Intrinsic Versus Extrinsic Motivation: What's The Difference?
Learn more about how your motivation works!
Motivation can be a driving force for many people, while it can be elusive and frustrating for others. Part of why it can be difficult to maintain is the way we are motivated. There are two main types of motivation - intrinsic and extrinsic. Better understand how to motivate yourself to achieve your goals by learning about the difference between these two main types and how you can work toward better, more consistent motivation!
Intrinsic Motivation
First and foremost is intrinsic motivation. This type of motivation comes from an internal desire to complete a task or achieve a goal that you’ve set for yourself. This can come from enjoyment, a sense of accomplishment, or even a desire to prove yourself. The main point to remember about intrinsic motivation is that it is defined by you. If you would choose to complete the task without external influences or reward, this is generally intrinsic motivation.
Extrinsic Motivation
Extrinsic motivation is the opposite of intrinsic motivation. This means that your motivation comes from an external source, such as a reward, avoiding a consequence, or a sense of duty, such as fulfilling a promise. This type of motivation can be just as strong as intrinsic motivation because it relates to how you interact with the world around you, and obtaining the reward or end-goal for the task at hand can be even more motivating than simply enjoying the task or end result.
Increasing Intrinsic Motivation
If you function better with intrinsic motivation, increasing that motivation is important for maximizing your productivity or getting closer to achieving your goals. Increase your intrinsic motivation by examining what it is that motivates you. Is it the enjoyment of the task, the feeling of accomplishment when you complete it, or the personal satisfaction you get from the type of work you’re doing? Once you’ve pinpointed the source for your motivation, you can focus on that aspect for tasks or goals you’re struggling with and adjust your outlook to help you complete what you want to.
Increasing Extrinsic Motivation
If you’re extrinsically motivated more than intrinsically, then increasing your motivation can be a little more simple. Depending on where your extrinsic motivation comes from, like receiving a reward for your work, you can increase your motivation by creating more of the external source for motivation. If you’re motivated by rewards, this can look like setting up a reward for accomplishing a task. If you’re more motivated by avoiding consequences, you can help yourself by setting a self-set consequence for not achieving your goal or completing the task.
Motivating yourself doesn’t have to be a struggle! Instead of wondering how and why you have the motivation to do one task instead of another, work to understand where your motivation comes from and use that information to help improve your performance and overall productivity! Learn more on our Fall & Rise blog and shop our inspirational apparel to help achieve your goals today!