What Is Internal Motivation?
Each one of us has experienced it. You can bring a horse to water. The million dollar question is ‘how to make the horse drink’. It is the same with all of us. Unless we are interested in doing a activity we will not be inclined to do it. How can we find that all important internal motivation that will support long-lasting behaviour in us?
"Internal motivation" means that your motivation to accomplish your goal comes from within you. Your motivation is from you. It is determined by your own values and goals. Take the example of going to college. If you go to college because you want to study well, get good marks and become a achiever then it is self motivation. You do a job because you want to do it and you like doing it. Whereas if you are going to college because your father wants you to go and you don’t wish to hurt him, then it is external motivation. You are going to college because your father wants you to go.
Internal motivation is superior to external motivation. With internal motivation you perform because you like to perform, you enjoy doing it. With internal motivation you will never lose interest in life, you will never get bored or unhappy. With internal motivation, it is much easier to stay academically motivated. Trying to find some internal value in everything you have to do academically can improve your overall motivation.
Three conditions promote the development of internal motivation:
- You need a warm, responsive, and supportive environment.
- You must have enough autonomy to have a sense of self-determination.
- You need guidance and structure, including information about expected behaviors, why they’re important, and consequences for not engaging in them.
Here are some suggestion that will improve your self motivation or internal motivation.
Make a contract with yourself – identify a goal (personal or professional) that will help keep you motivated. “If I work the next 3 months I will be able to take that vacation to Disney World.”
Identify steps to meet the goal that you can accomplish daily or weekly – “I must save $50 per week to put in the vacation fund.”
Use visual cues to reinforce your motivation – Cut out pictures from a magazine to post at home or carry last year’s Disney photos.
Surround yourself with positive people – stay away from the gossiping, unmotivated, negative employees who live by the phrase, “misery loves company.” Instead seek out those who value the same things you do, i.e. “work hard, play hard.”
Reward yourself each step along the way. “You met your goal for the week so treat your self to a movie or dinner.” You deserve it!
