There can be different reasons why we are not motivated ourselves . Usually, there is one thing behind it: We focus too much on the reward – and confuse cause with effect. Deadly for self motivation . Quite a few people strive for top grades, a top job, a promotion , a raise – and torment themselves through a job that means nothing to them. No raise in salary or promotion to a new suffering position will help . Motivation cannot arise from being enthusiastic about the carrot that we hold in front of our noses and at the same time suffer from the path we cover ..
Self-motivation: thinking if-then is wrong
The problem with this type of self-motivation is the if-then thinking behind it:
- WhenI once made a career then I’m satisfied …
- OnceI earn so and so much, then I am motivated …
- IfI get this job, then I’m happy …
Most of it is outright self-deception . Anyone who hates their job for 2,000 euros a month will still not love it for 4,000 euros. And advancement does not necessarily mean more freedom, more free time, more satisfaction. Often the opposite is true.
No question about it, rewards are a powerful motivational tool. And it is also true: We should reward ourselves again and again, for example when we have achieved partial successes (so-called milestones).
But carrots like money or bonuses only motivate for a short time . It is external influences and incentives ( extrinsic motivators) that ultimately make us dependent. In the long run they work like drugs: you have to keep increasing the dose to be able to feel anything at all.
The better drive still comes from within (in technical jargon also speaks of intrinsic motivation ).
Self-motivation: 3 things that really inspire us
If you believe motivation researchers , there are three main drivers that motivate us to the maximum (in the job) :
- autonomy
As long as we have the feeling that we are only doing what others want, we feel powerless and controlled by others. Of course, there is no such thing as absolute freedom: even those who are self-employed still have to woo customers and meet demand. Hierarchies also make sense at work, because democratic decision-making processes would often take too long – and even then you can be outvoted.
Autonomy here means being able to give direction to one’s life by and large, instead of being directed. Just because you bend over once doesn’t mean you lose your inner freedom. However, those who are largely able to confidently shape their work content and career path are also motivated.
- championship
Let’s be honest: learning is usually not fun. Nothing is more frustrating than feeling that we can’t do something (yet). But over time, with a lot of practice, we usually get better – and also feel that way. And all of a sudden we experience a real motivational kick: Progress is nothing but small successes that bring us closer to the championship . This is also the reason why sports clubs and video games, for example, have levels and rankings: They motivate you to keep going, to practice more, to surpass yourself.
However, this point also has a limitation: Mastering a thing inside out only motivates us if it means something to us. A child who is forced to play the piano by their parents when they would rather play football may also make progress. But it is rarely more motivated.
- purpose
The things we love to do need to make sense. Even those who only lubricate one gearbox regularly will work all the more if they know that the gearbox is important for the machine and that this in turn serves a higher purpose. He is making an important contribution. To put it pathetically, one could also say: We feel that we are serving a cause that is greater than ourselves. This is the case with everyone who volunteers in non-profit associations or aid organizations.
But there is also a size smaller: It is enough if our work makes a difference. In other words, if we didn’t do it, companies and customers would have a problem. Anyone who feels that it is noticeable whether he or she is there or not is obviously fulfilling an important purpose – and is motivated accordingly.
The secret of self motivation
We are maximally motivated when all three drives are given or we are aware of them. Through all of these points – you have surely noticed that for a long time – a motivational factor runs like a red thread:
Whatever we do, it has to mean something to us .
Mind you: for us – not for others. We have to find meaning in our task. Achieving the goal only becomes success if it is also worth striving for for us.
This is the secret of self-motivation : ask yourself what is really important to you. Recognize the meaning in what you do – and joy and commitment, progress and creativity come naturally and also outlast crises and setbacks . But it’s the consequences, not the causes.
Just knowing what we are doing is a big step towards promoting your own motivation. But is that enough?
The imagination usually decreases again after a short time and with that the motivational power decreases again. Setbacks also support the path to old lethargy.
To prevent this, a second step is necessary:
Use your feelings to reinforce the idea. Imagine the joy and happiness that flows through you and make these feelings palpable and palpable for yourself . And if that doesn’t help, we have 11 tips on how you can enjoy your work more in the future:
- Set goals.
Make clear what you want to achieve and set yourself measurable and realistic (!) Goals .
- Internal attitude.
Make sure that you approach your task with a positive attitude. Get rid of negative thoughts and instead say to yourself, “This task is fun.”
- Reduce demotivation.
Be clear about what is demotivating you about your job. List all points and remove them as far as possible in your environment.
- Motivating things.
Do you know what motivates you? What are the reasons and things that make you lose track of time? List everything you can think of.
- Motivation through visualization.
What do you get after your work is done? Imagine your success in your mind’s eye. This should help you instill an inner urge to turn this idea into reality.
- Motivation through feelings.
Associate positive feelings with your goals and tasks. Feelings underline this, give us additional and long-term motivation.
- Motivation through reward.
Reward yourself for the work you do. Even small partial successes should be rewarded. In response, the brain associates work with something positive. With this trick you can reduce some motivation problems in the long term.
- Motivation through memory.
Write down your individual incentives on small DIN A7 cards. Put a card in your field of vision every day, for example on the phone, where you will see it again and again.
- Motivation through time pressure.
Many people are motivated by a deadline . You can also use this for yourself by setting appointments for your tasks yourself.
- Motivation through the right measure.
Do you know how much you can do in one day and when the workload becomes too much for you? Use this knowledge to avoid undertaking too much in a day. Otherwise you will create failures, which will result in new demotivation.
- Motivation through fear.
Make it clear to yourself what happens if you do not complete the task or if the work stops. What are the consequences for you or others?
Self-test: can you motivate yourself?
Of course I can motivate myself, otherwise I wouldn’t go to work every day … It doesn’t sound like real motivation, much more like fulfilling my duties. A problem that unfortunately many employees have to grapple with: sit down and go about their jobs. Do you know the feeling of just staring at a task and hoping that it will take care of itself? Our self-test can show you whether you have problems motivating yourself.
Please read the following statements calmly and decide for each one whether this statement applies to you or not . At the end, please add up how often you have given your consent. The evaluation can also be found at the end of the box.
Please remember: The self-test should help you with your personal assessment . It’s not about doing as well as possible or getting a certain number of points. So stay honest with yourself:
- Facebook, telephone, e-mail or even coffee with colleagues. Distractions are a problem for meand sometimes I find it difficult to get myself up and focus on the really important things.
- If I regularly receive praise and positive feedback, I can immediately feel how my motivation increases and I work harder on the following days to do my work even better. Without this encouragement, my motivation also suffers.
- I always do tasks that I enjoy, and I always do so with great pleasure. If, on the other hand,I find a task boring, exhausting or just stupid , I postpone it for as long as possible and then have to force myself to finally get started.
- When working in a team, I am happy when someone else takes the lead, assigns tasks and takes over the organization. So I know exactly what to concentrate on and don’t have to worry about other things.
- I hate the beginning of the weekand every Monday I hardly get out of bed because I know the week is still so long. Unfortunately, this feeling usually lasts until the middle of the week – or even longer if it is particularly stressful.
- Sometimes I have problemswith particularly simple tasks because I underestimate them and don’t take care of them in time. When I feel underchallenged, I find it difficult to really hang in and do my best.
- When I do something, I always take breaks. However , I often drag this outbecause I find it difficult to return to my tasks afterwards.
- What motivates me inmy job is the payment , after all, not only do I have to make a living from it, but I also want to be able to save something so that I can later fulfill a dream.
- With new tasks I first need some time to find access. I just don’t know how to startand before I do it wrong I first analyze and figure out how to proceed.
- Excuses are one of my specialties. I can persuade myself for hours that I can’t do something, which is why I can wait longer and longer until I start at some point because time is running out.
- I have often been asked by colleagues that I sometimes lack the necessary motivation and that work sticks with them as a result. Fortunately, the boss doesn’t seem to have noticed this yet.
Can you motivate yourself: The breakup
- If you have agreed on a few points and nodded silently, you need not worry right away. Everyone motivates themselves in a different way. So it is only likely that you recognized yourself in some statements.
- However, you should pay attention if you have given your consent more than six times. Here you should question more precisely what is taking away your motivation and how you can counteract it in order to find your drive again.
- If you ‘ve given your consent nine times or more, you will have serious difficulty motivating yourself, and not only will your work be likely to suffer, but your satisfaction as well . Try to find out what motivates you, what you enjoy and what is currently lacking. A change is likely to be necessary to achieve this, but if you really want to regain your motivation, you need to have that courage
Cheer yourself: It actually works!
“Tschakka – you can do it!” Such motivational exclamations sound more like esoteric fuss, quackery and dodgy motivational speakers. But said to yourself, the encouragement works better than expected: Those who verbally encourage themselves, significantly improve their own performance .
This is the result of a British study led by sports psychologist Andrew M. Lane from the University of Wolverhampton. More than 44,000 test persons took part in the experiments. The question: Which motivational techniques really help?
The participants were divided into a total of twelve groups and were asked to play a concentration game against the computer in the BBC Lab UK, an online portal of the BBC . In order to motivate themselves, the test persons should …
- Talk to yourself :cheer, encourage, motivate yourself loudly.
- Useyour imagination: Imagine how you could react better and faster during the game.
- Play if-then scenarios:So plan in advance how you would react if an eventuality occurs.
The result was unequivocal: those who had encouraged themselves with warm words scored the most points in the course of the game and consistently performed better than all comparison groups. Those who cheered themselves on released more energy. In addition, the self-talk led to more positive emotions during the game. The researchers concluded that you simply feel better when you encourage yourself.
Those who had imagined reacting faster and better in the next game also made progress, but only marginally. The what-if technique was the least successful. A positive effect could also be ascertained here, but to a hardly measurable extent.
The ABC of motivation
In view of the large number of motivational seminars , courses, books, films and workshops, it is amazing how difficult it is for many to motivate themselves. Probably because a lot of things they try to get up to have no real meaning after all – or only seemingly and superficially. Just like the pursuit of fame and fortune.
As an inspiration, an ABC of motivation . Each of the following tips may or may not work for you. Because motivation is something completely individual, there cannot be any universally valid rules – only suggestions:
- Hide
One of the most important measures to keep yourself motivated: Hide envious and notorious complainers and concentrate on yourself and those around you. This is not an ostrich tactic, but often a pure necessity so as not to burden yourself with negative thoughts and approaches.
- balance
You can only maintain your motivation if you have the necessary energy. Make sure to take time for your health – physically and mentally – in addition to work .
- opportunities
You may be familiar with the saying: “One person sees problems, the other sees opportunities.” This basic attitude is decisive for consistently high motivation. Whoever consciously pays attention to opportunities, seizes them and – if they fit – seizes them, will not only be rewarded but also motivated by new opportunities and experiences of success.
- Thought patterns
Over time, each person’s thought patterns solidify . Some of them can slow you down in your development and weaken your motivation over the long term. For example, do you intuitively look for weak points and sources of error in every new project? Do you then perceive this as an opportunity for improvement or as an argument against the project? In order to recognize such thought patterns, you need external reflection. This can come from friends, colleagues or coaches.
- empathy
If you want to motivate other people, you must first understand their needs and situations. It is often important to put the superficial statements aside and focus on the real needs behind them. You can only achieve this if you are empathetic to the other person .
- ask
Asking questions are one of the best ways to overcome low motivation. Some ask themselves in low phases anyway, for example the question: “Why am I doing this to myself?” If you cannot find a positive answer to this yourself, ask your colleagues and friends these questions and use their answers as fuel for your motivation.
- patience
Motivation can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it enables you to achieve amazing results through enthusiasm and enthusiasm, on the other hand, you can quickly burn out and fall into a motivation hole. So check your motivation and enthusiasm and use them patiently and carefully in order to stay tuned for the long term.
- tenacity
Speaking of long-term: motivation can also depend on the results of your work. However, you can only achieve this through perseverance and perseverance . Use these characteristics to keep your motivation high and focus again and again on achievable intermediate goals.
- inspiration
Inspirational quotes, films, speeches, books or moments can be nourishment for your motivation and push you further. Therefore, you should always consciously look for inspiring content and thus strengthen your motivation.
- Cheers
Even if it is rather unusual in the German (work) culture: Enjoy the joy of a achieved goal or a success. Realized joy not only feels good , it can also provide you with a new impulse for your motivation and increase your anticipation for the next success.
- concentration
Especially in hectic and stressful times, motivation can decrease due to many everyday tasks and little things. You can counteract this development by consciously withdrawing from day-to-day business – even if only for five minutes – and concentrating on your actual goal.
- Learn
Depending on the type and disposition, just learning and discovering new content and paths can trigger a motivational boost.
- championship
Intermediate goals are important, but sometimes a valuable goal can be to develop your skills to mastery in a particular area . The consistent pursuit of this goal can guarantee your motivation for months.
- curiosity
Without curiosity, people and companies come to a standstill at some point. There is no more development or movement, and motivation and activity weaken. So rediscover your curiosity every day, get involved in experiments and learn from the development. Your motivation grows automatically.
- optimism
It is quite possible that you can no longer hear the familiar glass-half-full-or-glass-half-empty thinking . However, that doesn’t change its validity: focus on the positive aspects of projects and situations to keep your motivation fresh.
- perspective
Success sometimes only takes weeks or months. Looking at day-to-day work can quickly become frustrating, especially if progress is minimal. In such phases, take a few steps back and look at the development so far. Often you will notice how far you have come and how fast you are approaching your goal.
- quality
Celebrating many successes in a short period of time can significantly increase your motivation. If this is not possible, however, you should focus on the quality of your work and draw satisfaction and motivation from it.
- reflection
Seeing your own progress can be difficult in everyday life. Ideally, take time once a week to reflect on the course of the week and the current progress in order to motivate yourself.
- Self-confidence
Sometimes motivation also wanes because you or your colleagues doubt your own abilities . Then it suddenly seems completely impossible to cope with the upcoming tasks. In this situation, reflect on your successes and become aware of your abilities and strengths. With your self-confidence , your motivation will return.
- dreams
Concrete goals, analyzes and plans are important and meaningful. Sometimes, however, it is time to leave it all behind for a few minutes or hours and indulge in your dreams. Such a break can revitalize not only energy and creativity, but also your motivation.
- support
No matter how good you are, at some point there is guaranteed to come a point where you will not get anywhere on your own. Therefore, look for support and support right from the start and let your colleagues and friends motivate you again in low phases.
- Visualization
Defining goals is one thing, really seeing them and internalizing them is quite another. Use the technology of visualization and imagine your goals and future successes as realistically as possible. Let the appropriate emotions arise in order to reinforce the images.
- truth
Lies have short legs. Anyone who deceives employees, colleagues, bosses or themselves is constantly busy maintaining the facade and has to spend a large part of their energy on it. However, if you stick to the truth from the start, you can use this energy sensibly and concentrate on your work – with noticeably positive effects on your motivation.
- X times
Some tasks can only be accomplished through trial and error. Don’t let the umpteenth attempt frustrate you either , but stick to the attitude of Thomas Alva Edison: “You see 100 failures. I see 100 ways that I know won’t get there. ”
- aims
We have already mentioned you several times in our ABC: Without specific goals , motivation cannot be maintained over the long term. Big goals are important, but you should break them down into realistic intermediate goals that you can achieve in the foreseeable future. Otherwise frustration is programmed.
