What Is Self-Motivation? and How Does It Work?

Note: This article is by Rick Ornelas, a positive change expert and author of 12 Hours of Heaven, who talks about self-motivation.

I was very confident, so I wasn't concerned about the situation. Also, I was not nervous because this was not my first interview on campus. The young interviewer wasn't much older than me, and he was completely relaxed.

In other words, he didn't intimidate me at all, even though I knew he was trying to assert his authority over me. Keith wanted the interview outside to keep it as informal as possible, so I didn't let seeing beautiful female students all around prevent me from doing so.

So why didn't I respond to his question immediately?

After sipping some water and going back twenty years in my memory to find the answer, I realised why it took me so long to respond.

What Is Self-Motivation?

Both answers were seared into my mind from a lecture on motivation I attended during my first college year. The lecture was titled "Introduction to Psychology," and it covered the distinction between self-motivation and external incentives.

The definitions provided by my psychology professor and the American Psychological Association actually bear a lot of similarities:

External incentives are external motivators for engaging in a particular activity that originates from punishment or reward expectations, such as pursuing a promotion for greater pay.

On the contrary, self-motivation is the motivator for engaging in a particular activity that originates from mere enjoyment of the activity itself rather than from the possibility of obtaining any external benefits, such as working hard for a promotion to be committed to your work.

As I sat across from "Keith," I remembered the differences between the two motivations and my perplexity over his question. His suggested answers indicated that he was motivated by an external incentive while I was not, neither at present nor throughout my life. I soon realised that I was self-motivated in many contexts, including work, sports, education, and general life. This raises a few questions: Where did my intrinsic motivations come from? What does self-motivation mean exactly for most people? And how does it work?

Let's examine these more closely to help you recognise these motivations in your life and learn how to manage them.

In the Beginning

Since our childhood, we learn from many sources and environments, including our families, friends, teachers, and society. As with all social creatures, we learn through imitating behaviour.

One of the first lessons is that our behaviours have consequences. They can take many different forms, from getting a gold star for doing our homework to losing our favourite toy as a punishment for misbehaving. As a result, we analyse our motivations to engage in a particular behaviour based on each situation.

This is why psychologists claim that intrinsic curiosity and exploration are linked to self-motivation. This is an important concept in developmental psychology and has been said to be a crucial mechanism for human cognitive development, where these motivating factors affect us during various stages of our lives and formative years, consciously or unconsciously.

In Development

When we are self-motivated, we enjoy the task itself. Therefore, we perform it without regard for others' opinions or actions. We are motivated by internal growth, satisfaction, and enjoyment. So, we follow this internal drive when acting. Thinking back to our earlier example, this pertains to a person who aspires to a promotion to demonstrate their commitment to their work and for personal fulfilment.

Psychological rewards are always internally driven and can stem from enjoying the work, feeling satisfied with the effort, or even the mental growth that learning provides.

For many people, this can ignite an internal conflict where they are caught between what they should and want to do. This conflict may manifest in many areas ranging from secondary to primary conflict.

This can be seen in decisions about what to eat, study, or play on a video game. Also, it may have very significant long-term consequences, like choosing your college major or your future residence.

This conflict can sometimes lead to an inability to make decisions,, which can harm the individual.

The most concrete example involves putting obligations ahead of desires in two crucial areas of people's lives: money and job, where many people pick a career that pays well over one they enjoy or even like more.

Considering this, it is not surprising that 85% of respondents to a Gallup global survey said they were dissatisfied with their current jobs—a depressing statistic for sure. However, this indicates that people are unhappy, and it is clear that they are not self-motivated. Rather, it is evident that external incentives drive them. But is this really a bad thing?

Sincerely, the answer depends on you. If you are leading a life of uncertainty and regret, then the answer may be yes. However, it may be a "no" if you are content and enjoying abundance. Nevertheless, there are strategies to improve your self-motivation in any situation. The secret to this is your mindset and focus on any task or situation.

Releasing Your Self-Motivation

Assume you have to dig a trench. Many people may find that this is a task they would not choose or enjoy without getting paid or being forced to do it (both external incentives). However, what if you were excavating the trench to construct a swimming pool for your family's enjoyment? This would undoubtedly change things for you and most others.

You might think about how nice the weather is or how this exercise will be great now. If you choose this mindset, you will be satisfied to see digging as a useful task to strengthen your physical structure, and then your mindset will shift towards growth and development.

Though these thoughts might seem external, they are essentially a type of "growth motivation," as defined by psychologist Abraham Maslow. This motivation type leads to growth beyond basic needs, and its core involves skills, abilities, and creative tendencies.

Maslow suggested that motivation could result from an individual's attempt to meet 5 basic needs classified in a hierarchy from bottom to top:

• Physiological needs, such as eating, drinking, and sleeping.
• Safety needs, physical safety.
• Social needs, such as the need for family and friendship.
• Self-esteem needs (from oneself and the environment).
• Self-actualisation needs.

Additionally, he recognised that these needs could create internal pressures that affect a person's behaviour, and these developmental motivations are crucial for realising our potential and fulfilling our desires. So, how does all this psychological chatter fit with your self-motivation?

This psychological language holds the key to unlocking your self-drive. Once you know where your internal growth is coming from, you can start directing your attention there rather than toward any external reward. When you do that, you'll find that work turns into pleasure and suffering becomes advancement, leading to personal development and growth.

You may wonder how this magical act can bring years of success and happiness, but it does for me. So here are some tips to help.

5 Tips to Help Build Your Self-Motivation

1. Start by examining the components of each situation or task you face.
2. Break it down into individual components, and consider the reasons, approaches, and characteristics of each.
3. Focus on the aspect that will bring you internal satisfaction or enjoyment.
4. Establish this as the activity's cornerstone.
5. Be grateful for this component, at least.

In Conclusion

Practice will help you become more harmonised with your inner drive and desire for self-actualisation, making you happier and more appreciative. Also, you might even excel in races or job interviews, as I did.

My success stemmed from understanding self-development and the advantages of self-motivation in every situation, not from my investment with "Keith" or the financial industry.