WHY IS INTERNAL MOTIVATION SO POWERFUL?

                                 

It may sound very familiar amongst the teens nowadays that "internal motivation is the key to success". But they also know that the reality is a tad different from what we actually expect. Everyone cannot find their passion or true vocation and similarly all can't work towards their goal with compassion.

Motivation is one of the main reasons why we do things- exercise our willpower, carry on some day-to-day activities, get motivated looking at our role models etc.

There are 2 main types of motivation:

(i)Intrinsic(internal)Motivation (ii)Extrinsic(external)Motivation

Internal motivation is by inference- When you do something because it’s internally fulfilling, interesting or enjoyable—without an expectation of a reward or recognition from others. Extrinsic motivation is driven by exactly the opposite—externalities, such as the promise of more money, a promotion, or any other material advantage.

WHY INTERNAL MOTIVATION TOPS EXTERNAL MOTIVATION?

An avalanche of research, though, shows that when it comes to finding the lasting drive to “do something,” internal incentives are much more powerful that external.

There is a great difference when you engage in something because “I want to”, as opposed to “I must.” The thing with external motivation is that it doesn’t last. It’s a fancy way of saying that external rewards are not a sustainable source of happiness and satisfaction.Therefore, you are stuck on a never-ending loop i.e. you can progressively only become motivated by bigger and reflecting things, just to find out that they don’t bring you the satisfaction you hoped for, when you finally get them.

BENEFITS OF INTERNAL MOTIVATION:

• Studies tell us that intrinsic motivation is a generally stronger predictor of job performance over the long run than extrinsic motivation. One reason is that when we are internally driven to do something, we also enjoy it and we want to do it. So, we keep going, day in and out, because we feel inspired, driven, happy and satisfied with ourselves.
• Another reason has to do with the fact that intrinsic motivation is intertwined with things as higher purpose, contributing to a cause, or doing things for the sake of something bigger than ourselves or something for our own benefit. 
• Internal motivation has been found to be very helpful when it comes to academics too. Research conducted in University of Rochester confirms that the use of external motivators, such as praise, undermine students’ internal motivation and in the long-run, it results in “slower acquisition of skills and more errors in the learning process.” In contrast, when children are internally driven, they are more involved in the task at hand, enjoy it more, and intentionally seek out challenges.

Therefore, all the research seems to allude to one major revelation: Intrinsic motivation is a must-have, if you want to save yourself  from the drudgery(toil) that we all sometimes feel when contemplating the things we should-do or must-do.

Drop a comment if you liked this article and let me know if you want to see more content like this.

Thanks for viewing my blog. Hang around my page for more enthralling topics! 😊👍