Using Motivation Effectively

                There are many reasons you may choose to make the choices you make. It comes down to your motivation orientation. There are two main forms of motivation:

Intrinsic factors that come from within which tend to be more voluntary, self-endorsed, and/or self- determined. These lead to greater autonomy and can help you break free from people-pleasing traps or an un-serving autopilot that leads you away from your goals or the person you would like to be.

Extrinsic factors are not always bad, though they tend to rely on outside forces – which may be good, bad, and/or not always readily available and there tends to be pressures or restrictions. This form can be much more controlled. Sometimes that is needed, other times it takes away from your freedom of choice.

                I bring these points up because it is noticeable in how it gets in the way of people’s goals for themselves. They enjoy the good feelings of making someone else happy even if it is possibly at risk of their own happiness. Or I see people working so hard on goals other people want for them, that they lose sight on the goals they had originally wanted. Has this happened to you?

                I in no way mean we should not do things for other people and agree there are so many goals we can work on in collaboration – not just a pure focus on the self. All I am suggesting is some awareness for what is the motivating factor and how it is serving  for both you as yourself and for you with the people around you.

                The good news is that there are three questions we can ask ourselves to help bring up this awareness and allow for better reflection. The three questions come from a Positive Psychology exercise:

1.      What am I doing?

2.      Why am I doing it?

3.      Where is it taking me?

The first two are natural questions to ask to bring some awareness to the present moment and present intention. The third question I find so powerful in that it allows you to travel down your timeline for a stretch and see if this is even where you are trying to go. If the answer is yes, then you get to keep on your path. If the answer is no, then you have a sign to change course.

                No worries if you are on the wrong course, it happens. An issue only arises when you do not take notice when you are on the wrong course. You may get so far down you feel you cannot turn back. You can always turn back; there is always time to make the right choices for you, and you will likely enjoy a purposely chosen path much more.

                As always, I am here, simply reach out.