Motivation

If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then they are a sorry lot indeed.

~ Albert Einstein

I feel that, recently, I’m on a strike. I don’t really buy all the “New Year, New me” euphoria but I know that this year is going to be full of changes. I am graduating after 4 years of PhD, I will be moving away and changing city, I will be changing job. A lot of changes are happening. But it’s okay because even though I is the end of an era, I leave with the memories of time passed. And when change is coming, I tend to try and prepare as much as I possibly can (and everything I can’t as well…), I retreat a bit more inside my head… and I let the voices go mad. I’ve introduced some of those inner voices in previous posts: intuition is getting pretty good at judging social situations and new people; impulsivity is somewhat under control (most of the time at least); but the one I am trying to nourish more recently is motivation.

After completing my viva voce (the oral examination marking the end of my PhD), I lost every single ounce of motivation. Why exactly did I need to come to work? Christmas break was around the corner, I knew I wouldn’t be working during that time period (bliss!) and that everything I would need to do could be done once I was back from my holidays. Problem is, once I got back from holiday, I did not find my motivation waiting for me at my desk. I think she took off and never looked back. How was I supposed to get on with what I was meant to do with no motivation? Weirdly enough, reading motivational and inspiring quotes is not quite enough to get you going. I needed more. So, I picked you couple of scientific journals and started reading about finding purpose, listening to your intuition, controlling your impulses (sounds familiar?), and finally where to look for inspiration. Hence today’s post.

There are two types of motivation: the intrinsic motivation and the extrinsic motivation. Let’s have a look, shall we?

The intrinsic motivation comes from within (shocking, right?), it is fuelled by satisfaction, pleasure and interest in the task itself. We tend to easily find motivation to do things that brings us a sense of growth, space to express our passion, something fun, something we are curious about, something where we can express ourselves. Those types of activities include any form of art (drawing, painting, street-art, writing, doodling), scrolling through the internet, reading about that new thing you’ve just learn about, watching YouTube video after YouTube video. How many times have you started doodling in class or in a meeting or started watching videos about that new species of sea angels instead of writing the report you were supposed to be working on? If you are lucky enough that your job is your passion, you will have no trouble at all getting up in the morning and going to work, or working from home, or whatever it is you do. The problem lies for the rest of us whose job is not a passion per se. Then we have to look for motivation elsewhere…

The extrinsic motivation comes from… without, it focusses on the outcome of the task you are doing and not the task itself. It is not fuelled by pleasure or interest, but by the perspective of getting a promotion or a pay raise, winning the competition to be the first and not for the pleasure you’d feel. It is focussed on purpose and not happiness. Extrinsic motivation is often depicted as the black sheep, the thing we are not really supposed to be relying on to find a reason to get up in the morning. For most people, working is a mean to provide for the self or the family, a way to afford the hobbies you are really passionate about. Finding purpose over instant gratification… knowing that purpose can bring happiness!

Interestingly, studies in workplace looked at how efficient employees were in association to whether they thought their job was meaningful, was a passion, both, or neither. Without surprise, people that loved their job AND found it had a purpose were the most efficient. Guess who came next? The one that thought their job had a purpose, but that weren’t passionate about it. Just saying… maybe extrinsic motivation is good enough after all. It is also important to acknowledge that extrinsic motivations can be very subjective. Not everyone will go for a high salary; the sense of purpose is individual and as such, many tailored sources of extrinsic motivation exist.

As with most thing, knowing yourself is key. Having a clear idea of what brings you joy, where you find purpose, how distractible you are important elements to consider when setting a goal. First, the type of goal you set for yourself is super important: is the goal realistic in the given timeframe? Don’t hesitate to break down your main goals into sub-goals that you can reach progressively. This way you can challenge yourself all along the way and have multiple accomplishment that will feed your motivation. Second, your social and physical environment will be fundamental in your success. If the goal is your own, nobody ever completely succeeded alone… and no one should have to! Rely on your friends, your family, have people around you to support you throughout. Adapt your environment: if you know you are easily distracted when working, create a workspace with as little distraction as possible or work from a place distraction-free. Third, the source of your determination and motivation need to be clear and personal: why are you doing this? Who are you doing this for? If the answer is not yourself, make sure whoever it is, is worth it. Fourth, create opportunities and do things: motion creates emotion. Which means that the more you do, the more you feel like doing and… the less you do, the less you are motivated to do. Fifth, do not forget to reward yourself for every accomplishment, no matter how big or small. Acknowledge your wins and treat yourself in whatever way you want (proportionally to the win).

One trick that can help is sign with yourself an Odysseus pact. This is based on Odysseus story in Homer’s Odyssey: after years away from home, Odysseus is finally on his way back to his dear Penelope. However, among other incidents, Odysseus knows that they are going to have to sail through the lair of the sirens, those beautiful creatures with enchanting voices. Odysseus is a brave soldier, hero of the Trojan war, and a very curious yet wise man. Odysseus is aware of the dangers that the sirens’ voices represent so, in order to listen to them without losing his mind, he asked to his man to tie him to the ship’s mast and to put beeswax in their ears. By doing so, the ship and its crew went through the lair of the sirens and survived, Odysseus was driven mad by the song, but his reason came back soon after leaving the sirens’ isle behind. What’s the morality of the story? Know your weaknesses and prepare for it. Not only by creating a work environment distraction-free but also by reminded ourselves of the consequences if we do not reach our goal.

If extrinsic motors were so detrimental and negative, why was the nudge theory worthy of a Nobel Prize? It is after all a theory explaining how to create changes from small indirect suggestions… An extrinsic source of motivation that everyone is free to ignore or act upon.