Motivation is your ‘why’.
Motivation is what activates and drives behaviour.
Motivation goes beyond the desire to accomplish a goal and helps you to persist through obstacles and challenges.
Motivation is an essential component to accomplishing your goals.
Elements of Motivation:
1. Activation: the decision to initiate behaviours to make change
i.e. the decision to eat healthy
2. Persistence: the continued effort to move towards the goal, even when obstacles and challenges present themselves
i.e. the ability to stick to your eating plan even after a stressful day.
3. Intensity: the energy and drive put into pursuing the goal
i.e. putting the goal of eating healthy to the forefront of your mind, prioritising your food choices, sharing your intentions with your friends and family.
In addition to the three elements (activation, persistence and intensity), motivation can also be broken down into extrinsic and intrinsic motivations:
Extrinsic Motivation: arise from outside of the self / are obtained from the external environment
i.e. trophies, money, social recognition, praise
Intrinsic Motivation: arise internally within the individual / driven by internal rewards
i.e. personal interests, the cultivation of positive emotions
So lets use this scenario of being motivated to make healthier food choices?
Motivation is an essential part of the process.
When motivation is high, making healthy choices that move you closer to your goals is effortless.
If motivation drops, or is never intensely initiated, the process can become a lot more challenging.
This is why it is essential to evaluate your motivational drivers (the reasons why you want to change) and understand your extrinsic and intrinsic motivators (what is motivating you and where it comes from).
Identify your motivators - what is your ‘why’?
What are your extrinsic (external) motivations?
What are your intrinsic (internal) motivations?
How are you going to keep yourself motivated when faced with challenges
How are you going to keep your energy and drive to achieve your goals?
GUIDE: Include as much detail and emotion as possible - the more emotionally charged your goals and motivations are, the more likely they will help you stay motivated if challenges / obstacles present themselves during your journey.
