Ever feel ‘motivationally challenged’? Why is it for some things we dive in headlong and time flies, yet with others we will put them off and get distracted until it becomes an enormous sword of Damocles hanging over us?
Motivation drives us – it encompasses direction, energy, determination, and goal attainment.
The self-determination model of motivation
A key motivation model is Self-Determination Theory (SDT, Ryan and Deci, 2000). The model puts motivation on a spectrum from intrinsic to extrinsic. The spectrum includes the degree to which action is controlled or autonomous and considers motivation in the context of meeting our basic psychological needs of competence, autonomy and relatedness. See the graphic below for more information.
Ryan and Deci, 2000: Self-Determination Theory, motivation spectrum.
When we act with intrinsic motivation we act for the enjoyment of the task and are autonomous in our behaviour. At the other extreme is external extrinsic motivation which is based on external rewards or punishment and is lower quality motivation. In between these are other motivational states of increasing quality of motivation the closer you get to intrinsic motivation.
Since starting Brooks Coaching, I’ve noticed fluctuations in my motivation and I’ve been interested in exploring that and how to pick up the areas that are a bit lower for me.
I love coaching and working with individuals and teams to help them thrive. When I am in sessions, time flies, I am completely absorbed and I feel energised or in a state of ‘Flow’ to quote Seligman, one of the founders of positive psychology. The work is meeting my psychological needs of competence, autonomy and relatedness.
The role of strengths
There is extensive evidence that when we use our strengths at work, we are more motivated and perform better. When I coach or deliver workshops and masterclasses, I am also leveraging my strengths which makes the work enjoyable and intrinsically motivates me. To use Gallup Strengths terminology, for example, I am using ‘Individualisation’ where I am intrigued by the unique qualities of individuals and how to get people to work together productively, along with ‘Relator’, finding deep satisfaction in close relationships and helping others achieve goals.
Using strengths to improve motivation
If my work is so aligned to my interests and strengths, why is there a fluctuation in motivation? Well, not all of my work involves being ‘in the room’ virtual or otherwise. As someone who has always worked for organisations, the transition to running my own organisation comes with a range of other less fulfilling but necessary activities. I have looked at these to think how I can draw on my strengths to positively reframe what needs to be done, for example:
Building my website when I lack technical enthusiasm: Motivation was introjected here because I don’t enjoy it but I recognise it needs doing. One of my strengths is Learning so I focussed on it as a learning opportunity to build a new skill as well as the sense of achievement of getting it live. This enabled me to focus and feel good about the outcome.
Social media posting: I have been reluctant to write blogs and post on social media because it can feel self-promoting which I have an aversion to. I have challenged my mindset on this. I am passionate about helping people move from languishing to flourishing. My studies covered so many interesting models and interventions that benefit wellbeing, resilience and effective team working for example. I love sharing these insights with people in my coaching and masterclasses, so why not on social media? Maybe it comes back to engagement and the real connections you get in a physical or virtual room (referring to my previous Relator strength) compared to just sending it out– but Communication is also a focus so if my posts can be of interest and help to anyone then why not share them? This reframing is why I have been motivated to write this now.
But what about the things we just can’t get enthused about?
While my website is live, this week I have experienced general low motivation because I have a list of SEO actions I need to take on it. We are bordering on amotivation here… To avoid complete inertia, I decided to dive into writing this article instead – procrastination I know, but productive procrastination at least. Sometimes we just have to do things we aren’t keen on and which we will never inch up into intrinsic motivation. That is where goal setting comes in, it will be a subject of a future article but for now let’s say I’m building a granular list with spaces for ticks and rewards when I have them done!
I have found it really helpful to understand what drives the differences in my motivation and how to draw on my strengths and preferences to help reframe and get moving on activities I am less motivated on. It applies in all walks of life too. The analytical problem solver in me finds running a great place for thinking and I feel energised after – but I sometimes struggle with motivation to get out of the door, so I now remind myself of how it helps me, set myself clear goals for each week, and include a few behavioural nudges like getting my kit ready the night before so there are no excuses!
If you are interested in learning more about your strengths and building your motivation then do get in touch at helen.brooks@brookscoaching.net.
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