it with anyone, nor is he proving his capabilities to others. On the other hand, Tom who’s externally motivated, his job is to protect the food to avoid punishment by the owner & get thrown out of the house. But, if he succeeds, his dreams of a pampered life, will come true!
Jerry keeps coming up with creative solutions & innovative methods or ideas to overcome the barriers to achieving his goal. Actually, the more difficult the challenges are, the more determined Jerry becomes. Jerry, the thief, is our hero!
And whenever we played Tom and Jerry, almost everyone wanted to be Jerry because he’s funny & gets what he wants, he’s a winner!
What I Learned:
When I look back at it, that cartoon show was my first lesson in motivation! Happiness, self-recognition, determination & passion result in creativity & innovation, combined with hard work, assertiveness & a strong urge to achieve your goals, in order to succeed. For, you’re not trying to prove it to anyone nor get a particular reward; it’s a continuous process that becomes part of your second nature. Meaning self-motivation becomes part of whom we are and affects our daily life in all its aspects!
If we understand self or inner motivation, it can be used to motivate others! I found from my personal experience & that of others, the following tips, that I would like to share with you:
1- Challenging yourself
Our motivation is increased or more powerful when we pursue goals that have a personal meaning to us and attaining them might be a possibility & not necessarily inevitable. Motivation is our journey towards achieving our goals! This journey will enhance & improve our self-esteem, which is vital for our performance. The feedback we receive from others will help and guide us in modifying our methods, strategies & maybe alter our ways of motivation as we discover more things about our behavior and what triggers us to perform better.
2- Curiosity
Internal motivation is increased when something grabs our curiosity! And, we start asking open questions, beginning with why what or how? Open questions kick-start our brains, and we start wondering. As a result, the ideas start flowing! Keeping an open mind with no boundaries or limitations increases our creativity and innovation. That is what the concept ‘ thinking outside the box’ is based on. Don’t limit yourself with other opinions, always wonder and if something grabs your interest and curiosity don’t try to stop yourself. For, that inner power is motivation!
3- Taking charge or control of our life
We all want something! Might it be, a pursuit of a career, better life standard, sharing our knowledge, making our mark in the world, creating or improving something that will affect our lives and help us have control over it? Find out what you want! Be persistent & don’t let go, believe that you have the power to influence your life by choices you make & that will keep you motivated. Along the way, you might change or alter specific methods, but one thing for sure, you’re not giving up! For now, you’re in control of your life and the author of your book!
4- Cooperation and Recognition:
Intrinsic motivation can be increased in situations you’re cooperating with others towards a common goal. For instance, coming up with ideas or ways to improve the quality of life for senior citizens that don’t have any family members to care for them. This journey towards achieving a social cause will keep you or your team self-motivated for you’re touching on their humanitarian aspect in their personality. Achieving or working towards a selfless cause, can provide us with a sense of satisfaction, increase our self-worth & get us recognition by other members of our community which will improve our self-confidence, give us a sense of joy and keeps us motivated.
5- Competition
Self-competition is a motivation tool that is fuelled by the urge of wanting to become a better person, achieve more things, pursue your dreams, reach your goals. Nevertheless, creating competition with other minded people is a healthy method to increase your level of motivation, improve your knowledge, interactions with others that will empower you. By considering things from different perspectives or as I love to use the term ‘ seeing the world through different lenses.’ These tools are a gift, and whenever you get a chance to participate in an event, workshop or a simple meet up with people that share your interest don’t miss up on it! Knowledge, is powerful & learning from others opens locked doors, This will increase your curiosity, maybe help you come up with new solutions or ideas, which will keep you going. Reaching, new points in your journey that we’re not on your map!
A Simple Strategy:
It’s imperative to understand that our mind always plays tricks on us! I like to see it as the bad cop and god cop strategy. The key is to balance and listen to both cops. One that is nurturing, and one that is critical; one that lifts up, and one that weighs you down. Both of these voices have a role to play. Our inner nurturer brings self-compassion and encouragement, while the inner critic helps you recognize where you’ve gone wrong and what you need to do to set things right!
We are human beings, and by nature, we need to live in a society and have the urge to belong. This motivates us to participate in social activities & belonging to a group. It also helps us feel; we are a part of something bigger and more important than ourselves. It will keep us inspired, give more meaning to our life, and find interesting and captivating things to share with others or on our own, not for any external reward but for our emotional wellbeing which is a crucial factor, for happy self-motivated individuals
I hope you can relate to one point and if you did, please don’t wait! Start today as you will influence your present and change your future because YOU have the POWER!