Week 8 – What makes you tick? The Psychology of Our Motivation

In Year 10, during Summer, I decided to join the gym. I was going to become a ‘Gym Bro’ (how wrong I could have been).

I thought I needed to get in shape to look better and have more fun.

But I didn’t want to get into more shape for myself.

That was three year’s ago.

What happened?

I failed.

Let’s take another goal. In Year 10, I also decided that I was going to start passing my exams with the sole purpose of reaching the A-level stage. What happened? I passed by the skin of my teeth, so much below my potential.

Not great isn’t it.

What’s the common theme, my motivation. Your motivation dictates how you are going to achieve success in relation to your goals.

Previous weeks have touched upon practical tips for success.

But let’s go back to the roots: why are you doing it?

What is your motivation?

I can shed some more light on this and how to utilise the right kind of motivation to ensure success. I will also make a case for intrinsic motivation over extrinsic motivation (more to come).

Why does motivation matter?

Well it’s simple. Our motivation allows us to seek goals and achieve great things. It’s clear.

The Self-Determination Theory (SDT) of motivation postulates three prongs. These three need to be met if you are going to be successful in achieving your goals:

  1. Autonomy: We need to be in control while achieving our goals that are important to us.
  2. Competence: We need to be good or become good at something so that the task satisfies us.
  3. Relatedness: We need to feel a sense of belonging / community when doing the activity.

We are more likely to be motivated and more likely to succeed if these three are achieved. But this theory then seeks to answer, what kind of motivation helps meet these three tests?

Intrinsic or Extrinsic?

Let’s start with some definitions:

  1. Intrinsic Motivation: Doing something because it makes us feel good?
  2. Extrinsic Motivation: Doing something because you will get a reward. The carrot instead of the stick.

I am going to make the case of Intrinsic Motivation being the key ingredient to success. Let’s start with a little brain problem – The Candle Problem:

  • Two teams: one with incentive rewards., and one without. They decided who could solve the problem the quickest,
  • Stick the candle to the wall,
  • The hypothesis is that the team who had an incentive should have been quicker,
  • They were three minutes slower.

When it comes to solving creative problems, the old ‘Carrot and Stick’ issue does not work.

Coming back to us, in the 21st Century, we are constantly being asked to solve complex problems. Extrinsic Motivation does not give you the optimal results.

Intrinsic Motivation does. Why?

  1. Mastery: Good intrinsic motivation allows us to become masters of a certain skill.
  2. Autonomy: Good intrinsic motivation gives us autonomy. This increases our engagement with the activity.
  3. Purpose: This makes us realise that we are doing it for a purpose transcendent to ourselves. We are serving something bigger.

I want to stick with the last one because it’s the hardest to figure out. Let’s go back to my stories. Instead of trying to attract more people / pass the next exam, I changed my purpose. I went to the gym because I am a healthy person. I passed my exams because I am a person who loves to learn.

I made that goal my identity. Tony Robbins said it best. If you want to quit smoking, don’t set a time, become a ‘non-smoker’ make that identity.

A higher purpose will form a part of your identity. If it becomes you, you will be successful.

So whether you want to become fitter, more financially free, smarter or more. Make sure your motivation is something internal. You will have a greater chance of succeeding.

So here is my weekly challenge:

  1. Take one goal.
  2. Write down your reason – does it align with those three prongs of internal motivation.
  3. Ask yourself, am I feeling in control, getting better and a sense of belonging when doing this.
  4. If the answer’s No to both, change it.

Have a great week 🙂

Dylan