Activation, Persistence, and Intensity: The Psychology of Motivation
Hello all,
I could see this section of the forum needed a little love and attention so, here I am, in hopes of helping you stretch your legs.
In my recent research I became curious about theories of motivation and how and where that could apply to the 7 Cups Mission. Then I found this wonderful little corner titled "Empowerment Project". What joy it brings me to see topics that accentuate a more positive tone. The issues we discuss in all areas of the forum are terribly important and leave plenty of room for support, but I especially appreciate initiatives toward positivity. Primarily when the battle ground is your own mental health.
So, what is motivation?
"The term motivation refers to factors that activate, direct, and sustain goal-directed behavior... Motives are the "whys" of behavior - the needs or wants that drive behavior and explain what we do. We don't actually observe a motive; rather, we infer that one exists based on the behavior we observe."
(Nevid, 2013)
Of course what motivates us is highly variable to the individual and therein lies the interest. However, some of these things can be generalized toward greater understanding of what effectively inspires us toward change or desired outcomes. Kendra Cherry lists three main factors of motivation in her November article, What is Motivation?, on about.com:
"Activation involves the decision to initiate a behavior, such as enrolling in a psychology class.
Persistence is the continued effort toward a goal even though obstacles may exist. An example of persistence would be taking more psychology courses in order to earn a degree although it requires a significant investment of time, energy and resources.
Intensity can be seen in the concentration and vigor that goes into pursuing a goal. For example, one student might coast by without much effort, while another student will study regularly, participate in discussions and take advantage of research opportunities outside of class. The first student lacks intensity, while the second pursues his educational goals with much greater intensity."
Cherry's article goes on to explore various theories of motivation such as instincts, wants and needs, and arousal. That is, "because it feels good." It's worth considering your own urges when taking an objective glance at your life and the desires you deem as meaningful to your happiness or relative success.
Finally, it is worth noting two forms of motivation in this discussion. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation have gone on to reveal a great deal about how the human mind works. Extrinsic motivators include those with an often tangible outcome outside the individual. A paycheck, verbal praise, or an award, for example. Whereas intrinsic motivation takes into account our internal satisfaction such as various topics of passion and interest, or gratification following the completion of a puzzle or project. It has been shown that human beings tend to produce greater outcomes when they are intrinsically motivated.
Personally, I find this interesting because it is generally understood that we respond to basic reinforcement schedules, both negative and positive. In this context, intrinsic motivation is something of a giant questions mark. Put simply, intrinsic motivation adds meaning to the task because it stems from the original ideas and desires at the base of our experience, even without immediate reinforcement, we feel gratified and ultimately, motivated.
You can find out more about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in one of my favorite TedXTalks by clicking here. 
Visit the Source: What is Motivation by Kendra Cherry
Discuss: What motivates you more? or less?
Do you prefer intrinsic or extrinsic motivators? Why?
Is motivation something you've struggled with? What is the basis of this struggle?
I've included a tag-list of my followers to help stimulate this forum category in general, and the topic of motivation specifically. Thank you for reading! 
@AdVictoriam @AeroRoze3 @Annie @aShhhley @Athena86 @babyblue @batman4485 @BlueT @cristiana33 @DieseSiteIstVollerHass @Disabledfemme @easyWater4109 @FrutaBomba @goodsamitarian013 @here2listen4556 @lara @KrinkTheMellowUnicorn @LilyListens @Lovely20 @lovelyTree31 @MadiAsAHatter @MarsF @mimameid @mscoxie @nina50 @Noasu @peacefulSoul8 @PhoenixRise @PlainJaneElaine @PseudoSaint @queenstatus @redDrum3212 @Roadie @Sarah @Simie @TheRightPath @wasarbi @whimsiKALLY @yzzil @zack89
Very interesting, @blithesun94! Thought-provoking post.
@Annie
Thanks so much for stopping by. I really appreciate it. 
@blitheSun94
Nice :)
Do you prefer intrinsic or extrinsic motivators? Why?
My opinion, and I'm always happy to share lol, is this.
I'm always a big believer in intrinsic motivators as being the things that really drive you. You can have all of the extrinsic motivators that you like but ultimately it's internal factors that have the greater impact upon whether you get going or not.
For example, imagine that I have a paper that I need to complete. I have a lot of people supporting me to complete it, I've got a tight deadline, the whole nine yards, but due to a fear of failure I can't do it. My point is that motivators of all forms are only so good as the strength that they hold over the demotivators.
The challenge for all of us is to understand what motivates us and what demotivates us. Once we have that understanding of ourselves, we can put in place ways of managing the demotivating factors and get stuff done.
Is motivation something you've struggled with? What is the basis of this struggle?
Most definitely but for reasons that vary from time to time. External pressures such as work overload, anxiety, fear of failure, and fatigue have all hit me in the past.
I am qualified in project management so I try to manage things like it was a project. All of these factors are risks so what can I put in place to mitigate these risks? Prioritising breaks within my work schedule, ignoring mistakes in my drafts, relaxation exercises, mindfulness, and being realistic with my own expectations have all helped in the past.
Once they're managed, working on the motivation has been far more effective for me.
@Roadie
Beautiful, as always. Thank you so much for your feedback! I really want some insight from men, as my husband is currently struggling to find this fire. It can be very discouraging at times. You bring up some really good point here. Namely, "Demotivators." Can you list some of these, please?
@Roadie - I strongly agree. My sense is that extrinsic motivators can and do work but they stop working the moment the external stimulus goes away.
Intrinsic motivators seem to be much more likely to become ingrained and self-sustaining.
Open invite to join the 7 Cups book club!
I am planning a few discussions surrounding the topic of motivation :o
A few books to read on this!
1) The Power of Habit - Charles Duhigg
2) The Willpower Instinct - Kelly McGonigal
@AdVictoriam
Hello again!
Oh, I love to read! Thank you for the referral. Although, I don't have time right now to be a functioning member of any club. Maybe I'll pick these up over holiday break and provide feedback when I can.
Woah this is such an amazing thread! I just upvoted all you guys shared and I believe this is one thread that must be read by all people in our community!
Now I'll go through the questions you asked...
What motivates you more? Or less?
For me the most important of all is that what I'm doing has a deep meaning. I cannot go and meet people just for the sake of it, just to avoid being alone. I go out and meet people with whom I am sure I can connect with on a deeper level and I can then come back home and think of what just happened and how that meeting has helped me, improved my thinking or something like that.
I am very motivated by things that help the world become better. I like to be part of something that involves passion and inspiration. I am way less motivated by things that only last for a moment or two, that's why I believe I'm not so much a fan of the present. I am always trying to think of how my actions help the future.
Do you prefer intrinsic or extrinsic motivators? Why?
It is for sure way more important to find myself having intrinsic motivators. If I don't have them, even if I find myself really excited at the beginning of a project or an event, I will surely find that sensation fading away by the end of whatever is happening.
For example, If we find ourselves in a group of people who are having a hard time keeping up with a project, if we aren't able to find a strong fire within ourselves, nothing good can come up from the group. Most people expect others to cheer them up or help them cope or find their motivations, but no motivator is as satisfying as their intrinsic motivation.
I like @Roadie 's idea with thinking about every situation as a project. If you have project management skills or even if you just want to become better at this, having this perspective can help a lot. I'm so inspired by this idea!
Is motivation something you've struggled with? What is the basis of this struggle?
For sure. I believe most of the times I've struggled with motivation were times when I had to fight with my own reasons for doing something versus reasons of others. We might not find any reason for doing certain things, aside of trying to make our close ones happy, but we can surely try to focus more on the positive outcomes instead of intensifying the feeling of being stuck.
@cristiana33
What a great return post! Thank you for putting so much thought into your response. I think you're absolutely right about intrinsic motivation. There is an interesting experiment on business in the Ted Talk featured in the original post that examines the importance of meaningful tasks. There was an experiment done in Australia (and replicated at Google) where their employees were given 24 hours to do anything they wanted with the same amount of resources to come up with ideas based on concepts they were personally passionate about and interested in. Productivity and over all morale increased, and half of their new products are conceived during this 20 percent time. G-mail and Google News for example.
Creative autonomy has an inherent relationship to motivation.
Is motivation something you've struggled with? What is the basis of this struggle?
Motivation is something I have struggled with my entire life. I would like to believe that laziness isn't a contributing factor but I'm not certain that is the case. Like many people with mental illnesses I have noticed that people struggle with the question of "am i just lazy" . The fight to even try to live life at all is hard enough for me a lot of the time, on my best days. The idea that I have to do something over and over and over again terrifies me. School has always been easier than work as far of the trapped feeling goes but when you mix in the days that you don't even want to get out of bed with anything it makes things all that much harder. I made a post on my feed earlier today about endurance basically saying the same thing. The ability to do something day in and day out and keep up endurance is the hardest thing for me. I usually give up and give in to depression. I turned 30 this year and I literally can't remember the number of jobs I have had since I turned 18. I started a 2 year community college when I was 19 and I still have not completed my 2 year degree (granted I'm only like 6ish classes away) but that's way to long to not have finished by now. I am trying to change this about myself and motivate myself to do things even when (perhaps especially when) my depression and/or mania kick in. I am seeing a therapist for the fist time in over 3 years next Friday and I'm just trying to live life and not be a stumbling block to myself. This is perhaps the hardest thing I have ever done. A good online friedn of mine died this week and instead of allowing depression to take over and call in to work and lose my job and do all the things I normally do when life throws me a curve ball I'm trying to honor Mark's memory by showing that I learned some of the things that he taught me. Self acceptance and self improvement being 2 of them. Thank you for tagging me. I needed to write this. And I look forward to coming back to this thread.
I found 15 ways to motivate yourself on a website that I think is worth sharing:)
Connect to your values. This is the ultimate secret. If you can connect the work you do to your values, even in small ways, you can change your game. One of my values is learning and growth. I find ways to grow my skills in any situation.
Find your why. Figure out a compelling purpose. Turn this into a one-liner. For example, when I fall off the horse, I remind myself Im here to make others great. This gets me back on track, sharing the best of what I know.
Change your why. Sometimes youre doing things for the wrong reason. Are you doing that task to get it done, or to learn something new? Just shifting your why can light your fire.
Change your how. You can instantly find your tasks more enjoyable by shifting from getting them done, to doing them right. I think of it as mastering your craft. Make it artful. Sometimes slower is better. Other times, the key is to make it a game and actually speed it up. You can set time limits and race against the clock. Changing your how can get you out of ruts and find new ways to escape the mundane.
Remember the feeling. Flipping through your head movies and scenes is one of the fastest ways to change how you feel. Remember the feeling. How did you feel during your first kiss? What about laying on the grass on a sunny day?
Shift to past, present, or the future. Sometimes you need to be here, now. Sometimes, the right here, right now sucks. The beauty of shifting tense is you can visualize a more compelling future, or remember a more enjoyable past. At the same time, if you catch yourself dwelling on a painful past, get back to right here, right now, and find the joy in the moment. Youll improve your temporal skills with practice.
Find a meaningful metaphor. Find a metaphor that fuels you. Maybe youre the Little Engine that Could. Maybe youre in your element. The most powerful thing you can do is find a metaphor that connects to your values. This is why I turn my projects into epic adventures.
Take action. Heres a secret that once you know it, can change your life. Action often comes before motivation. You simply start doing an activity and then your motivation kicks in. Nike was right with Just do it. For example, I dont always look forward to my workout, but once I start, I find my flow.
Link it to good feelings. Find a way to link things to good feelings. For example, play your favorite song when youre doing something you dont like to do. It has to be a song that makes you feel so great that it overshadows the pain of the task. Its hard to tell yourself you dont like something when it feels so good. A similar approach is to find your theme song.
Impress yourself first. This is how people like Peter Jackson or James Cameron or Stephenie Meyer inspire themselves. They make the movies or write the books that impress themselves first. They connect their passion to the work and they dont depend on other people setting the bar. Their internal bar becomes their drive.
CHOOSE to. If you tell yourself you HAVE to do this or you MUST do that or you SHOULD do this, you can weaken your motivation. The power of choice and simply reframing your language to CHOOSE to can be incredibly empowering and exactly the motivating language you need to hear. Choose your words carefully and make them work for you.
.Pair up. This is one of my favorite ways to make something fun. One persons painful task, is anothers pleasure. Pair up with somebody who compliments your skill or who can mentor you and get you over the humps
Change your question. Sometimes you need to change your focus. To change your focus, change the question. If you ask yourself whats wrong with this situation, of course youll find things to complain about. Ask yourself whats right about the situation and you can quickly find the positives and get your groove on.
Fix time for eating, sleeping, and working out. Sometimes your body or emotions are working against you because youre not giving them a break or fueling them the right way. One simple way to improve results here is to find a routine for eating, sleeping, and working out that supports you.
Play to your strengths. Spending too much time in your weaknesses wears you down. Spending more time in your strengths helps you renew your energy and find your flow. Its the place where you can grow your best. Success begets success and this helps you build momentum.
I have an interesting relationship with the word (both in its extrinsic sense and intrinsic sense). I guess what it comes down, for me at least, is, what's more, important? The act or the thought behind it?
See, for me, motivation can't be executed, it can only be used as a pillar moving forward with an action. You cannot just talk about motivation and leave out *what* it is you are trying to change, push, sustain or activate.
Motivation can only exist, in the true sense of the word, if it "activate(s), direct(s), and sustain(s) goal-directed behavior." So, not only does motivation exists to initiate some behavior (or act) but, it must also sustain it. May people focus on this first part of the world, alone - therefore, losing the true intent behind the work.
Example #1
How many times have you walked out of a movie and thought "yeah... that's what I need to do!"; now, how many times have you followed through with it? Exactly.
So, the question becomes how do people identify whether they are, truly motivated - or, merely experiencing a moment of catharsis?
Motivation is a factor which enables drive, but focus sustains a drive. These interlocking layers and their ability to call for, and to, action speak of the efficiency of motivation. If no action is produced, then it's meaningless.
Example #2:
Its' great to have dreams; but, unless those dreams become a part of reality - they don't really mean anything.
Perhaps, dreams show how creative you can be; but it doesn't translate to any tangible, or, intangible action. It is the same concept with motivation; unless acted upon in some, extrinsic or intrinsic, sense; that motivation is not motivation at all; but a moment of fleeting catharsis.
The possibility of potential doesn't exist without the harnessing of potential.
@callMeEvee
Beautiful insight, thank you!
Excellent post!!
What motivates you more? or less? not really sure. deadlines perhaps :) I tend to thrive on chaos lol
Do you prefer intrinsic or extrinsic motivators? Why? intrinsic, hands down. Extrinsic motivators can only get you so far. Intrinsic motivators have more depth and tend to mean much more in the long run.
Is motivation something you've struggled with? What is the basis of this struggle? Not sure. I'd say, yes and no. I do procrastinate at times but I think it's mainly because I work better under pressure. So i guess it doesn't count as a struggle if i have a reason for it.
Thanks for this post!! Great read :)
@mscoxie
Great feedback. I procrastinate too.
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