Motivation for Self Improvement

Motivation for Self Improvement

Last update: 06 November, 2017

Motivation is the key to understanding why humans persist in tenacious pursuit of goals that have no short-term benefit. You need it to achieve, to improve. But how do you find motivation? In short, motivation is what makes people act a certain way. It’s a general term that can be applied to a wide variety of impulses, desires, and needs. We need motivation for self improvement. 

Most writers distinguish between two main types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsically motivated behavior is carried out with some personal interest in mind.

Extrinsic motivation refers to external reasons for behavior that don’t usually correspond naturally to the behavior that they’re rewarding. Therefore, intrinsic motivation is the one that really guides us. With this type, the reward is inherent to the action itself, to the enjoyment of it.

In modern Western society, our external circumstances are constantly evolving, which can plunge us into inaction. We get carried away by the circumstances and act like we’re not human. Living without motivation pushes us into a mechanical world where we forget about ourselves and our true motivations.

motivation self improvement

Inspiration comes from others, but motivation comes from yourself. 

What motivates you?

What leads us to act the way we do? What are the true motivations that push us in the directions we choose? Understanding the motivations that guide you will help you understand what really leads you to choose one path over another.

Sometimes we do the wrong thing or regret our actions because we didn’t take the time to reflect on our true motivations. Understanding what they are can help you understand yourself as a person. It’s the path towards self-knowledge and self-improvement. 

Choosing to be motivated is choosing to live a more satisfying life. Motivation is what drives us and pushes us to fight for our dreams in spite of all the challenges we have to face.

Obviously, you can’t always be extremely motivated, and the paths that are lined with nothing but roses are few and far between, but motivation is the key to achieving everything you want, instead of resigning yourself to the life you’ve been given even though you’re dissatisfied with it.

motivation self improvement

“Everybody’s religion should be to believe in themselves.”

Krishnamurti

Learn motivation for self improvement from athletes

Motivation is a determining factor for getting enough physical activity and performing well in competitive sports. The intellectual, physiological, and psychological processes that choose, activate, and direct our behavior during physical activity are similar in concept to those of other activities.

Everyone is competitive by nature, some more than others. In this regard, it is the psychologist’s job to take advantage of this feature and fuel it. This process helps to maintain short-term motivation, so it must be combined with strategies that can maintain it over time.

One scientifically confirmed way to maintain motivation over long periods of time is visualization. For at least 5-10 minutes a day, it’s helpful to visualize the process and the desired results so that the mind can practice certain behaviors until they become automatic.

This is quite useful for physical activity as well as any other pursuit, especially when starting a new task or going back to one that you haven’t done in a long time. Visualization is a way to train yourself to focus your attention on the goal.

 

Generally speaking, in order to motivate someone (whether they’re an athlete or not) to improve their performance, their effort and level of experience must be evaluated. There are many athletes who become more motivated after giving a poor performance or improving less than they could have.

Poor results can be a source of anger and sadness because they take away from all the hard work you’ve put in. Such effort can be ruined by both a lack of motivation and an excess of it. Therefore, motivation is a decisive factor in the final result, and the way you control it can either tip the scales in your favor or against you.


This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.