Definition of motivation

The term motivation describes why a person does something. It is the driving force behind
human actions. Motivation is the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented
behaviors.
For instance, motivation is what helps you lose extra weight, or pushes you to get that
promotion at work. In short, motivation causes you to act in a way that gets you closer to
your goals. Motivation includes the biological, emotional, social, and cognitive forces that
activate human behavior.
Motivation also involves factors that direct and maintain goal-directed actions. Although,
such motives are rarely directly observable. As a result, we must often infer the reasons why
people do the things that they do based on observable behaviors.
What Are the Types of Motivation?
The two main types of motivation are frequently described as being either extrinsic or
intrinsic.
 Extrinsic motivation arises from outside of the individual and often involves external
rewards such as trophies, money, social recognition, or praise.
 Intrinsic motivation is internal and arises from within the individual, such as doing a
complicated crossword puzzle purely for the gratification of solving a problem.
Why Motivation Is Important
Motivation serves as a guiding force for all human behavior. So, understanding how
motivation works and the factors that may impact it can be important for several reasons.
Understanding motivation can:
 Increase your efficiency as you work toward your goals
 Drive you to take action
 Encourage you to engage in health-oriented behaviors
 Help you avoid unhealthy or maladaptive behaviors, such as risk-taking and addiction
 Help you feel more in control of your life
 Improve your overall well-being and happiness
What Are the 3 Components of Motivation?
If you've ever had a goal (like wanting to lose 20 pounds or run a marathon), you probably
already know that simply having the desire to accomplish these things is not enough. You
must also be able to persist through obstacles and have the endurance to keep going in spite
of difficulties faced.
These different elements or components are needed to get and stay motivated. Researchers
have identified three major components of motivation: activation, persistence, and intensity. 4
  Activation is the decision to initiate a behavior. An example of activation would be
enrolling in psychology courses in order to earn your degree.
 Persistence is the continued effort toward a goal even though obstacles may exist. An
example of persistence would be showing up for your psychology class even though
you are tired from staying up late the night before.
 Intensity is the concentration and vigor that goes into pursuing a goal. For example,
one student might coast by without much effort (minimal intensity) while another
student studies regularly, participates in classroom discussions, and takes advantage
of research opportunities outside of class (greater intensity).
Tips for Improving Your Motivation
All people experience fluctuations in their motivation and willpower. Sometimes you feel
fired up and highly driven to reach your goals. Other times, you might feel listless or unsure
of what you want or how to achieve it.

If you're feeling low on motivation, there are steps you can take to help increase your drive.
Some things you can do to develop or improve your motivation include:

 Adjust your goals to focus on things that really matter to you. Focusing on things that
are highly important to you will help push you through your challenges more than
goals based on things that are low in importance.
 If you're tackling something that feels too big or too overwhelming, break it up into
smaller, more manageable steps. Then, set your sights on achieving only the first step.
Instead of trying to lose 50 pounds, for example, break this goal down into five-pound
increments.
 Improve your confidence. Research suggests that there is a connection between
confidence and motivation. So, gaining more confidence in yourself and your skills
can impact your ability to achieve your goals.
 Remind yourself about what you've achieved in the past and where your strengths lie.
This helps keep self-doubts from limiting your motivation.
 If there are things you feel insecure about, try working on making improvements in
those areas so you feel more skilled and capable.

Causes of Low Motivation

There are a few things you should watch for that might hurt or inhibit your motivation levels.
These include:

 All-or-nothing thinking: If you think that you must be perfect when trying to reach
your goal or there is no point in trying, one small slip-up or relapse can zap your
motivation to keep pushing forward.
 Believing in quick fixes: It's easy to feel unmotivated if you can't reach your goal
immediately but reaching goals often takes time.
 Thinking that one size fits all: Just because an approach or method worked for
someone else does not mean that it will work for you. If you don't feel motivated to
pursue your goals, look for other things that will work better for you.
Theories of Motivation

Throughout history, psychologists have proposed different theories to explain what motivates
human behavior. The following are some of the major theories of motivation.

Instincts
The instinct theory of motivation suggests that behaviors are motivated by instincts, which
are fixed and inborn patterns of behavior. Psychologists such as William James, Sigmund
Freud, and William McDougal have proposed several basic human drives that motivate
behavior. They include biological instincts that are important for an organism's survival—
such as fear, cleanliness, and love.
Drives and Needs
Many behaviors such as eating, drinking, and sleeping are motivated by biology. We have a
biological need for food, water, and sleep. Therefore, we are motivated to eat, drink, and
sleep. The drive reduction theory of motivation suggests that people have these basic
biological drives, and our behaviors are motivated by the need to fulfill these drives.
Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs is another motivation theory based on a desire to
fulfill basic physiological needs. Once those needs are met, it expands to our other needs,
such as those related to safety and security, social needs, self-esteem, and self-actualization.
Arousal Levels
The arousal theory of motivation suggests that people are motivated to engage in behaviors
that help them maintain their optimal level of arousal. A person with low arousal needs might
pursue relaxing activities such as reading a book, while those with high arousal needs might
be motivated to engage in exciting, thrill-seeking behaviors such as motorcycle racing.
Conclusion
Understanding motivation is important in many areas of life beyond psychology, from
parenting to the workplace. You may want to set the best goals and establish the right reward
systems to motivate others as well as to increase your own motivation.

Knowledge of motivating factors (and how to manipulate them) is used in marketing and
other aspects of industrial psychology. It's an area where there are many myths, and everyone
can benefit from knowing what works with motivation and what doesn't.