Motivation - Are all motives the same?

Why your motivation matters when chasing your goals.

Each year - particularly in January, strangely enough - I hear people say they’re going to stop drinking, join a gym and get fit, get outdoors more, the list goes on… I’ll be the first to sing your praises when you make a decision like this, and I’ll wish you success.

I’m sure you know someone who’s said this - it may even have been you! I’ll also guarantee you know someone who gave up after a few weeks or less, and that's perfectly fine too.

The deciding factor on success or failure, when working towards a new goal, is understanding where your motivation is coming from. Two kinds of motivation categories make us change:

1. Extrinsic, an extrinsic goal is when you are motivated by an external driver

Some examples of these would be…

• The admiration/acceptance of others - for example trying to impress people with the way you look.

• A reward, for example, your friend has promised to pay for a trip if you run in a race with them or there is a cash prize for not drinking for 30 days etc.

While an extrinsic force could help you achieve your goal, it’s highly unlikely that it would lead to permanent lifestyle change, because once you achieve the objective your motivation to continue fades.

2. Intrinsic

Intrinsic means your motivation comes from within.

• You’ve identified an aspect of your lifestyle that makes you unhappy.

• This could mean you want to lose weight, want to be fitter, want to avoid developing a health condition or feel better equipped to manage everyday challenges like playing with the kids or pets.

These forms of motivation have a vastly superior chance of succeeding, and because you feel the benefit personally of achieving the goal and no longer have the personal unhappiness that triggered the change, it’s far more likely that the change will become a permanent part of you moving forward.

Conclusion.

So, my message to you would be… before racing off and making massive changes in your behaviour, step back and ask yourself what your motivation is.

Does it benefit me extrinsically or intrinsically? If the answer is the first one, take a moment to ask yourself, is that my only reason? If so, ponder what other benefits you may gain beyond the superficial, and you may find a deeper, personal, intrinsic reason to motivate you.

If you have any questions feel free to drop me a line.