Are you a fan of #lifehack type articles on how to keep yourself motivated and how to get more done in less time?

The thing is it’s not about finding a #lifehack, a recipe, a set of steps to follow in order to skyrocket your productivity and help you achieve your goals. It’s more about your Motivation, where it comes from and what kind of motivation it is.

Why is motivation important?

Motivation is the driving force behind our actions and is completely dependent on our values. In other words, motivation is fueled by whatever is important for u to achieve at a certain moment in time, in a situation or in an area of our lives. The kind of motivation we are expressing towards the activities we choose to do, has a direct effect on our results.

Motivation – Does it come from outside or from inside?

You may be motivated to do your work because you enjoy it, whether you enjoy the process itself or the final product. Whatever it is, it’s about you rather than other things or people.

Or you may be motivated to do your work because this is the only way you can earn an income. This is extrinsic motivation, meaning you are working for a reward (coming from outside).

Motivation – Are you aiming for a reward or are you running away from the stick?

You may be motivated to work for money / achievement / recognition / a promotion / a certain weight. if so, you are working towards a goal.

And if in your work you are motivated by thoughts like not being poor / not disappointing someone / keeping your job / not failing an exam / not getting fat, then your attitude is to do your work as long as it keeps you away from whatever terrible thing might happen if you’d do otherwise.

How does motivation work?

Motivation is the fuel for your action as long as it satisfies your goal, whether that goal is towards something, away from something, extrinsic or intrinsic.

However, the best motivation you can have for anything you decide to do, should be towards a goal. If you have your goal in sight, if you can see yourself achieving it and feel the joy of getting there, you are much more likely to actually achieve it. What’s more, you know where you want to get, and when you know the destination, you are able to follow the map to get there.

If however your motivation is to stay away from something, you will achieve that too, but you will stop working as soon as you think you are far away enough from the terrible thing you are running away from. If your goal is not to be poor, than you’ll be happy as long as you won’t be poor, whatever your definition for “being poor” is. When you achieve that goal, you’ll stop working because there is no next step, no higher goal, no motivation. You’ll start working again only when the feeling of “being poor” kicks in again. What’s more, when you have an away from attitude to a goal, you are focusing on the negative aspect, meaning on “being poor”, rather than “achieving a certain wealth” for instance.

So, when setting a goal, think about the motivation behind it. Is it intrinsic or extrinsic? Is it towards or away from something? And if it’s an away from, how could you define your goal to be towards something?

And what should you do when you’re just about to achieve your goal? – Set another one, higher and bolder!