What Is Motivation

The first step to improving your self motivation is to understand what is motivation and how it works in your life.

At the most basic level, motivation is what causes us to take action.

In order to get the most out of life, to accomplish any goal or aspiration, it is critical to understand and apply your self motivation.

I define motivation as having three basic components: energy, willpower, and purpose.

Energy

And what is a man without energy? Nothing - nothing at all. - Mark Twain

Energy is the most basic component of motivation. Our day to day energy levels can vary depending on a number factors like health, exercise, diet habits, and environment. We all have a basic level of energy that we can draw upon at any moment in order to take action. With a low level of energy, it becomes difficult to get anything done as fatigue can set in quickly.

Increasing your overall energy level can give you the capacity for more action and help you to get more done. When most of your energy is expended, doing even the simplest thing becomes very difficult, and you may need to exert extra willpower to get you to act. I would recommend doing some very basic things on a daily basis to increase your energy levels like exercising, maintaining good diet, and getting plenty of sleep.

Willpower

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” - Mahatma Gandhi

The second component of motivation is willpower. Willpower is the ability to push yourself to act, even if your energy is low or if part of you is resisting. The more energy you have, the less willpower is required to get you to take action and vice versa. Willpower can help you to push past obstacles, to keep you going even when things start getting difficult, and to get you to act even if part of you just wants to give up.

Willpower is like a muscle- if you don't use it often it will weaken and atrophy. Spend just a little time each day strengthening your willpower. Push yourself to work just a little longer, to exercise just a little harder, or to do something you've been putting off. You'll find that in time, it will get easier to tackle difficult obstacles, to become more disciplined in your life, and exert more control over your actions.

Purpose

"He who has a why to live can bear almost any how." - Friedrich Nietzsche

The third component needed to understand what is motivation is purpose. Why do you bother getting out of bed in the morning? Why do you go to work? Why do you do anything? A clear purpose gives you the reason to act, keeps you focused, and can help supply you with the energy and willpower needed to keep going. There is always a reason for taking any action, even if you are not consciously aware of it.

The key is to take conscious control.

If you haven't decided on a purpose for acting, someone else may step in to give you one. There are messages constantly coming at us telling us what we should or shouldn't be doing. Advertising is all about giving you reasons to buy this or that, your employer gives you reasons to do your work, and your family and friends may try to tell you what to do with your life. If you don't decide on a purpose for acting, don't be surprised when someone else does. Understanding the power of purpose is key to understanding what is motivation.

How does Self Motivation fit in?

Being self motivated means that your motivation comes from your inner drive- you act because you want to, not because of some external pressure. The three elements listed above may help you to answer "what is motivation?", but ultimately you have the responsibility for creating motivation in your life.

Don't rely on the external sources for motivation.

The world is in constant flux, things change, and without an inner source of motivation, your actions become subject to forces outside of your control. Focus on developing your inner self motivation and you will have a solid foundation to accomplish anything in your life.

To gain a further understanding into the some additional ideas examining what is motivation, take a look at some of the other links below:

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