Are you familiar with intrinsic motivation? In my opinion, this is the secret sauce that propels people from merely striving toward a goal to becoming the person who achieves it.
The pursuit of goals is familiar to most leaders, and many fall into a common trap. Setting goals to receive praise, recognition, or material gain can be compelling and exciting to start with, but most people find that seeking external validation as a source of motivation often proves unsustainable in the long run.
The alternative to this is intrinsic motivation. This is an inner force that propels us forward with passion, determination, and a genuine love for what we do. It is an internal drive compelling a person to pursue activities for sheer joy and satisfaction, rather than external rewards. Fostering intrinsic motivation can be a game-changer at work and home.
I’ve noticed that my clients who tap into intrinsic motivation find a deep reservoir of sustainable energy that propels them forward even in the face of challenges. If you want to become less of a validation-seeker and more intrinsic, here are my suggestions:
Four Ways to Cultivate Intrinsic Motivation
Connect with Purpose:
When my clients want to become a person who achieves rather than a person who chases goals for validation, I always suggest starting with a reflection on personal values. For example, a person who wants to increase annual commission to remain competitive with co-workers may burn out compared to a person who wants to increase their income and become more philanthropic.
Be Authentic:
Autonomy fosters a sense of control and responsibility over success. Set your intentions based on your personal desires rather than what your colleagues, co-workers, and friends are striving for.
Pursue Mastery:
The pursuit of mastery is inherently motivating. I recommend you create a life and career filled with continuous learning and skill development. This creates an environment of ongoing progress and improvement which creates a sense of accomplishment that fuels intrinsic motivation.
Shift from Striving to Achieving:
Striving towards a goal implies continuous effort without necessarily reaching the destination. On the other hand, becoming the person who achieves the goal signifies a mindset shift. It involves embodying the qualities, habits, and determination required to turn aspirations into tangible accomplishments.
Like all changes, this shift may feel uncomfortable at first, but it’s worth keeping up with.
Friends, as always, when in doubt, choose change. Here is a helpful printable with reminders on how to cultivate intrinsic motivation. Save and print this to refer to whenever you feel those temptations to compete and out-perform.
Remember the three steps to making any important change:
Visualize success.
Set realistic milestones.
Celebrate small victories along the way.
When you focus on the person you want to become, the journey becomes more meaningful, and the destination more attainable. So, dare to tap into your intrinsic motivation, and witness the remarkable transformation as you evolve into the person who not only sets goals but conquers them, turning dreams into tangible accomplishments. Your aspirations await, and the journey towards self-realization is yours to embark upon. I look forward to seeing what you accomplish. -KM
