Have you ever found yourself almost ready to give up even when you’re trying your very best? It could be in a relationship or in your professional career, or even a hobby that you’ve been trying to learn. But no matter what it is, sometimes we feel a lack of energy and the will to push ourselves forward with it.
If it has happened with you as well, or you’re going through it as we speak, don’t worry; it happens to all of us. And it’s the lack of motivation.
Motivation is the most essential ingredient in the recipe for success, and today we’ll talk all about it.
The most human thing about us is our ability to continually strive and work for the things we desire. It is not in our nature to be lazy, passive creatures – which is why when we are, it feels all amiss. What does all of this mean? It means that motivation is an integral part of our genetic make-up. Not only that but motivation also feeds our overall adaptability to challenges and a rapidly changing life.
If you want to find out more about why motivation is important, keep reading! By the end of this article, you will understand the significance of human motivation and be willing to spend time on learning how to increase it in your life.
So let’s start the journey together, shall we?
What is motivation?
But of course, first things first. What is motivation?
At its simplest, motivation means the need to meet a certain objective. It is derived from the word motive, which literally means a goal. Motivation, therefore, is the movement towards that goal.
In the psychological spectrum, there are many theories that attempt to explain the phenomenon of motivation. Although these explanations are helpful, understanding them in depth is not necessary. All you need to really know about why motivation is important is that it is the driving force behind a lot of things we do as human beings. Whether it’s our knack for setting personal objectives or our yearning for physical intimacy – motivation puts everything into perspective.
How does motivation work?
Now, onto the next important question; how does it work?
To understand that, you first need to know that two types of motivation are a part of our daily function: intrinsic and extrinsic.
Let’s look at both of these one by one.
Intrinsic motivation
It is a by-product of your internal thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Do you remember that one time you baked cookies – not because you had guests coming over or because you were hungry, but because you wanted to improve your skills?
Here, your passion for baking acted as an intrinsic source of motivation and made you move towards your goal of making stellar cookies. No pressure from outside, no promise of reward – just you and your motivation.
Extrinsic motivation
On the other hand, we had extrinsic motivation. The monetary rewards and motivation you get at work are an example of an extrinsic source of motivation. These forms are usually related to validation from external factors – whether it is a positive one like the aforementioned rewards or negative ones like sanctions or fines.
These can usually be found in the corporate environment, where the presence of motivation has a direct impact on more significant aspects such as employee retention and productivity.
Whether it is intrinsic or extrinsic, motivation does the ultimate job of making us strive for what we want.
What are the benefits of motivation?
Let’s be real – motivation is the distinguishing factor between people who are successful in life and the ones who struggle. Motivation is the ultimate way to transform your behavior, gain new skills, develop competencies in a range of areas, find new interests, make friends, and lead a fulfilling life in general.
As much as we’d want it to be, life is never stagnant. It fluctuates perpetually, and without the motivation to live it to the fullest, it would be very hard for us to adapt to these changes. As humans, we are required to adapt to the rapidly changing environment as best as we can. And how do we do that? Through motivation!
What does lack of motivation mean?
Regardless of how important motivation is, a human being is bound to face a lack of it sooner or later. Whether it’s boredom, laziness, or procrastination -it all ultimately comes down to a lack of motivation. There are many things about life that can weigh an individual down and leave them demotivated, and hence there are many causes to demotivation.
When we are overwhelmed with work, relationships, or life in general – we tend to lose our motivation towards achieving our goals. Other times, the goal we’re supposed to work towards is not particularly interesting, which is why we don’t feel motivated enough to put in the effort. Often, failure also results in a lack of motivation for future endeavors. And sometimes, it’s because we don’t believe in ourselves enough.
How to increase motivation in our daily lives?
We have now discussed what motivation is, why motivation is important, and what the absence of it can mean in your life. By now, you have probably gauged just how important it is to increase motivation in your life. So, without further ado, let’s look at some ways that will help you find the right sources of motivation!
Some of these are totally obvious, but others may come as a surprise to you.
Change your body language
As I said, some of the methods on this list will completely catch you off guard, and this is one of them. Who knew your body language had a direct impact on how motivated you? I’m here to tell you that body language is a lot more critical than we perceive it to be! Not only does it impact your appearance, but it also affects your internal chemistry.
A certain posture, position, or pose can lead to feeling motivated or demotivated! High-power poses, for example, can increase your testosterone levels which directly boost your confidence, cortisol levels, and may even minimize stress. In turn, they might help you be more motivated towards completing the task at hand. Therefore, always be aware of your body language and change it if you need to.
Chocolate is always the right answer
As much of an exaggeration as it sounds – chocolate always helps. Not because it tastes absolutely perfect (which in itself is enough), but because it has some beautiful effects on your brain.
For starters, it boosts your serotonin and phenylethylamine levels. These neurotransmitters are in charge of promoting calm and stimulation, putting the brain in just the right state for you to pursue your task.
Chocolate is also known for triggering a release of dopamine. Dopamine elevates your heart rate and significantly increases motivation! In short, chocolate gives your brain a plethora of calm, blissful emotions that will help you get out of your slump, and move towards your goal with all sorts of motivation backing you up.
PS: White chocolate works the best! As a milk chocolate lover, I don’t really care about that, but if you want the best results, pick a bar of white chocolate!
The smaller the goal, the better it will be for you!
As mentioned earlier, one of the most common causes of demotivation is being overwhelmed by your goal. In order to avoid that from happening, always set small, measurable goals. The ultimate goal can still be gigantic but always start with smaller steps towards that goal.
For example, my biggest goal is to win a Pulitzer Prize for a book that I haven’t even started working on yet. I obviously want it to be award-winning, but if I strain all my focus on the big, overwhelming goal at the end of the tunnel, the quality of my story is going to suffer. Not only that, but my motivation will be more susceptible to damage!
The better way to do it will obviously be to start working chapter by chapter and focusing on that instead.
Remember: achieving those little goals will act as a source of motivation and inspire you to move more swiftly towards that goal.
Verbal affirmations always help
Verbal affirmations, also known as “mantras” are proven to be useful in boosting motivation. What does a mantra do? It essentially reinforces a positive mindset and enables you to have the goal you want to achieve in sight all along.
So, go ahead. Come up with a statement that resonates with you. A simple “I can get through this” can help – but if you want it to be more specific, go for that instead! However, make sure you repeat it multiple times in order to actually have an effect on your brain.
Announce your commitment
If you keep your goal strictly to yourself, you are more likely to slack off. I mean, who is to hold you accountable other than yourself? This is particularly harmful if you are running low on intrinsic motivation because you’ll want to entirely drop the whole thing.
Therefore, to ensure that you actually get to your goal, announce your commitment to it publicly. Any public platform is suitable for this sort of thing, but in case you don’t want everyone to know your business, announce it to your family. Or a friend! You’ll find a source of extrinsic motivation in the form of a support system. Say goodbye to procrastination!
Create a routine – and remember to follow it
You knew this was coming. The importance of creating and following a routine cannot be understated. In order to get started, you may first come up with certain rituals that you follow every day.
For example, going for a quick walk in the park really helps me clear my mind and focus on my writing afterward. Since this helps me move towards my goal, I should treat is a ritual and incorporate it into my official routine.
Ideally, your routine should be filled with these tiny, helpful rituals that boost your motivation! However, do remember that the entire point of these is to encourage bliss and peace in your life. Don’t pick a ritual that becomes a burden, and stay away from stress.
Don’t shy away from trial and error
Here’s the thing: no matter what your goal is, it is unlikely that you can achieve it within the first try. The more complex it is, the more you’ll have to put in your effort, time, and dedication. But in addition to all that, you should also be willing to fail. Try, fail, and try again. And that can only happen if you mentally prepare yourself for failure and tell yourself that there is nothing wrong with it.
The more you fail, the more you get the chance to perfect your strategy towards your goal. In fact, I would suggest you fail and fail again to learn better and develop the courage to learn from your mistakes.
To expect yourself to be good at something instantly is unreasonable. Instead, give yourself some leverage, and treat every effort as a small step towards your goal, even if it doesn’t work the way you want it to. That way, you won’t lose your motivation at every setback! In short, stay positive, especially it comes to the progress you’re making.
Break it up
Always, and I cannot stress this enough, take breaks. At the end of the day, you’re a human being. You need rest to restore all that energy you’re putting into your work. Not only in terms of boosting productivity, but also for your health. And your health is the most important thing, considering how you won’t be able to do all the great things you plan to do with poor health!
So, no matter how rigorous and demanding your work is, always take a break. This isn’t to say that you step back and start binge-watching that Netflix show you’ve been looking forward to. Take a short break, grab some fresh air or a bit, and then get back to work!
Change of scenery
Sometimes, it is the place you are working in that cramps up your motivation. Therefore, always look forward to a change in scenery when it comes to working. This is especially true for people looking for motivation in the traditional employment sector!
If you think the physical place you work in doesn’t do much good for your productivity – change your spot! Look for somewhere with loads of natural light, and if there isn’t any, then step outside for a while. Trust me; it helps a great deal.
Key Takeaway
You now know why motivation is essential for not only your success but also your overall well-being. Increasing your sources of motivation should be one of your biggest priorities. And guess what? The most powerful source of motivation that you need is what you already have – yourself. With the right outlook and mindset, there’s not a thing that you can’t achieve in this world.
I believe in you, and so should you!
