Self-Motivation Explained
Table of Contents
If you feel exhausted and lack motivation, the best thing you can do is gain self-motivation. Because when you motivate yourself, you start doing what you need to do with a passion, rather than just doing it. You become aware of whether the things you do are good for you. Your control isn’t in someone else’s hands or the hands of your company, but only in your hands.
Does this seem too difficult for you? No need for that. If you learn what this means, you’ll have taken the first step in how to apply it. When you gain self-motivation, you’ll be a healthier person both physically and mentally.
We’ll try to help you with this article. Let’s first start with what self-motivation is.
What Is Self-Motivation?
In its simplest form, self-motivation is finding the strength within yourself to do the things you need to do, not outside. When you’re self-motivated, you’re full of self-fulfillment and always strive energetically for your personal growth.
Self-motivation is mostly a feeling that comes from within. So, the important thing is that you want it. However, there are cases where external factors drive it. For example, if your self-motivation increases when the salary you receive from the workplace increases, this will be externally directed. However, in general, we can say that internal self-motivation is more permanent and more effective.
Advantages of Self-Motivation
The biggest benefit of self-motivation is that it’s the way to reach your goals. In other words, having self-motivation makes you a healthier person mentally and physically, while also positively affecting your professional life. In this way, you walk on the road to success in your professional life without being dependent on others.
We’re all aware that it’s very important to achieve our goal to achieve success. And, it’s not that easy. Because, on this path, you can lose your attention or often face a loss of motivation. At this point, self-motivation will help you. It’ll prevent you from having focus problems and increase your self-confidence. In other words, you’ll take firmer steps while achieving your goals.
For all these reasons, self-motivation is a long-term thing, not a short-term thing. It makes you realize that you’re doing what you’re doing in line with a goal. This is one of its biggest benefits.
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The benefit of self-motivation is that it gives you the courage to better tackle the challenges you face as you walk the path to success. Because, as a self-motivated person, you know that you only need for yourself, not others, to achieve the success you aim for in your career or any other field. This gives you strength.
It gives you self-efficacy. This will also affect success, as it’ll increase your self-confidence. One of the benefits of self-motivation is to make people more self-confident.
For example, let’s say you have drawn a 2-year plan. As long as you have self-motivation, you can follow this plan step by step and reach this plan at the end of two years. All you have to do is not lose the self-motivation you have.
Means of External and Internal Motivators
Now, that we understand what self-motivation is, we can begin to examine the external and internal factors. When you look at what it takes to achieve self-motivation, you’ll encounter two factors: Internal and external.
Internal motivation is what comes from within you. For example, if brewing your favorite coffee makes you happy, it’s internal. This will satisfy you and increase your self-confidence. This includes pushing yourself, like learning a language you’ve always wanted to learn but having a hard time learning. In the end, you want to learn it because it’ll be good for you to learn it, and it’s internal.
Externals, on the other hand, are those who come from outside. They resemble a kind of reward and punishment system. For example, if you’re expecting a promotion, it’s external as it depends more on your boss than on you. Likewise, punishment can be seeing an unexpected reaction from your boss, of course in a negative way.
When comparing externally motivated and internally motivated, we can say that what will motivate you is to be internally motivated mostly. You become more passionate about realizing the inner ones.
On the other hand, external motivation also has a great effect. For example, some people work better under pressure. This indicates that external factors are good for some. For example, trying to be more successful to avoid punishment.
When it comes to personal development, the support of internal motivation is much greater. Because at this point, your priority is yourself and you act toward realizing what you want to see in yourself.
Sometimes these two come together, for example, you look for an external way to motivate yourself, that is, to create internal motivation. For example, when you get a raise in your salary, you can promise yourself to take a vacation.
Techniques for Self-Motivation
Self-motivation is something that one can learn. For this, it’s enough to focus and get out of the daily routine, even a little. Let’s look at the techniques.
Here are some techniques you can apply to gain self-motivation:
- Try to establish healthy routines for yourself: For example, if you leave the house without breakfast in the morning, try to establish a breakfast routine.
- Try to have a growth mindset: Look at progress rather than being constant.
- Use the S.M.A.R.T method: Try to apply the method we've mentioned above when setting and implementing your goals.
- Be clear in your goals: It can be keeping these goals with a bucket list method, or it can be a personal vision statement.
- Do a self-assessment: Take at least one minute each day to evaluate yourself about what you did that day.
- Get out of your comfort zone: Try to get out of your comfort zone once in a while and add change to your life.
- Practice efficient self-management: Be careful that this doesn’t tire you, you can find a suitable method for yourself.
- Take a lesson: Instead of viewing failures negatively, look at them as lessons from which you can learn.
- Give thanks: Be grateful for what you have in life. This will motivate you.
- Don’t let your courage get discouraged: Anyone can experience such situations. Be aware that this isn’t unique to you and continue to think positively in such situations.
- Treat yourself well: Remember to congratulate yourself when you succeed, and forgive yourself when you fail.
These tips will help you with self-motivation and you’ll stay motivated.
Examples of Self-Motivation
Self-motivation isn’t related to a single area of life. In other words, it’s applicable not only for your career or just for your personal development, but also for almost every area of your life. This may sound interesting, but it could also be related to your home arrangement. This is because we need motivation in every aspect of life. So, why not? Self-motivation can take different forms from time to time, depending on which field you use.
We’ll now give you 3 examples of self-motivation. Come on, let’s start!
#1
Let’s suppose that things are very busy at work right now. Tasks and deadlines overlap… Yet, it’s terrible! But in this case, you don’t need anyone but yourself. Therefore, if you expect people around you to encourage you, but you can’t find it, no worries. Focus on overcoming obstacles and you know you can do it. All you have to do is focus on the tasks and work on them. This way, instead of feeling tired, you’re focused on the task and feel energetic.
#2
Are you one of those who find it difficult to go to the gym alone? You’re not alone, many people experience this feeling. They need the support of friends to go to the gym. But, when you’re self-motivated, your friends won’t have to drive you to the gym. Because you’ll go yourself. As a self-motivated person, you know that your body needs exercise, so going to the gym is good for you. No one needs to come with you. You’ll create your own time to go to the gym and go.
#3
Our last example is for students and those who remain students due to master and doctorate degrees… Do your friends and scholars have to remind you constantly about project and paper submissions? But, if you’re a successful person, they wouldn’t need to do that. When you’re a self-motivated person, no one will have to give you these reminders. You know why you’re studying and what you want to achieve. Relax and focus on your studies.
Self-Motivation Techniques To Motivate Yourself at Work
You can also provide self-motivation at work by following some tips. Here are the tips for you:
- Loving what you do: Yes, it may sound cliche, but this is important. There is nothing easier than being motivated when you love what you do.
- Asking for feedback: You can ask your boss or colleagues for feedback to find out what you did right or wrong. This will be good for your professional life and will increase your sociability at work.
- Learn a new skill your position requires: Trying to learn a skill related to your job at work will help you hold on to what you’re doing. For example, you can try to learn software that will make your work easier.
- Ask for a raise: It may be difficult, but if you feel that you’re not getting the salary you’re entitled to for the work you do, it’ll prevent you from being motivated. So, if you think you deserve better, no need to hesitate to ask.
- Be aware of why you’re doing your job: When you’re bored at work, stop and ask yourself why you’re doing it. With the answers you give to this question, you’ll feel better and gain motivation.
- Do volunteer work: Of course, we don’t mean unpaid work here, but especially if you have questions about the work you do, it’ll be good for you to do things that make you feel comfortable and offer them to others voluntarily.
- Take a vacation: When it’s time for annual leave, try not to delay taking it. Everyone has the right to rest and to return to work calmly. Use this right. Have a nice vacation.
Staying Motivated: Conclusion
Once you manage to be self-motivated, it’s a skill that will be hard to lose from now on. Once you gain this skill, you’ll have a friend for life. Because once you try to be self-motivated, you’ll discover what your goals are in your life, what you have, and what you want to have more.
And, most importantly, the most important step to becoming a self-motivated person is to learn what it’s. You learned too. Now, it’s time to be better!
If you’re having trouble gaining self-motivation, you don’t need to be afraid Try to discover what motivates you and think about what your dream life is. This will help you stay motivated. If you think that you’re lacking in this regard, you can consider getting professional help.
We hope we’ve helped you with this article. We wish you days when you’re confident and self-motivated!
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FAQ
What is self motivation?
Self-motivation is a psychological concept that refers to an individual’s ability to stay driven, determined, and focused in achieving their goals without relying on external influences or rewards. It involves the ability to recognize one’s own needs and desires, set personal goals, and take active steps to reach those goals. Self-motivation requires proactive behaviors such as self-discipline, perseverance, time management, goal setting, and emotional control. People who are highly self-motivated can motivate themselves with minimal difficulty and often find success in life.
Self-motivation usually begins with having a strong desire to achieve something; this need for achievement is often referred to as intrinsic motivation. An individual must have a personal desire for success or meaning in order to be self-motivated. Those who lack intrinsic motivation may struggle with feeling unmotivated when faced with challenges or tasks they do not find interesting or engaging. Furthermore, individuals who lack self-motivation are more likely to procrastinate and be less likely to follow through on goals they have set for themselves.
A person’s level of self-motivation can be influenced by many factors including upbringing, personality traits, attitude toward life experiences, and relationships with others. For instance, those who grew up in an environment where they were encouraged and praised for their efforts are more likely to be self-motivated than those who did not receive this type of support growing up. Additionally, people with an optimistic outlook on life may be more likely to stay motivated when faced with difficult tasks than those with a more pessimistic view of life experiences.
Self-motivation is essential for achieving any goal because it provides the necessary drive that keeps individuals from giving up during difficult times. Those who can stay motivated have greater chances of succeeding in whatever venture they pursue because they will persist longer than those who lack motivation or give up easily when things get tough. Moreover, individuals who possess good self-motivating skills tend to make better decisions because they are able to think critically about the consequences of their actions before taking them instead of acting impulsively without considering the possible repercussions in the long run.
What are extrinsic motivators?
Extrinsic motivators are external stimuli that can be used to encourage an individual to take a certain course of action. These motivators may include rewards like money, praise, recognition, or tangible items like trophies or certificates. While intrinsic motivation comes from within and is driven by personal interest, extrinsic motivation is external and relies on the presence of incentives or assets that the individual desires. Some examples of extrinsic motivators might include receiving a bonus for meeting a performance target, being praised for good work in front of peers, or earning rewards points for completing tasks.
Extrinsic motivators can provide an effective means to drive behavior change and encourage goal achievement; however, they can only be successful when they are tailored to fit an individual’s motivations and interests. What works as an incentive for one person may not necessarily be effective for another. Moreover, the use of these kinds of external stimuli should not be seen as a substitute for intrinsic motivation – instead, it should be used in conjunction with it in order to create long-term engagement and enthusiasm around achieving goals. For example, providing tangible rewards such as gift cards or vouchers alongside positive reinforcement like compliments and recognition can help to reinforce desired behaviors over time and contribute towards building sustainable motivation levels among employees.
How do people find their own self motivation?
People find motivation in many different ways. For some, it is found in the feeling of accomplishment or pride that comes along with achieving something difficult. Others may find it from inspiring quotes and words of wisdom from mentors or role models. A third way to find motivation is to make a list of goals and set incremental steps toward reaching them. Additionally, tapping into one’s own intrinsic motivation is another way to stay motivated; this involves understanding yourself and why you are pursuing your goals and dreams, as well as recognizing the internal rewards that come along with your accomplishment.
Moreover, people can tap into the support systems around them for additional motivation. This includes family and friends who care about your well-being, those who have shared experiences or who are also pursuing similar goals, or professional coaches who can provide objective encouragement and accountability. Additionally, developing positive habits, forming positive relationships with peers, working out regularly, getting enough sleep, and exercising all contribute to finding motivation as they create a sense of overall well-being which helps fuel ambition and determination. Finally, setting reasonable expectations for oneself while paying attention to progress made can help keep motivation levels high while preventing burnout or stress overload.
What is an external reward?
An external reward is a form of incentive or motivation that is provided by an outside source. It can come in the form of tangible items, such as gifts, prizes, and money, or intangible rewards like recognition, praise, or having one’s accomplishments acknowledged. External rewards are often used to motivate people to work towards a specific goal and can be beneficial in helping to get people to put in the extra effort. They also tend to be used in situations where reinforcements are needed quickly since they provide a tangible feedback system that makes it easier for people to measure their progress. Furthermore, external rewards can help shape behavior that would otherwise be difficult to modify on one’s own. For instance, providing an external reward could be an effective tool in promoting healthy habits like exercising regularly or reducing bad habits such as smoking cigarettes. Ultimately, external rewards tend to be popular because they provide an easy way for people to track their progress and stay motivated by working towards a tangible outcome.
Why is staying motivated difficult?
Staying motivated is difficult due to a variety of factors. On the one hand, there may be external obstacles such as a lack of resources or a lack of support from others. Additionally, internal obstacles like procrastination and self-doubt can make it hard to stay motivated. Also, life can throw unexpected curve balls that can make it hard to stay focused on achieving one’s goals. For instance, an illness or injury might temporarily derail progress toward achieving an important goal.
Furthermore, many people simply struggle with motivation in the face of long-term projects or tasks that seem daunting. People often feel overwhelmed when they look at their goals as a whole instead of breaking them down into smaller achievable steps. This sense of being overwhelmed can quickly lead to discouragement and loss of motivation. Finally, humans are naturally subject to distraction and boredom which can easily lead away from staying focused and motivated on any given task.