Types of motivation: internal, definition, external, classification of motives in psychology, concept, forms, levels

Each person comes into this world with his own purpose. This is what he should strive for. Only in this case does a person’s life gain meaning.

All dreams are meaningless, all plans will be covered with cobwebs, goals will not be achieved if they are not secured with actions. Is it possible to get to the right place with just a map, but without moving? Can the strictest and fairest law stop a criminal who has only heard of it? Is knowledge alone enough to become successful? Only action can lead to a person’s goal, only action will prevent crime, and it also affects our whole life. And what motivates a person to act is called “motivation”.

What is motivation: description

There is no clear definition of motivation. It is a set of external and internal motives that encourage an individual to act in one way or another.

The basis of motivation is the desire to carry out any action. It reflects the needs, interests and aspirations of a person, so motivation is always individual.

The main component of motivation is the presence of a motive. This is the standard (imaginary or real) that an individual strives to achieve.

Definition

What is motivation? To have at least the slightest idea about such a concept as motivation, let’s look at its definition. In Latin, "muvere" (to move) defines the word "motive", which is a derivative of the word "motivation".

Thus, we can give several options for the concept of this word:

encouragement to action;
a psychophysiological process that controls human behavior, setting its direction, organization, activity and stability.
a set of motivating factors that determine human activity.

Experts disagree on what motivation is. Some believe that it is a set of processes, while for others, a set of motives determines motivation. The motive is a material object, the desire for which determines the meaning of actions. For people, this is expressed in anxiety or worries, which in the future can cause both positive (in case of achieving the object) and negative (in case of dissatisfaction with the situation) emotions.

An example would be a desire caused by hunger. A person strives to get food in order to satisfy his desire. Positive emotions are caused by the fact that the goal is close, and negative emotions - if such an opportunity is not foreseen in the near future, in this case dissatisfaction appears.

How motivation works: moving towards a goal

The main motivators that push a person to action are the desire to achieve something and the fear of losing something. The first includes all activities aimed at various achievements (purchase, search, victory), and the second includes the desire to avoid losses (time, finances, opportunities).

All others are derivatives of these 2 factors. A person commits all his actions because of one of these incentives.

For one person, going to the gym with a lot of people is a positive aspect, because there is an opportunity for communication, but for another, it is a negative aspect, because a large crowd of people makes him feel uncomfortable.

Maslow's Hierarchy Theory

How to find motivation? You need to have certain knowledge to answer this question. In order to bring together many ideas about innate needs, the American psychologist had to carry out a thorough analysis of a person’s character, its changes depending on a change in goal, and study the types of motivation. The main provisions of this concept are:

a person always has a need for something, it does not depend on gender and age;
strongly expressed needs that an individual experiences in certain situations can be combined into groups;
the arrangement of these groups is built on a hierarchical principle;
a person takes actions due to unmet needs;
after some time, the person becomes dissatisfied again, he wants to get more;
in a normal state, an individual feels several needs, they can be interconnected;
first, the desires at the base of Maslow’s pyramid are satisfied, then the upper needs begin to influence;
a person is able to find a greater number of ways to satisfy high needs than low ones.

Later, American psychologist Abraham Maslow added several more important components of the pyramid. In his work “Toward the Psychology of Being,” the author identified growth needs that turned out to be difficult to describe. This book includes such interesting qualities as perfection, the desire to be above others, justice, responsibility, beauty, friendliness, completeness. The author described in detail the forms of motivation.

Maslow believes that in many cases, growth needs are the most powerful motivator for achieving goals. Each person can check the authenticity of these words for himself. It is enough to write down the most significant needs, arrange them according to a hierarchical principle: at the bottom is what is satisfied first, at the top is what you have to work hard for.

According to Maslow, only 2% of the population reaches the stage of self-realization, while others are forced to constantly strive for perfection. For many people, motivation to act appears only in critical situations.

Types of motivation in psychology

In psychology, there are the following types (types) of motivation:

internal and external;
positive and negative;
stable and unstable.

These are the main types of motivational formations.

There is also active (diversive) and passive motivation. The first includes internal stimulation, the second - external.

External and internal motivation

They are also called extrinsic and intrinsic. External (extreme) is based on the influence of external factors: conditions and circumstances that do not relate to individual types of activity. Often the motivation for doing something is the positive example of another person. This is called a functional motive.

Internal (intrinsic) motivation has internal reasons emanating from life values: goals, needs, desires, etc.

Each of them has its own characteristics:

External motivation is aimed at quantity, and internal motivation is aimed at the quality of work performed.
When the external task is achieved, it ceases to motivate, and the internal one becomes even more active.
Intense motivation is a stronger incentive than extrinsic motivation.
As you gain self-confidence, intrinsic motivation increases.

Positive and negative

The main forms of incentives can be divided into negative and positive. Positive ones push to action when a person is in anticipation of benefit. This encourages you to perform your duties more efficiently and meet deadlines. Such motivation plays an important role in achieving high results and increases work efficiency. Motivation in a work team can be not only material reward, but also psychological methods of influence.

There are the following principles that confirm the effectiveness of positive stimulation:

increasing the importance of the individual, leading to improved quality of work;
increased motivation to take further actions after receiving benefits or moral encouragement;
confidence in your actions and rapid achievement of success.

Negative motivation involves various punishments for failure to complete a task or poorly done work. According to research, long-term negative motivation leads to loss of interest in the duties performed, cultivates a feeling of fear, reluctance to act, reduces self-esteem and contributes to the development of complexes.

Accordingly, positive motivation stimulates action, and negative motivation strengthens discipline during the performance of an activity. The latter is not capable of revealing internal potential; its main task is to keep the individual within the established framework.

Negative motivation loses its power if it is not used in combination with positive one.

Stable and unstable

Sustainable motivation includes the daily needs of people:

hunger;
thirsty;
dream;
sex;
communication;
acquiring new knowledge.

A person consciously carries out activities without putting much effort into it.

Unsustainable motivation is weaker. It must be constantly supported by external factors.

Additional classification of motivation

The classification of motives is quite broad. According to psychological and sociological research, there are additional motivational types (incentives) - the basis of motivation:

Self-affirmation is the desire for recognition in one’s environment. It ensures personal development and awakens self-esteem.
Identification is the desire to be like one’s idol, the desire to match his set of qualities.
Power is the need to influence the activities of others, the desire to dominate and exercise control over people.
Procedural-substantive – the need for active activity, receiving pleasure directly from the process.
Self-development is a person’s desire to develop and improve. It is associated with self-affirmation.
Achievements – the desire to achieve better results, to become a leader in your field.
A prosocial motive is a sense of duty to society, the manifestation in the process of achieving a goal of such qualities as responsibility, self-confidence, tolerance, etc.
Affiliation - association: the desire to make contact, find new connections, maintain friendly relations with other people.

Each type is divided into several levels, which depend on individual conditions:

the significance of achieving the goal;
confidence in its achievement;
individual perception of the result of their activities.

At different times, people's values, motives and capabilities differ significantly.

Main characteristics

The phenomenon of motivation can be described through the following characteristics:

Directional vector.
Organization, sequence of actions.
Stability of selected goals.
Assertiveness, activity.

Based on these parameters, the motivation of each individual is studied, which is important, for example, at school. These characteristics are also of great importance when choosing a profession. A sales manager, for example, must be consistently focused on high income and active in achieving the goal.

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Content theories of motivation

Sociology and management often use substantive theories of motivation. Such concepts are based on the study of human needs, since they are considered fundamental factors in the formation of motivation.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory

This theory states that the satisfaction of all needs has a clear sequence: first, the needs of the lower level are satisfied, and then the higher ones.

Schematically they are depicted in the form of a pyramid consisting of 5 levels:

Physiological needs (food, water, air, sleep, etc.).
Security (stability, security).
Social needs (communication, love, friendship).
Prestige (career, authority).
Spiritual needs (knowledge, skills, art, self-development and personal growth).

Alderfer's ERG theory

Based on Alderfer's theory, people have 3 main needs:

Existential (physical needs, safety).
Establishing contacts (communication, belonging to a group).
Self-realization (career growth, creativity).

According to this theory, movement from 1 level to the next can occur both from bottom to top and from top to bottom.

McClelland's theory of acquired needs

In this theory, needs are reduced only to high levels:

The need for belonging.
The desire for power.
Self-realization.

Herzberg's two factor theory

Herzberg's theory provides for the presence of 2 factors that influence employee motivation:

Hygienic (retention) - conditions and nature of work, wages, relationships with colleagues and management.
Motivational (stimulating) - recognition, self-realization, climbing the career ladder.

Extrinsic versus intrinsic motivation: which is stronger?

One side of motivation supports the other. Praise, gratitude or feedback from a client evokes a sense of professionalism and competence, which increases internal motivation. Then, for the sake of approval from outside, you want to increase your skills, efficiency, and develop as a person. Falling in love with work and being inspired by the activity appears.

The relationship between internal and external is shown in the types of motivation that express the desire for success, popularity, recognition of significance, overcoming and self-overcoming (improvement), and vocation. These types are presented in the form of a ladder of human self-development. They show how a focus on external success creates people who are satisfied with their work.

Process theories of motivation

They are designed to analyze how efforts are distributed to achieve a goal, and what style of behavior is chosen. An important factor is the conditions for satisfying needs: good pay and high evaluation of work.

Vroom's expectancy theory

According to the theory of expectations, to stimulate a person to activity, one need is not enough. You need to be confident that they will lead to the desired result.

Conditions influencing motivation:

Waiting for the desired result.
Reward for results.
Reward value.

Motivation increases in direct proportion to the increase in each of these factors.

In the absence of even 1 of them, motivation will disappear.

Adams' theory of equality of justice

The theory of justice states that a person independently evaluates the relationship between the efforts made and the reward received, and compares his work with similar ones. Making such a comparison can lead to feelings of injustice.

There are 6 reactions to injustice:

reduction of effort;
desire to increase remuneration;
decreased self-esteem;
an attempt to influence the workload and salary level of other employees;
finding another comparison object;
desire to change position or place of work.

Porter Lawler model

This theory is based on the fact that people’s motivation is influenced by many factors, including:

effort expended;
final result;
remuneration;
perception of reward;
degree of satisfaction.

According to this theory, putting in more effort leads to employee satisfaction with the final result.

E. Locke's theory of goal setting

Locke's assumption is that goal setting is a cognitive process that has practical benefits. According to the theory, personal conscious intentions and goals determine human behavior. This behavior continues until this goal is achieved. Intention is a fundamental factor in goal setting. The author of the theory uses the term conscious goals and intentions to show that high goals lead to higher levels of performance.

The concept of participatory management

This concept proclaims the need to involve employees in the management of the company to stimulate them. There are 3 levels of participation:

Development of proposals.
Creating an alternative.
Decision-making.

This concept can only be implemented in companies with hardworking and creative staff.

Modern Z Ouchi Theory

The concept of motivation differs in many cultures. Japanese experiments in the field of psychology and medicine prompted the brilliant American psychologist William Ouchi to create his own model Z. It is based on the principle of collectivism, when a person is presented not as a separate element, but as an important part of the entire mechanism. And if he refuses his work, then the whole device will immediately collapse.

To use Theory Z, you need to understand that most employees like to work in a team rather than handle a difficult task alone. In addition, employees are firmly confident that the employer will take care of them, and they, in turn, will do a high-quality job. Model Z will actively develop if the company meets the wishes of employees. The manager must give employees the opportunity to improve their skills and get promoted up the career ladder.

Mutual understanding and mutual commitment are the main principles of motivation, the key to a successful business and an excellent tool for stimulating employees. Employees interested in increased pay, receiving awards and badges, bonuses and changing positions will strengthen the company’s position and promote it to a leading position.

Applicable in this case are motivation methods that affect staff, students and the person himself. In all cases, it is necessary to focus on material incentives and compliance with moral standards. For example, students receive a scholarship for successful studies, and staff receive a scholarship for quality work completed on time. However, with self-motivation the situation is a little more complicated. It is always difficult to start, namely to find a reason for which all efforts will be made. Nevertheless, it is one’s own desire that can radically change not only life, but also the person himself.

Theories based on a specific picture of a person

There are 2 concepts based on a specific picture of a person: “Theory X and Y” by McGregor and “Theory Z” by Ouchi. They describe the types of work motivation.

McGregor's XY theory

These are 2 theories in which the author compares the employee’s incentives and the behavior of the company’s management from 2 sides.

Theory X states that:

people are naturally lazy and use every opportunity to procrastinate;
a person seeks to escape responsibility, so he becomes an employee;
he adheres to principles such as stability and security;
sheds ambition as ballast;
complete control, pressure and the threat of punishment push a person to work with greater efficiency.

According to Theory Y:

work is an integral part of human life;
good working conditions contribute to the development of responsibility and control over one’s actions;
creative and intellectual potential is not fully used;
Having achieved the goal, the person receives encouragement.

These are 2 diametrically opposed theories that have the right to life.

Ouchi's Z Theory

In addition to the previous 2 theories, American professor William Ouchi developed Theory Z. It is based on collective principles of motivation, according to which the incentives of employees should be influenced by the company’s values:

coincidence of the goals of the employee and the enterprise;
proper organization of work;
dedication to the team and common goals;
solidarity;
confidence.

Positive aspects of this theory:

The vector of attention is aimed at motivating all employees.
The presence of managers in the company, their positive communication with subordinates.
Organization of on-the-job training.
Providing growth opportunities.

Disadvantages of the theory:

Excessive requirements for applicants.
Compliance with established principles, patriarchy.
Slow promotion.

The struggle of motives

As already mentioned, a person is simultaneously driven by many different motives. And not all of them are equivalent and equally directed. Here's a classic example. A person sets an alarm clock at night, intending to get up early the next morning - for example, to go for a morning run. But the morning comes, the alarm clock rings, and this person no longer wants to get up. He finds himself in a situation where he needs to make a specific decision, and it depends on what motives prevail in him at the moment. Here we come across what is called willpower.

This example is not particularly critical, but there are situations in life when a person has to make very difficult choices. Any of the options for action is motivated in a certain way, and this brings discomfort and even real torment. So, in some cases we are faced with a choice - to save ourselves from trouble or to save our loved ones at the cost of our own lives. Such internal conflicts can lead to the development of depression or neurosis.

What should you do if you need to make such a choice? Experts advise not to give in to emotions and carefully consider all options if possible. There must be a rational approach here; you need to weigh all the pros and cons, the benefits and deprivations that the choice you make will bring. And above all, one should be guided by socially significant motives. After all, it often happens that we achieve our goal by “walking over our heads,” as a result of which friends, close people, and relatives turn away from us, as a result, we lose more than we gain.

A person is not aware of all his motives, but control of his motivational sphere is available to us. It is necessary to create a hierarchy of needs and motivations for yourself and focus on the most significant and important of them. Such a hierarchy will be associated primarily with social values.

The “pyramid of needs” compiled by the American psychologist Abraham Maslow is widely known. This system distributes needs into “lower” ones, which make humans related to other animals, and “higher” ones, which are unique to humans. It is curious that the lower needs are associated with the individual survival of the organism, while the higher ones pursue social goals. The highest needs are the need to understand one’s connection with the entire universe, and not just with one’s small group or human society in general.

Having certain needs, a person acquires the motivations associated with them. And they motivate him to do certain things. It happens that an activity seems “higher”, but in reality a person is guided by “lower” motives. So, a musician can create fashionable but primitive music just to feed himself (and generally make money). It happens that “for bread” people create real masterpieces. In other cases, setting “lower” goals is only an intermediate step, while in reality the person is motivated by higher considerations. Thus, the father of the family can take care of his health in order to have the strength to provide for his wife and children.

Methods of motivation in practice

There are many ways to motivate, and they all differ from one another.

Staff motivation

Social motivation is a system of moral, material and professional incentives for an employee.

It aims to increase employee activity and productivity. The measures used for this may depend on various conditions:

incentive systems at the enterprise;
features of enterprise management;
areas of its activity;
number of personnel;
management style, etc.

Motivation methods are divided into 3 groups:

economic (material);
organizational and administrative (following regulations);
socio-psychological (following social interests).

The most effective is the carrot and stick method, which is practiced by many enterprises.

Student motivation

It is also important for students and schoolchildren, as it contributes to good learning. It allows you to set long-term goals, choose a behavioral strategy, and achieve high results.

Motivation in children and adolescents rarely arises spontaneously. In this regard, psychologists and educators have developed various techniques to induce motivation. They provide an opportunity to develop safely, learn and experience new things. These techniques include:

attracting attention (interesting experiences and facts, comparisons, life stories);
experiencing emotions when presenting materials due to their scale and value;
making comparisons between scientific research and life experience;
creating an atmosphere of scientific discussion, educational discussion;
joyful experience of achievements;
giving information the effect of novelty;
equating educational materials to the category of achievements, their updating;
application of positive and negative motivation;
formation of social motives (the desire to acquire an authoritative opinion, to contribute to development).

Consolidating results and maintaining motivation

There are 6 main ways to achieve what you want. Each of them is unique in its own way and is used in connection with specific conditions. The most important principle of any motivation is to do what you like and benefit. Only such things allow you to gain satisfaction; they are supported by an internal desire, the desire to accomplish the task in any way. These are the recommendations:

Focus on the end result. Any task requires a special approach and considerable effort. Instead of focusing on the difficulties, you should remember the reason for which you will go all the way.
Think only about victory. You should start by doing easy tasks and then enjoy the results. This, firstly, will cheer you up and help you gain confidence, and secondly, it will fill a person with energy to perform further actions.
Do any difficult task. After you have successfully completed several easy tasks, you should take yourself to a more difficult task. If you postpone a difficult mission until the end of the day, it will smoothly move on to the next day, week, month. Thus, a difficult task will become almost impossible.
Take regular breaks. When a person has rested and feels a new surge of strength, it is much easier for him to start performing any task. Instead of spending hours doing tedious work, you should relax and get some rest. This will bring you organization and help you do what you love without being distracted by extraneous things.
Don't burden yourself with unnecessary troubles. Many people are often overwhelmed with goals and tasks, they want to achieve a lot quickly, but in the end they get nothing. The desire to be the smartest, most beautiful, the strongest is, of course, good, but you shouldn’t set such global goals for yourself. You should concentrate on one specific task.
Reward yourself for success. Often there is achievement motivation that needs to be stimulated independently. Small prizes for each correctly taken step encourage a person to continue to work efficiently.

How to increase motivation? Everything depends on the person and his desire, it must come directly from the soul. Human motivation is, first of all, perseverance, patience, the ability to work, the ability to understand one’s needs, and the ability to control the situation. Only those people who have good motivation are able to realize themselves in life.

Self-motivation

Self-motivation is the use of individual motivational methods based on personal beliefs:

desires and aspirations;
focus and consistency;
determination to act and consistency.

The main indicator of correct self-motivation is the situation when, in the presence of great interference from the outside, a person does not give up and continues to move towards his goal.

The individual performs conscious actions aimed at achieving the desired result.

To motivate yourself, you can use methods such as:

affirmations - a selection of positive statements that influence the individual’s subconscious and lead to a positive effect;
self-hypnosis is an influence that has a person’s independent influence on his own psyche, the purpose of which is to create a new behavioral model;
biographies of successful people are an effective way of stimulation based on studying the life stories of great personalities;
formation of strong-willed skills - performing actions aimed at overcoming one’s own laziness, fears and reluctance to act;
Visualization is an effective method that is based on the mental representation and emotional experience of achieved goals.

Self-hypnosis

Self-hypnosis can be effective only if a person has the ability to do so: he can influence his subconscious and psyche, causing the desired reaction and achieving a positive effect.

Biographies of successful people

Using this method is suitable for both children and adults. A person sees the full picture: there was a desire, then action followed, and then the result.

Visualization

Visualization is a powerful method of achieving goals, because thoughts tend to materialize. An important condition for its use is the presence of active actions to achieve goals.

Daily trainings for yourself and family

You can motivate yourself to complete tasks in a circle of close people, ask for advice and find out what other people think about you. Such methods of motivation help you look at yourself from the other side, see what is being done wrong, where a mistake is being made:

Braggart. Where to find motivation, how to develop it? This complex will help you change your ideas about your own life. The exercise is aimed at developing the inner world and unlocking creative potential. A person needs to imagine himself as the head of a well-known company; the boss has professional employees at his disposal. For the first time, a manager must reproach his employees, show his advantage, and deprive employees of a well-deserved bonus. In the second case, the boss should treat his team favorably. Listen to their requests, ideas, reward the best employees of the company. Thus, a person clearly sees that much depends on himself. The result of actions directly depends on a person’s attitude towards the process itself. A clear understanding of goals and ways to achieve them is the key to success and self-realization.
Analysis of justifications. How often does a person find a seemingly logical explanation for a situation, but at the same time say nothing about the mistakes made? The goal of this exercise is to understand that everything depends only on your own strengths, and not on imaginary problems. The exercise works as a motivation mechanism; it allows you to find the missing detail or missed action in time. Most of the reasons for failure are related to wrong thinking, choosing the wrong path. It is the person’s own fault that he failed to achieve what he wanted. But this is not a reason to give up all ideas and go into depression, this is just a starting point for new achievements. When an individual begins to look for external reasons for failure, then he blocks his true motives and desires. A search for other reasons may indicate that a person:

does not know how to organize and control himself;
does not know how to set priorities correctly;
does not know how to systematically perform work.

To complete the exercise, you should take a blank piece of paper and write a sentence, for example: “I did not complete this task because...”. It is necessary to analyze the justification and answer the questions:

Why was this particular justification chosen, is there an alternative to this?
Does it depend on external and internal factors?
What is preventing this situation from being corrected?

At this stage, you should consider what measures can be taken to achieve the goal. The main motivation tools: money, health, connections.

What determines the level of motivation?

Regardless of the incentive that helps a person move forward, the level of motivation is not constant and unchanging.

Depending on the actions performed, accompanying circumstances and other factors, its level can either increase or decrease.

Factors that determine motivation levels:

the significance of the achieved result;
faith in its achievement;
personal forecasts regarding the implementation of the plan;
own understanding and idea of success.

Individual motivation is always stronger, because it is aimed at achieving clear goals and obtaining measurable results.

Practical advice

Motivation is needed by those who want to force a person to fulfill demands and obey. Therefore, they manage children, subordinates, consumers - buyers of goods and services. Even the desire to have a slim body is an imposed motive. To avoid needing motivation, you need:

determine the type of activity you like;
identify the goal that can be achieved in this activity;
to have, as a result of achieving the goal, satisfaction of the financial and internal goals - gratitude, self-esteem, recognition of mastery.

That's when there will be no need for motivation. The purpose of the activity motivates itself.

Stages of motivation

Motivation is an extensive process that takes place in several stages.

At the beginning of the journey, a person has a need that he wants to satisfy.
At the next stage, ways to do this are identified.
Next, a specific goal is set - what exactly needs to be achieved in the final.
The last stage is the longest - these will actually be specific actions, work in the chosen direction.

If the result is successful, the person achieves the desired reward and remains satisfied. If there is a failure, this may negatively affect future plans. It is clear that next time it will be much more difficult to motivate a person who has already failed.

Practical psychologists help organize a comfortable environment for productivity growth and choose a specific method of motivation, because you need to take into account the individual characteristics of the individual, the accompanying factors of her life and other important points.

Our distance learning course in practical psychology will help you learn how to provide psychological services. You will not only master all the techniques for diagnosing and correcting psychological conditions, but also gain the right to apply them in practice to help people solve their problems and achieve their goals.

How to motivate yourself

Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Everything you do is your own choice. Wayne Dyer

Just get started and let your motivation catch up with you.

You don't have to wait for motivation to get started. If you want to work consistently, every day, then all you need to do is take the first step.

After some time, everything becomes easier and more interesting, and motivation will catch up with you.

Start small

If a project or goals are too big or difficult to achieve, don't let those circumstances hold you back.

Instead of casting negative connotations on your thoughts, break your tasks down into sub-goals and then focus on the next one and start moving forward.

Reduce daily distractions

When you are surrounded by distractions, it becomes difficult to concentrate.

So close your office door, put your phone on silent, and stop checking social media.

Get motivation from the people around you

Spend less time with negative people who always see the negative side of things in everything, filter what you tell them about or completely eliminate communication with them.

Pay more attention to a positive, successful environment, the energy of which will transfer to you and charge you for new achievements.

Get motivation from people you don't know

Don't limit yourself to the motivation you can only get from people close to you.

There are a large number of motivational books, videos, and other people's success stories that you can use to motivate yourself.

Listen to music that gives you energy

One of the simplest things that can help you motivate yourself when you feel low on energy or motivation is to listen to music that can inspire you.

So create a music playlist that can energize you.

Taking a break from work by listening to motivational music will have a positive impact on your progress.

Look for opportunities in negative events

A pessimistic attitude can drain your energy and motivation. On the other hand, having a positive and constructive way of looking at a situation can be a great way to motivate yourself.

So when you encounter a negative event, ask yourself, “What's good about it?” and “What is the hidden opportunity here?”

Then take the lessons learned and take steps to improve what you do.

Be kind to yourself when making mistakes

It's easy to fall into the trap of self-blame and self-hatred when you stumble or fail.

But this attitude is a conduit of negative energy, killing motivation and lowering your self-esteem.

So be kind to your beautiful self and if you fail, push yourself to get back on your path by taking another step forward.

Look back and evaluate the results

Instead of killing your motivation by comparing yourself to those ahead, look back.

There may still be a long way ahead of you, but so much has already been accomplished.

Friendly competition

As a rule, an element of competition enlivens the situation. Therefore, find yourself an opponent and come up with a friendly competition with a colleague, classmate, or other person engaged in the same activity.

For additional motivation, you can define a prize, for example, the winner receives a portion of ice cream or a bottle of whiskey.

Remind yourself why you are doing this

When you don't know how to motivate yourself, it's easy to lose sight of why you're doing it, why you started it all.

Therefore, take 2 minutes of free time and write down the 3 main reasons for taking your actions, getting an education, completing a project, saving money, etc., then post this entry in a visible place or save it on your smartphone.

Think about what you might be missing

You can motivate yourself to keep moving towards your goal by considering the negative consequences of stopping your actions. What you might end up missing out on.

Ask yourself: What might the results be if I continue doing this for another year? And within 5 years?

Be grateful for what you have

When your motivation level leaves much to be desired, it’s easy to start viewing your life in gloomy terms.

To recharge yourself with positivity and focus on what you have and who you are, ask yourself, “What are 3 things in my life that I take for granted but can be grateful for?”

Clean up your workplace

Having an uncluttered and minimalist workspace helps you think more clearly.

You'll feel more focused and ready to tackle the next challenge.

Reduce your to-do list to one task

An overcrowded to-do list can be a real motivation killer, so try reducing your current task list to just one.

Choose the most important one or the task that you have been putting off for too long, and then move on to completing it.

You will be surprised how soon all the tasks will be completed.

Don't forget about breaks

If you want to better understand how to motivate yourself, stop working nonstop.

Instead, work for 45 minutes every hour and use your rest breaks to grab a snack, get some fresh air, or stretch.

Target Calibration

If the size of a goal intimidates you, set a smaller goal to regain your motivation.

If a small goal doesn't feel inspiring, set the bar higher and see how it affects your motivation.

Physical exercise

Exercise has a positive effect on more than just your body.

20-30 minutes of physical exercise will reduce internal tension and allow you to concentrate again.

Celebrate your achievements

If you anticipate the reward that you will receive after achieving a goal, your motivation tends to increase.

No matter how big or small your current successes are, celebrate your results or give yourself a gift.

Be aware before you start

Studying other people's accomplishments in your field of interest will help you avoid pitfalls and create a realistic timeline for achieving your goals.

Otherwise, you may become demotivated if you don't progress as quickly as you originally thought.

Take a Meditation Break

When your mind is a little tired or very tired, your energy and motivation become depleted.

Therefore, in the afternoon, or whenever you consider it necessary, you can do meditation. Simply close your eyes and focus on your breathing for a period of time that is comfortable for you.

Meditation clears the mind and reduces internal stress.

Go for a walk

A walk in the fresh air is a great way to motivate yourself, as well as refresh your head and stretch your body.