Hi all, hope you had a beautiful summer.
This month is always one of my busiest times of the year – the ‘fresh start’ effect is real and it feels like everyone is suddenly thinking about what they can change and achieve before the year comes to a close. On a personal level, I love setting goals in September, with only 3-4 months till the end of the year, it’s a very manageable timeframe to work on something new and I feel like my focus always ramps up at this time of year – I seem to get more done in shorter periods of time.
So, for those of you who can’t make it to a workshop or 1-2-1 with me, I thought we should harness some of that back-to-school September feeling and look at how you can increase your motivation and drive to go after what you want from life from the comfort of your screen…
Motivation is a tricky thing, seemingly dealt out in spades to some while others find it hard just to get out of bed in the morning. As with everything, the reasons for this disparity are complex and layered and cannot be reduced to a blog, however, what we can do is learn how to ramp up our motivation for when we really need it!
Motivation (or lack thereof) plays a crucial role in our overall satisfaction and ‘success’ in life. It marks the difference between doing some of the things that are important to us (clearly, we cannot do it all) and never quite feeling we’re moving forward.
The first step in getting better at motivating yourself is understanding what motivates you – i.e. what inspires you to get things done. We all have different brains, we’ve had different upbringings, we have different needs and commitments and all this is reflected in what exactly our motivational style may be. Knowing your style can help you with choosing the best career path or hobbies, setting and achieving goals, fostering healthy relationships and just with personal growth and self awareness in general.
Broadly, there are two types of motivation:
INTRINSIC: The internal drive that comes from a genuine interest, enjoyment, connection or satisfaction in a task or activity. This is about the inherent pleasure or purpose you may gain from the activity itself, rather than external rewards or consequences. An example would be wanting to play tennis because you enjoy it (the increase in fitness would be a welcome extra).
EXTRINSIC: This motivation is connected to external factors, such as rewards, recognition, or avoiding negative consequences. It’s driven by factors outside of you – often related to things you feel you need or have to do. An example would be studying medicine at university because your parents are doctors and they’ve made it clear that’s what’s expected of you too.
Ideally we all experience a healthy mixture of these two types of motivation – sometimes we go after what we want, at others what we need.
Understanding Different Motivational Styles
Psychologists and coaches describe motivational styles in a number of ways, but these are five that are resonating with me at the moment in terms of priorities and goals (if you have others I’d love to know!)
ACHIEVEMENT-ORIENTED: You’re driven by the desire to excel and accomplish goals with a clear end point in mind. You are competitive and prefer recognition for your achievements.
AFFILIATION-ORIENTED: You prioritise building and maintaining relationships. You’re motivated by a sense of belonging and social connection.
POWER-ORIENTED: You’re motivated by the desire to influence and control your environment or others. You seek leadership roles and enjoy making decisions.
PURPOSE-ORIENTED: You are driven by a deep sense of meaning and personal values. You seek to make a positive impact on the world around you.
JOY-ORIENTED: You are motivated by seeking pleasure, happiness and joy. You want to feel good.
How to Identify Your Motivational Style
In all likelihood we’re each a mix of all those styles, depending on our given circumstances and the situations we face. I definitely see myself in them all, but there’s one I identify most strongly with and that’s purpose. To find yours, try the pointers below:
Reflect on your priorities, passions, dreams, interests and values. What brings you purpose and joy? What energises you?
Analyse your past experiences and achievements. Which ones have brought you the most satisfaction?
Ask people around you. Seek feedback from your friends, family and colleagues by asking them what they believe drives and motivates you
Take a motivational style assessment (with a pinch of salt). This one is geared towards university students and has different descriptions from the one I used above. But, it also only takes a minute to complete and I quite liked it.
Knowing what drives you and lights you up inside will ultimately help you prioritise your life, get out of bed without hitting snooze, say no more often and go after what’s uniquely important to you.
I’d love to know which style or style mix you are, pop yours in the comments below.