Extrinsic motivation or Intrinsic motivation, what’s your driving force?

How many of you are aware of the meaning of motivation? Obviously, most of us are.
Now tell me, how many of you know about extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation? Now things have gotten little complicated, isn’t it?

What drives you?

Extrinsic or Intrinsic motivation?

 

You must be thinking, how does it matter if we know this or not, we are motivated and this is what it matters. So why get into technicalities of motivation?

Why make things so complicated to even understand?

If you think and agree with the above-said statement, then let me prove to you how much it’s equally important to know about it.

Let’s play a game.

If I say I will give you daily 10$ to wake up at 5 Am for 21 days consecutively and an additional 1$ for every mile you run. So in short first 10$ for waking up early and suppose you run 2 miles each day, so additional 2$ for that.

Interesting offer, isn’t it?

Those who are interested, raise your hands.
My God! Almost every one of you will do that, excellent. Who doesn’t love the easy money or rewards?

Now, let me tell you benefits of waking up early morning.

1. Science has proved those who wake up early tend to be much happier than those who doesn’t.

2. All the successful human ever lived, share this common habit of waking up early.

I can give you hundreds of reasons that why waking up early has proven to be the best habit anyone can acquire.

So tell me how many of you are going to wake up early at 5 and enjoy the best perks of life but without any rewards?

Oh! Don’t worry, it’s okay if you want to bring your 10$ raised hands down, you can.
So what just happened?

Where has the motivation gone now?

“Of course motivation is not permanent. But then, neither is bathing; but it is something you should do on a regular basis.” Zig Zaglar

Here lies the answer of extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation.

Doing things or accomplishing tasks just for the lure of some rewards and prizes or by the effect of any external influence like social status and acceptance, jealousy or ego etc., that’s extrinsic motivation.

And doing things or accomplishing any goal just because you love to do those things or you have a keen interest in those things or you want to increase your learning by mastering any tasks. You don’t need any rewards to influence your motivation and desire to achieve. You do it, just because of one reason ” you want it to”.

And that’s what you call intrinsic motivation.

My Friend’s case :-

Let me give you a personal example, one of my very close friend love photography, he is also from an engineering background as me. But, he finally found his passion in photography and now pursuing his career in it only. Trust me, he is so passionate about it that his daily routine revolves around this only.

Checkout some of his brilliant work at  Manu Yadav Photography

I never heard him, saying that he is doing it for the sake of some big rewards or anything. He just says he loves it and will make big in this field. So what drives him? For sure, intrinsic motivation.

Let me show you another side of motivation now.

My life story :-

I have never been a scholar. I have interests in everything except my studies. And my parents were very much aware of this fact. As my examinations approached, they came up with a trick to lure me, that if I secure 65% in examinations, they will gift me a bike. That was the first biggest deal of my life and without giving a second thought, I accepted it and I managed to score expected marks and as promised I got my bike.

Yay! That was the easiest deal of my life. But, with the time things became same again and I came back to my old habits and my studies suffered again. Why’s that? Because I wasn’t motivated for the better grades or for performing great. My motivation came from the bike and as soon as I got it, my motivation faded again and my report cards say it loudly. A perfect example of extrinsic motivation.

 

If you want to achieve anything or to accomplish any goal or to reach on top you have to be intrinsically motivated. Want to live up to your 100%? Attach yourself to right motivation. No matter if your goal is to:-

  • Lose 10 kg in 2 months.
  • To learn new skills.
  • To get a promotion.

Or anything else, first you need to find your actual reasons or intentions behind your motivation. And once you find the right motive, have the urge to do it just because you want to or you love to. Don’t do it just because of the rewards attach to it. That’s temporary motivation. It will fade away and you will end up at the same place you started.

You are influenced by Intrinsic motivation if:-

I believe that the most joyful and intrinsic motivation human beings have for taking any action is the desire to meet our needs and the needs of others.

  •  You do your tasks just because of your curiosity to learn.
  •  You accomplish goals for your own satisfaction and for your own self-worth.
  •  You don’t let anything distract you from your goals.
  •  You find happiness in everything to do.
  •  You achieve anything for your personal accomplishment.

And you influenced by extrinsic motivation if:-

“You can motivate by fear, and you can motivate by reward. But both those methods are only temporary. The only lasting thing is self motivation.”             Homer Rice

  • You keep on doing things in lure of some rewards or trophies or any cupidity.
  • You do things without just because you have to do it without any interest in it.
  • You stick to your goals as long as you are getting rewards.
  • You not able to stick to your routine and discipline for long term.

But that doesn’t mean extrinsic motivation has the negative impact on us, it also has some advantages.

I truly accept it that 90% of us find the motivation or do anything in the lure of rewards attach to it, my belief is Extrinsic motivation plays a vital role in developing an intrinsic motivation. And it’s in the way most of us fall in love with what we do.

So, by using your Extrinsic motivation you can develop you Intrinsic motivation.
Studies have proved that you need to be intrinsically motivated, if you want to be the best at what you are doing or if you want to achieve a lifelong success. You need to have an urge to accomplish goals just because you love what you do.

I found my love and intrinsic motivation in writing, but I won’t lie about the fact that extrinsic motivation also plays a significant role in my life, but it’s not the sole reason for my motivation anymore.

Just sit and relax and think, what drives you? Extrinsic or intrinsic motivation?
Whether it is your job?  Any new hobby you took? Might be any skill you are learning? Or let it be your out of the box thinking?

A right kind of motivation is the only way to the LIFE OF BLISS

How many of you love what are you doing or just doing it?

What is the primary reason of your motivation?
Tell me your own story in comments below.

6 Comments

  1. Sam April 2, 2017
  2. veena March 1, 2017
  3. Manas Marwah February 28, 2017
  4. Nishant Singh February 28, 2017
  5. Karan February 28, 2017

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