Motivation is the ultimate secret to success. If you don't feel motivated, you will not try to take action.
Someone gets the motivation from the salary; they would be getting after calling on a position, where someone wants to on a particular job because they like the domain.
Well, this not just a part of the source of motivation. But, there is a colossal background.
When you act in a particular direction because you like doing it, you are motivated intrinsically. You don't look after the external rewards or the element like the deadline, but the motivation behind your action is only your likelihood.
For example, you are a topper in the class because you studied well. The reason behind the success is not because you wanted to be a topper or earn high grades. But, you like exploring and learning new topics. You enjoy every subject and have the interest to know about it in depth.
This could be the best example for you to understand the intrinsic motivation. Anyway, in this article, I will concentrate on the inherent basis, nature, and features. It can be a good post for you to understand the importance and nature of your inspiration.
What is intrinsic motivation?
Intrinsic motivation would be again a psychological behavior, where the emotion of motivation comes within you.
In another language, you can say the source of motivation for you comes from inside of you. You don't think about the external elements, such as money, fame, praise, etc. Rather, these things are not above the interest you have for a specific event.
It is just like, you eat food because you are hungry. It is an excellent example to understand the intrinsic motivation. The feeling of eating came within you, and you act accordingly.
Well, many theories explain intrinsic motivation differently. Every research tells something different. The very first theory of intrinsic motivation was based on people's desires and demands. Whereas hunger and thirst are natural desires, you are driven to stay healthy.
Simultaneously, just like the natural desires, you have psychological desires that need to be fulfilled for your development.
Research also says that every behavior is only driven by external rewards such as status, money, and praise. Well, in that case, I would say, in intrinsic motivation, your satisfaction is the only reward. As we have evidence that inherent reason purely comes within you, and you feel motivated after listing the voice that comes within you.
Let's have a look at the examples of intrinsic motivation.
Examples of intrinsic motivation
If you have any doubt about identifying the intrinsic motivation, This session will clear the query. So, please have a look:
You are taking part in a dance competition because you like dancing. Even you lose the battle, you don't get upset.
You learn a new language. The motivation is not because your job demands it. But, you like exploring the new wording.
Cleaning, because you like doing it, to keep your space clean. And not because you want to make anyone happy or wish to be praised.
Meditation, because you like reflection. You feel relaxing after doing it. You do it for yourself. And not because of the other factor.
Giving your time to someone because you like their presence, and not because of the social dignity.
Writing, not because of getting fame. But, you like to write down.
You are making art because you like doing it, and it gives you happiness. And this is not because you want to make money by selling it.
Multitasking at the office because you like to challenge your abilities and want to explore your limitation. And not because of any reward like promotion.
You are going to the gym because you like physical exercise and you don't just do it because you want to lose weight. Etc.
I hope these examples are enough to make you understand the intrinsic motivation.
What factors motivate you in intrinsic motivation?
Everyone is different, and thus their perspective to look after something. If someone gets motivated by the external factor, that doesn't mean another will get the same source's motivation.
However, both are effective. It depends on the person, how they react to their motivations. Whereas the experts always suggest that extrinsic motivation should be handled carefully due to its overjustification effects, as it can minimize the value of intrinsic motivation if it is rewarded frequently.
Even if the origin of the reason was within you, which means you were motivated intrinsically, but due to the often rewards, it may lose its value.
Let's understand the factors that are crucial about intrinsic motivation.
Challenge: Someone may like challenges. And, this could be the motivation for them to do a task. It helps them to keep going with the work and gives their work meaning.
Control: This factor is essential, as controlling power comes from your primary intention of what can happen. And thus, you make the decisions, which can also affect the outcome.
Curiosity: It is the origin of exploring, learning various things, and get a master's in the field.
These three factors play an important role in motivation. Also, these factors are so essential for intrinsic motivation for education.
How can you improve intrinsic motivation?
Here I have some tips for practicing intrinsic motivation.
Try to find fun in every activity you perform and find the task interesting to work on and engage.
Keep a challenging attitude, but challenge yourself to explore the goes. Get a mastering in the skills.
Help others who need help. It shouldn't matter who is the needy person. Help everyone to get self-satisfaction, rather than getting fame.
Make a list of your desired tasks. They may be the fantasies you wanted to complete some time.
Participate in various competitions, not for winning the battle, but to explore your limitations. Etc.
These will help you to figure out the task that gives you inner happiness that is not dependent on the external factors' satisfaction.
The power of inner satisfaction
We always neglect to be satisfied. Well, not always. We feel satisfaction from various things.
Like, if you wanted to earn a good salary, and you achieved it, it makes you happy. But, can you count it as a satisfactory achievement?
We often listen, people saying happy but not satisfied. But, why may this be happening? If you are happy, then why you are not satisfied.
So, it is clear that happiness and satisfaction are two different things. So, when you are satisfied from the deep inside of you due to any task, you are purely enjoying it.
Your satisfaction does not depend on external rewards, such as acclaim, money, or awards. Your satisfaction is your reward.
A feeling of satisfaction can give you a sense of self-progress and the motivation to get mastering the area. Also, let's not ignore that; the person feels positivity and can motivate others.
Are rewards always good?
It is essential to think that rewarding someone for something can be a medium of motivation for them, do the task more enthusiastically, and improve the performance.
However, experts disagree with the statement for all the cases. They don't agree to award the rewards always as a source of motivation.
It is also an essential point to note that the viewpoint of the individual looking towards the rewards also matters. Such as, a prize given to a sportsperson may confirm their victory. But, at the same time, the same award may be a kind of bribe for others.
Experts are very sure about their statement of rewards are not always suitable for the improvement of an individual as it is highly possible that it can act in the reverse direction too.
Why is intrinsic motivation better than extrinsic motivation?
Almost every study ends at the point that intrinsic motivation is better than extrinsic motivation. The reason behind the statement is that you can find the intrinsically motivated people having some qualities, which are:
Successful and Satisfied: They are more successful and satisfied with their work.
Committed: You will find them reaching their commitments.
Persistence: Such people are persistent towards their work and don't quit the job because of the difficulty.
Creative: Such people are more creative, as their motivation source is intrinsic.
The Bottom Line
Both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations are essential. But, the experts have a more inclination towards the inherent cause. The primary reason for this would be self-satisfaction.
At the end of the day, whether the person is motivated intrinsically or extrinsically, their satisfaction matters. At the same time, intrinsic motivation can apply to every aspect of your life and effective in all ways.
It would help if you shifted your focus from external rewards to internal satisfaction, and you can motivate yourself better than the superficial things that inspire you. Instead, you will automatically get the reasons to feel motivated.