Motivation: Where Does It Come From?

Mo·ti·va·tion [moh-tuh-vey-shuhn] 

Motivation is literally the will to do something in which produces an outcome or result for an action.

There are two forms of motivation: Extrinsic & Intrinsic. These two types of motivation are also very common identifiers for personality and character. An extrinsic person is motivated by a reward, whereas an intrinsic individual is motivated by the personal gratification the action produces. 

Here are examples in motion: 

Bob has a deadline to meet for his newest marketing proposal. He knows that landing the proposal will get him a significant raise. Bob is motivated by the extrinsic factor of money.

Katie decides to take a 10 mile run on a rainy day. Katie enjoys running, despite the dull weather, Katie chooses to run 10 miles, regardless of the climate. Katie is motivated by intrinsic factors. 

Why are these types of motivation important in differentiating? They are a remarkable measure of our efforts when goal-setting. When setting a goal for yourself make sure to question whether is has extrinsic or intrinsic value to you, if it does not, you are likely setting yourself up for failure. Intrinsic and extrinsic values are keys to motivation, and motivation is the measure for which we set out to actually achieve goals we set.