Every day, you probably have to do at least
one thing you’d rather not do.
Maybe you have to finish a boring work project,
or go to the gym again, or stick to your diet
when you’d rather spend the day binging
Netflix and eating Doritos.
Sticking to your long-term goals requires
motivation.
But just like people, motivation is complicated!
And understanding more about the science of
motivation can help you stay on task at work
and at home.
Psychologists have divided motivation into
two types: Intrinsic motivation and extrinsic
motivation.
Intrinsic motivation is when you are driven
by internal factors: you do something because
you find it fun or interesting or meaningful.
And extrinsic motivation is when you are driven
by external factors: you do something because
you’re getting paid, because someone tells
you to, or because you’re receiving (or
think you will receive) positive feedback
from others.
Even though it seems like extrinsic motivators
would be really effective (like, what could
be a better reward than money?), most research
actually shows that this isn’t the case.
Often, individuals driven by intrinsic motivations
are more likely to stick with their long term
goals – studies show that intrinsically
motivated people are more likely to keep exercising
or quit smoking, or perform better in school
than those driven simply by compliments, money,
or a teacher’s praise.
In fact, providing people with extrinsic motivators
like money may hamper creative thinking, making
them worse at tasks that required problem-solving
and out of the box thinking.
So, how can you use science to increase your
motivation?
First, figure out what your intrinsic motivations
are.
What do you like?
What do you think is interesting or meaningful?
Let your intrinsic motivations be your guide
!
For example, let’s say your goal is to exercise
more often.
You’re more likely to stick with your goal
if you do a type of exercise that you think
is fun.
So skip the boring treadmill and try out a
dance class or sign up for a volleyball league
or play frisbee with your friends
Studies have also shown that people who considered
an activity as “fun” rather than strictly
“exercise” were less likely to compensate
after with snacks and desserts.
So there’s actually multiple ways that fun
physical activities could improve your health.
It can be harder to figure out your intrinsic
motivations at work, but try to focus on what
you like about your job.
Does your company work on issues that are
important to you?
Do you enjoy being helpful to your coworkers
or getting to solve problems?
Focusing on your intrinsic motivations could
help you get through a particularly boring
or difficult task at work.
Still having trouble getting motivated?
It turns out motivation can be contagious!
You can increase your own motivation by surrounding
yourself with other intrinsically motivated
people.
In one study, students were taught by an instructor
that they were told was either volunteering
(i.e. intrinsically motivated) or paid (extrinsically
motivated).
Students taught by the volunteer showed greater
interest and persistence in the activity,
suggesting that other people’s motivation
can rub off on us.
So if you’re still struggling, perhaps it’s
time to hit a crowded gym, a study group or
a co-working space.
Ultimately, we can't hack our brains to feel
motivated all the time.
But by focusing on our intrinsic motivations
– and surrounding ourselves with intrinsically
motivated people – we can increase our ability
to power through tasks and stick to our long-term
goals.
