“When you feel like stopping, think about why you started” – Anonymous.

MOTIVATION – THE BASIS OF HUMAN EXCELLENCE.

Yes, what you just read was a motivational quote – one of many available on the internet from insanely popular Ted Talks by extremely successful people. Have you ever stopped to think, What do all of these people have in common? What is the force that drives them and causes them to grow into the individuals we see when we search their names on Google?

What is it that urged them to make something of themselves in the first place?

All of these people have this one thing in common. The one thing that is essential, without which, success is something one can only dream of. It is called MOTIVATION.

 

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WHAT IS MOTIVATION?

The simple textbook definition of motivation is the reason or reasons for acting and behaving in a certain way. It is a process that activates and guides goal-oriented behaviour.

If you ask me my take on this, in less fancy words, I’d say motivation is the reason to wake up each morning. It is what helps us get out of bed and face the world every single day. Even an activity as simple as getting up to get a glass of water requires motivation. It’s the biological, social, emotional and cognitive forces that all come together to activate behaviour and perform a task at hand.

Ask yourself, can you study without feeling motivated?

Can you go to work without feeling motivated?

That project you’ve been meaning to work on, can you complete it without motivation?

We often find ourselves saying “I don’t feel motivated” or “I need motivation” and this is because the urge for us to perform certain tasks require a force that arises within us that acts as a driving force or an urge that helps us do what we are supposed to. We need motivation for whatever we do.

 

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Why is motivation so important?

Motivation is the only force that will make us stop asking questions and align us to work towards our goals. Goals are stepping stones on the path to success and in order to achieve them, we need the motivation to keep us chugging along.

Motivation is the defining factor, it is like fuel to an engine to turn a good idea into a business model that holds the capacity to positively impact the world we live in.

If we lack motivation, we don’t have any goalposts to aim for and we simply lack the purpose to strive towards. It’s an important life skill. The reason it’s important is that every human is unique and has a purpose, but to channelise this purpose in the right direction we must have to be motivated to turn our dreams into reality.

Do you think you’d have your iPhone and MacBook Pro today if Steve Jobs wasn’t motivated to start Apple?

Do you think you’d have the privilege to flip through Harry Potter if JK Rowling wasn’t motivated to publish her books?

Do you think you’d watch Interstellar if Christopher Nolan wasn’t motivated to execute his brilliant thoughts on screen?

The answer to all of these questions is No.

Motivation fights fears because it makes you say “No matter how scared I am, I’m going to get this done.”

It pushes through setbacks and teaches perseverance, it gives us the automatic courage to feel determined and overcome the obstacles we face on the route to achieving our goals.

Your vibe attracts your tribe. Motivation helps you attract people who are equally persistent and have the same urge to succeed. Moreover, it acts as a tool for inspiration for others as well and helps them find their inner strengths and channelise them appropriately.

It builds self-confidence. When you’re motivated to achieve your goal, confidence is a by-product of the little steps taken to see that goal achieved. When you’ve pushed through setbacks and fear, there is a sense of accomplishment and this builds inner confidence to try something new. Motivated people will have a few projects on the go because they have pushed through barriers and seen positive results, which gives them the motivation to start new projects and try new things.

Source- nataliecook.com

 

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What are the TYPES OF MOTIVATION?

There are 2 main types of motivation.

1. Intrinsic motivation: This is the type of motivation in which an individual is motivated by internal desires.

For example, if I suddenly decide to start working out every day in order to get a fitter body so that I feel better about my body and my appearance, then it is intrinsic motivation because it’s my own desire to get fitter. It is my desire from within.

2. Extrinsic motivation: This is a type of motivation where an individual is motivated by external desires. For example, if someone else forces me or keeps taunting me about my body and asks me to work out and get fitter, then it is known to be extrinsic motivation since this motivation comes from outside.

 

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The minor forms of motivation are:

Incentive-based motivation where a person is motivated for the award that they receive at the end of the task.

Fear-based motivation, where a person fears failure and accountability that may count as factors for the outcome.

Achievement based motivation, this is where people are trying to earn a title or reach a position of power and may be driven by achievement-based motivation.

Power-based motivation is where the motivation is fueled by happiness or satisfaction in becoming more powerful or creating a massive change.

Affiliation Motivation, people often say that it’s not what we do but who we know that dictates our success. For people driven by affiliation motivation, this is most certainly true. Source: lifehack.org.

Competence motivation, the desire to improve in what we do or get better at something is fuelled by competence motivation.

Attitude motivation is a kind of motivation that comes to those who intensely desire to change the way that they see the world around them and the way that they see themselves. Goals associated with self-awareness and self-change will be met with attitude motivation. Source: lifehack.org

Motivation is the most important factor where performance is concerned. After all that we have reviewed until now, what we may come to realise is that motivation is the most essential tool that drives us to do our best and help us excel at whatever we do.

If we want a good idea to turn into a business, we have to be affiliated with the correct people, we must crave success and try to reach a position wherein reaching our goals is our topmost priority along with the urge to be competent and get better at our jobs with the right attitude, with all these factors, we can know for sure that we are motivated and are making our way in the right direction, which is towards the direction of success. We will know that whatever we choose to do if we are positively motivated, we will easily be able to put our heart and soul into it and be able to yield the best possible results.

 

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Conclusion

I’d like to add that motivation is something that we all possess. It is impossible to sustain and survive in this world which has become such a competitive rat race where everyone is stuck in a labyrinth of their own thoughts and are walking their own personal paths, aiming to be successful and be the best at whatever they do. Motivation is a must if we want to ensure that we are not stuck at mediocrity.

We all have it in us, it just takes a little extra effort to find it and to put it to good use. Once you master that, you are unstoppable.

I wish all my leaders good luck!