Finding Your Inner Motivation

I have written about motivation before, but I want to elaborate on this topic. How do you find motivation? Let’s start with defining motivation: the reason or reasons one is behaving or acting a certain way.  

To fully understand motivation, you need to understand the theory behind it. This is the Theory of Self-Determination (SDT). SDT will help you understand the factors that enable and disable the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (Ryan & Deci, 2020). This theory links personality, optimal functioning and human motivation (Ryan & Deci, 2020). This theory explains two different types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic – both being great ways to shape how we behave, 

Extrinsic motivation is the drive to behave a certain way based on external sources, rewards (Ackerman, 2020). Such as, if I complete 100 workouts in the next 5 months, I will buy myself a new pair of shoes. The shoes being the external motivation. It can also be something as simple as working out to get compliments from people.  

Intrinsic motivation is the internal drive that someone has to complete something (the motivation comes from within) (Ackerman, 2020). These can be influenced by a person's values, interests or morality (Ackerman, 2020). For example, I am interests to experience how my body changes if I introduce more protein to my diet.  

When it comes to fitness often you will find that the best way to get started or to re-motivate yourself is by using external motivation tactics. Over time this will lead to a more intrinsically driven motivation to continue. 

When it comes to motivation it is all about getting started. Finding what motivates you to keep going and then eventually it becomes a part of your life, a part of your routine.  

When I started, I set many goals (big and small) and when those goals were reached, I rewarded myself. Whether that be through a night out, new clothes or a chocolate bar. Eventually your mind starts to associate exercise with positive things, making you WAY more likely to stick with it and stay motivated!  

Ackerman, C. E. (2020, April 23). Self-Determination Theory of Motivation: Why Intrinsic Motivation Matters. Retrieved May 25, 2020, from https://positivepsychology.com/self-determination-theory/  

MOTIVATION: Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved May 25, 2020, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/motivation  

Ryan, R., & Deci, E. (2020, April 08). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Retrieved May 25, 2020, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0361476X20300254 

 

 

Yours truly, 

Meg