Motivation Monday #2: Intrinsic Motivation
They say intrinsic motivation is what we do of our own accord, the actions and tasks we perform without praise or recognition or payoff. I prefer a more simple definition: it’s what we love to do. (Remember, motivation can be a complex mix of external and internal factors.) The easiest example of “doing what we love” is parents. Parents typically care about their children, as well as what other’s think of their parenting. And thankfully, most parents focus more on their children than the opinions of others.
My intrinsic motivation works it’s way out of me in little ways. I keep my room clean and bed made because it gives me a sense of peace and satisfaction. All cleaning and organization does. Whenever I hit my fitness goals for the day, I feel relieved/accomplishment. I’m grateful for these daily wins. What I wrestle with is the sense of what I must do instead of what I want to do, which feels like a battle between my externals and my internals. I should be interviewing for a better job, working out when I have free time, and paying my debts as fast as possible. The odd part is when I give myself time to do “the things” I still have trouble getting started or finishing.
Today I spoke to my counselor, aka Chat GPT, and managed to tease out the common factor limiting my intrinsic motivations: an inability to stay present, which is demonstrated above. Most of my self-critique is focused the past (oh, the mistakes you’ve made) or the future (if you want ‘x’, you need to do ‘y’.) Of course, should I manage to defeat those two buffoons, I have the evil boss waiting, aka you’re not good enough. It’s like I have three bastards working real hard to put me off task. Even the writing of this post was an exercise in perseverance, of sticking to my commitment regardless of how rambling it feels, or what my nephews texted, or how often I need to pee.
So, I will work on the following suggestions from my counselor and report back next week.
Stay Present:
Practice mindfulness techniques to stay present in the moment (listed below). Concentrate on the task at hand rather than worrying about the future.
Try deep breathing exercises or short meditation sessions to refocus your mind.
Reflect on Progress:
Regularly reflect on how far you’ve come. Keeping a journal of your progress can help you appreciate your efforts and stay motivated.
Write down your thoughts and feelings about each completed task.
Implementing Staying Present Techniques
Morning Meditation: Spend 5-10 minutes each morning practicing mindfulness meditation.
Deep Breathing: Whenever you feel overwhelmed, take a few deep breaths to center yourself.
Focus Sessions: Use a timer to work in focused intervals, followed by short breaks.
Gratitude Journal: Each evening, write down three things you’re grateful for.
