How to Stay Motivated

Motivation is taken so lightly by many people. They think of it as only motivation, and that’s the end to the discussion. The common understanding of what motivation is and how it works is far shallow than what it can actually do.

There are two parts to motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation deals with the feeling of fulfillment and achievement. Extrinsic motivation on the other hand deals with the feeling of being rewarded and noticed for one’s efforts.
There are many ways to approach motivation. It is one easy characteristic to spark in every single person. The problem comes in how to stay motivated. Being motivated for one day to achieve a certain task is one thing, but being motivated for the most of your life is another.

But when you think of it, motivation is not hard to maintain. Once you get it and reap the rewards from it, you will have enough motivation to keep being motivated! One of the most popular reasons used to answer the question on how to stay motivated is the rewards. Extrinsic motivation is very easy to achieve this is why it is one of the most popular reasons for staying motivated. When you are rewarded from the work you have done, the feeling in itself is very rewarding. You feel that you have generated enough attention for your work. Imagine working so hard and yet your efforts stay unnoticed? It can be very devastating. But rarely does this happen. A person who works hard is rewarded equally. And rewards are a form of extrinsic motivation, thus you are encouraged to stay motivated.

Another reason that can be used to keep being motivated is for one’s growth and self-improvement. This type of reward is a form of intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation, unlike its counterpart, is much harder to achieve. One has to know the self deeply in order to feel a sense of intrinsic motivation at work. You need to know where you currently stand, what your strengths are, and in which areas you currently lack. If you do not know this, you have no standing point at which to gauge your improvement. When you cannot feel that you have grown or improved, intrinsic motivation will not work.

In order to be deeply motivated, a motivation that will stay for the long run, you have to know yourself and what your goals are in life. If you have a goal to live for, then you are one motivated person. If you do not have a goal in life, ask for guidance from the people who love and care for you. Start out with small steps. A goal for the next day is already something to be motivated for. Continue making goals like this until you reach a weekly goal, to a monthly goal, an annual goal, until finally an ultimate goal. Make sure your goals are within reach. It is hard to stay motivated if you fail to achieve a goal that is just not possible for you.

How to stay motivated is not a question that deals with how long you can hang in there. Staying motivated is not a race to be won. You are not competing with anyone else other than yourself. Regard yourself highly and keeping motivation beside you won’t be so hard to do.