Are you motivated from the inside or outside?
All of us have many things to do in life, starting from the simple act of getting up from the bed in the morning to completing a very complicated project. Some of us seem like having a motor attached, doing everything on time, successfully completing work and achieving dreams, whatever the dream may be. The rest of us range from those who struggle to stay afloat to those who do not even try. Lack of motivation can be an indication of psychological depression, but all those who are not motivated are not depressed.
Motivation does not differ only in the magnitude in different people, but also the type of motivation that moves a person to action. This depends on whether the driving force comes from outside (extrinsic) or inside (intrinsic). For example, a person might finish an assignment to get praise from superiors or because that person is interested in that assignment and the completion itself gives him/her satisfaction.
Being motivated internally can be the best thing to happen to a person because he/she does not need anything from outside to get satisfaction. Many of us find ourselves doing work which is not interesting, only for financial gains. However it is possible to move from a state of lack of motivation to being interested in a task by using several techniques.
One way is to reward yourself for tasks completed successfully. Very often we do not get appreciation for small achievements; it will help if you can treat yourself to an ice cream or chocolate. This is actually motivating yourself extrinsically, but regular extrinsic motivation can lead to finding internal satisfaction.
Set micro goals on the way to reach a bigger goal. Being able to reach these smaller goals will in itself give you the drive to go forward. Increase your level of proficiency. A task that is easy for you has more psychological advantage. It will help you if you have an idea of the individual components that go into the task. For example, if you have to climb a mountain, it will definitely help if you have some rock climbing and trekking skills.
Try to have a feeling of ownership for your work rather than thinking that you are doing someone else’s work. Give it a special touch from your side and make it your task psychologically.
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