We are all aware of our tasks at hand; however in most cases detractors, always present in copious numbers pull us away. This is a natural human behaviour. A reverse effect becomes necessary to keep us steadfast at our task. To those it comes naturally are the blessed lot. Others may need to strategise.
A study in motivation
Classifying motivation
Amongst the various ways in which motivation has been classified, here we shall consider Achievement, Affiliation and Identified Motivation. Achievement motivation refers to a competitive environment, such as when we are inspired to learn swimming after seeing a swimmer participate secure first position in a competition. This is applicable in cases such as goal setting, learning from failure, staying focused, developing a plan and staying persistent and resilient. Affiliation motivation refers to social or team oriented tasks. When individuals find the importance of a task but do not inherently enjoy it, it is a case of Identified Motivation.In all these situations the key is to connect the individuals personal values and goals making the task meaningful.
The motivation cycle
Typically, our motivational cycle covers four stages. It starts with a Need, which is a lack of some necessity. Having identified the need, we develop a drive to fulfil it. This is followed by the stage of Action. Achieving our goal is the final stage, where rewarding is a key element. The motivational cycle is a dynamic process which can get activated from any point. We could either get motivated first and then proceed with our action; or take action first,get the reward to derive motivation for more action. For example, for someone who loves to play, she would be highly motivated to play whenever there is an opportunity. However even if she does not like studying, there is no choice since one has to sit for the examinations. Here study comes first, followed by good grades as the reward, which will motivate one to study more.
Factors affecting our motivation
Personal preferences play a critical role here. Motivation for one who values academic achievements will not be the same for an artist or a sportsperson. Motivation can get reduced with negative feedback or even negative self-talk. Constantly reinforcing that one did not do well enough, will invariably cause his motivation to nosedive. Motivation can also get adversely affected in a depressive environment. In the event of a deep family crisis, or in the event where the head of the family has been laid off, one is thrown into a state of deep depression. However, as commonly said“If you are the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain”. If the adherence to one’s goal is made exceedingly strong, no negativity can dissuade one from reaching the goal.
Problem of multiple motivators
More is not always merrier when it comes to motivation; it causes disbalance, leading to stress and burnout. So it is important to find just the right motivation pertaining to each individual. . For some, motivation coming from one’s family is the most powerful factor, self motivation might be the driving force for others; while friends and people may work out best for other people.Trying to get motivated by all the different members can increase anxiety, cause unwanted disrespect and tension between different members. Motivation itself is based on a feeling that is inconsistent, unpredictable, unreliable. To make it work best for us, we need to have a clear mindset. We should be mindful about the kind of motivation that helps us achieve our goals, that which lets us be free to be who we want to be.
About the authors
The article has been contributed by the following students from Our Lady Queen of the Missions School, Park Circus, Kolkata: Soudipta Sen, Priyansha Rout, Vaibhavi Pugalia and Manha Ghani.