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What Do We Need to Feel Motivated?
How to move along the spectrum of motivation.
The Mind, Explored.
January 28, 2024
Motivation determines our direction, intensity, and persistence in working towards a goal. It can come from inside (intrinsic) or outside (extrinsic).
Intrinsic motivation is driven by genuine interest and enjoyment, while extrinsic motivation is driven by a desire to earn a reward or avoid a punishment. When we are intrinsically motivated, studies prove that we feel more energised and we perform better.
In fact, giving someone an extrinsic reward (e.g. money) undermines their intrinsic motivation, making them feel less interested in the task.
This is why people often love being creative when it’s their hobby, but lose their passion when they try to make money from it.
The way we motivate a child, a teammate, or ourselves is not only important for productivity, but also for enjoyment.
So, how can we motivate from within? Ed Deci, one of the pioneers of the Self-Determination Theory, gives us the answer by asking a better question:
“Don’t ask how we can motivate people. That’s the wrong question. Ask how we can provide the conditions within which people can motivate themselves.”
Insight:
Deci and his research partner Ryan proposed that we have three psychological needs that need to be fulfilled to unleash the deep fulfilment and peak performance that comes from intrinsic motivation:
To feel self-determined, the people and environments around us must help us fulfil these needs.
Studies show that parents and teachers that are autonomy-supportive, rather than controlling, raise children who are more intrinsically motivated.
To learn how our digital environments influence our wellbeing by the way they satisfy or thwart these needs, check out the latest episode of MindTech with Professor Rafeal Calvo, the Director of the Wellbeing Technologies Lab at Imperial College London’s Dyson School of Design Engineering.
Developing an awareness of where we fall on the spectrum of motivation enables us to choose more motivating activities and reframe our existing activities to feel greater motivation:
There are a few complicated words here, but understanding them can facilitate:
a patient taking their medication,
a child paying attention in class, and
an employee feeling pride in their work.
Key Takeaway:
When we are given a task from an external source (e.g. our boss), framing it as an activity that aligns with our identity, values, and needs is going to make us feel more motivated, engaged, and happy.
Stripping away all external factors and considering what we would do ‘for the sake of it’ will reveal the types of work we are destined to thrive in. As the wise investor Naval once said:
‘What feels like play to you, but looks like work to others?’
Tool:
Creating the Conditions to Move Along the Spectrum…
By Developing Autonomy:
Do:
| Don’t:
|
By Developing Competence:
Do:
| Don’t:
|
By Developing Relatedness:
Do:
| Don’t:
|
"Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because they want to do it."
Prompt:
Think of a time when you felt unmotivated. Consider whether your needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness were met.
With this awareness, you can better prioritise these needs and create the conditions to feel highly self-motivated.
Resources on Self-Determination Theory:
One TedTalk: Promoting Motivation, Health, and Excellence (Ed Deci) - to hear it from Deci himself.
One video: Self-Determination Theory: 3 Basic Needs That Drive Our Behavior (Sprouts) - for more examples at each point along the spectrum of motivation.
One book: Why We Do What We Do: Understanding Self-Motivation (Ed Deci) - an easy-to-read deep dive into Deci’s research and findings on self-motivation.
Written by Dr Manu Sidhu 🩺
If you’re interested in hearing founders, investors, and experts explain how technology is being leveraged to improve mind health, check out the MindTech Podcast, also hosted by Dr Manu Sidhu.
The most recent episode takes a different approach from trying to build one almighty app for wellbeing, and instead focuses on how to prioritise wellbeing in every technology:
Available on Spotify and on YouTube.
Feel free to email back with any thoughts, questions, or ideas for us to explore.
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The Mind, Explored. is for informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information in this newsletter or materials linked from this newsletter is at the user’s own risk. The content of this newsletter is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of health care professionals for any such conditions.
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