Image Credit: © Laurie Pink
This is part one of a two part series on understanding motivation.
By developing the techniques and art of self-motivation, you learn to use more of your untapped potential. In a word, you become more successful. If you are a regular reader here you’ll remember that success is defined as the progressive realisation of worthwhile predetermined goals. Now, just as that is a fairly unusual definition, the definition of motivation that I’m going to give you is equally as unusual…
Motivation is a desire held in expectation with the belief that it will be realised
A Way Of Life
Contrast that definition with what appears to be the common belief: motivation is a neatly packaged bundle of techniques designed to supercharge people into trying harder. This concept of motivation is misleading and, as a result, doomed to failure. Motivation is more than a formula or a a system, it is a way of life.
There are three basic ideas involved in understanding motivation:
- Motivation involves desires or needs. To develop lasting motivation, you must know and understand your basic needs and desires. You must also know how to ignite and direct desire.
- Motivation involves expectation and belief. You cannot achieve unless you believe. The development of belief in you own potential produces positive expectation of success.
- Motivation involves action. To sustain self-motivation, you must convert desires into a well-organised plan and be willing to take action.
All motivation involves these three elements: desire, belief, and action. Every successful leader throughout history has mastered self-motivation and has used its principles to move other people to purposeful action. Outstanding leaders are able to achieve success because they understand basic human needs… the drives, desires, or motions that, when triggered, are strong enough to produce action. Once basic needs are understood, all that is necessary is to find a trigger to convince yourself and others that goals can be accomplished and dreams can be realised.
Basic Drives
Scientists who study human behaviour address the study of basic needs or drives in a variety of different manners. They agree that some basic needs are common to almost all human beings. While different names are given to them, these universal motivators of human behaviour are widely recognised…
Physical needs
Physical needs include the biological requirements for food, water, air to breathe, shelter from the elements, and the need for sexual satisfaction. These are the primitive needs of human life, and a critical threat in any one of these areas produces a wild scramble for satisfaction. If you have ever experienced the threat of drowning or choking, you can understand how the need for air pushes you into frantic action to satisfy that need.
Safety needs
Thousands of years ago we lived in an environment characterised by threat to physical safety. As a consequence, we developed protective behaviours that still operate in our bodies to ensure safety. A physical threat produces the emotional reaction of fear. Fear, in turn, produces an automatic increase in adrenaline that speeds up the heart and prepares the muscles for unusual activity. This response is often called the “fight or flight” syndrome. Either choice requires top physical performance. The threats to safety that we experience in our lives today are far removed from those experienced by primitive man. We don’t need to worry about being eaten by wild animals for example. We experience the need for safety in more subtle and disguised forms. The need for security may be evident in a desire for job tenure, for maintaining the status of procedures to be followed in fulfilling your job, or even for insurance to protect your family.
No matter what the source of the threat may be, the only real security lies within the heart and soul of the individual. It is internal. It is a function of ideas, attitudes and values. It cannot be provided externally by someone else. Genuine security is never found in a job, salary or position although these may contribute to a sense of security.
You are responsible for your own sense of security, and there is only one way to maintain it. You must consistently use a large portion of your personal strength, abilities and talents as a means of developing wholesome attitudes toward yourself and others. When you are self-motivated it becomes progressively easier to use more of your potential. As a result, your sensed of security is strengthened and reinforced. Because you resolve to achieve more, you grow and develop the untapped resources within yourself. You establish an upward spiral of success and security.
Social needs
On of the greatest motivators is the quest for social acceptance. A sense of belonging, association, or friendship and love. The social needs prompt your desires for a bigger home, bigger car, more attractive clothes and more money because these are the modern day symbols of social acceptance. The need for social acceptance is usually an outward manifestation of a deeper need… The need for self-acceptance. If you believe that other people accept you, you feel more confident that your chosen value system is worthy. Acceptance by others supports self-acceptance. Therefore, even the need for social acceptance is internally motivated.
Ego needs
Ego or self-esteem needs are an essential desire for self-respect. They are closely connected to social needs, the need for acceptance by others. Ego needs are your desire to feel that you are worthwhile as a human being and that you make reasonably significant contributions to life.
Self-fulfillment needs
The search by the individual for continuous self-development… for progressive realisation… is the source of the challenge to reach for the stars. Of course, “stars” means different things to different people. But the need for self-fulfillment only becomes noticeable after all the other needs have been moderately satisfied. You can’t, for example, give much attention to developing your creativity, writing a book, running a business, or even making a telephone call if you are seriously hungry, fearful for your safety, or feeling rejected by other people. When several basic drives remain unsatisfied, the struggle to fulfill them dilutes and diverts energy from self-fulfillment. Too many people fail to discover opportunities for self-fulfillment or self-actualisation. You feel most successful when you have managed to find satisfaction of the stronger but lower human needs and can give more time and attention to the need for self-actualisation.
Stay Tuned
In the next article I’ll be discussing the different types of motivation and we’ll find out what works and what doesn’t.
Till next time…
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Steve,
I like the way you set up motivation not to be cosmetic or superficial – like an energy drink for life or a weekend seminar but something that grows from within and builds on something inside you.
Ralph´s last blog ..Flibbertigibbet and other tongue pleasing words
Hi Ralph!
Yes, absolutely! The only true motivation is the motivation that comes from within you.
Thanks for stopping by, mate.
SteveYoungs´s last blog ..Understanding Motivation – Part II
Twitter: SteveYoungs
Quality stuff here. Liked the part about “motivation being a way of life.” Once upon a time, I used to be the least motivated person in the world. But once I adopted the philosophy that I’m 100% responsible for my life, I became extremely motivated.
Every morning I wake up and know that it’s up to me to make things happen. Nobody is looking over my shoulder telling me how to live my life. I have to make it happen.
Looking forward to the next post in this series.
Steve Scott Site´s last blog ..Applying the 80/20 Principle in Your Life
Hey Steve!
Brilliant attitude to life, mate.
SteveYoungs´s last blog ..Understanding Motivation – Part II
Twitter: SteveYoungs
Really nice Steve – looking forward to part two.
Motivation is something, in my view, that we all have inside of us we just need to unlock it.
Ben´s last blog ..8 ways to make Valentines Day special this year?
Hi Ben!
I agree with that. And the way to unlock it is to know, understand, and love ourselves.
Thanks for commenting, mate.
SteveYoungs´s last blog ..Understanding Motivation – Part II
Twitter: SteveYoungs
I love your definition of motivation Steve. The key for me was the phrase ‘belief it will be realised’. You don’t strive for something if you don’t believe it is possible.
I too look forward to the next part. Feel free to tweet me when you publish it. I’ve been very rubbish at checking my feed reader this past week
Eleanor Edwards´s last blog ..Top 5 Jokes to Help Your Health
Hi Eleanor!
Part II hit the streets about half an hour ago…. tweeting you now.
SteveYoungs´s last blog ..Understanding Motivation – Part II
Twitter: SteveYoungs
[...] is part two of the two part series on understanding motivation. In the previous article I gave the definition of motivation as being a desire held in expectation with the belief that it [...]
I like the part about believing it. Reminds me of the saying if you believe it you can achieve it. When you work hard at something and dedicate yourself, you will see success.
Hi Rose!
Glad you liked my article, hun. Great to see you back once more. Hope you like the next in this mini-series too.
Twitter: SteveYoungs