By: Matthew Hick
Have you ever had a problem getting motivated to complete a task that you absolutely had to do? Did you ever just want to throw in the towel and accept that you failed? If so, understand that there are things you can do to be more motivated and to achieve your goals.
What motivates you?
There are two types of motivation that exist: extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation is motivation that is inspired by outside forces, while intrinsic motivation is motivation that is inspired from within a person. Both types of motivation are essential to success. Below you will find different types of extrinsic and intrinsic motivational factors:
Extrinsic Motivation
- Money
- People around you
- Good grades
- Rewards
Intrinsic Motivation
- Happiness
- Personal goals, values, and morals
- Willingness and eagerness to learn
- Physiological, social, and self-esteem needs
Both extrinsic and intrinsic motivations push a person to achieve a goal. However,
they do so in different ways. Let us take a look at both of these types of motivations.
Extrinsic motivation:
As shown above, extrinsic motivation comes from rewards and incentives that are positive reinforcements. An example of extrinsic motivation is a student studying and getting an A on an exam because the reward of a ski trip motivated him. Completing a project for work ahead of schedule because an employee knows that raises are coming soon is an example of extrinsic motivation. A teenager may come home from a friend’s house right before curfew, just to avoid being grounded. All of these actions are done because the person is trying to avoid some type of punishment or disapproval.
An example of a possible problem with extrinsic motivation is that when the rewards stop, the motivation will come to an end. How do you keep, for example, an employee or child motivated? One solution is spacing out rewards so the person does not receive them all at once. This gives the person something to look forward to. Another thing to do is to make sure the reward cannot cause any negative impact after it. Another thing to do is to try to help the person find a reason to be motivated besides receiving a reward.
Intrinsic Motivation:
Intrinsic motivation comes from within a person. While this motivation is often strong, it is hard to maintain at times – especially when something bad is happening in a person’s life. Everyone wants to be happy, to achieve life goals, have high morals and values, have plenty of friends, and simply be able to survive in the world. Intrinsic motivation makes a person strive for these things in daily life. Intrinsic motivation will make a person take a look in the mirror and say, “I can do it.” This type of motivation will also make someone take a few minutes and reflect on what is important in his or her life. It will make them question why they are seeking out their goals and what they are willing to risk in order to attain them.
