The instructions are very simple:
Step 1 : Write down something you tell yourself you âCanâtâ do (be specific).
Step 2: Fold the paper in half, and write âI canâ on the outside.
Step 3: Holding your paper in both hands, visualize everything youâll need to turn âI canâtâ into âI can!â.
Step 4: Insert your âCanâtâ into the Can.
Youâll know you have turned a âCanâtâ into a âCan!â because it will feel exactly how you imagined it would.
Ever wonder what it truly means to have motivation? Or why you feel so motivated at times, and so unmotivated at other times? This is the ultimate guide to motivation that you may be looking for to answer all your questions. Through this guide, you will learn everything you want to know about motivation, including its psychology.
Many of us rely on motivation to get the most out of our lives. Without motivation, we often struggle to achieve our objectives whether they are related to our work, weight, education, or basic day-to-day tasks. The problem is that most of us don’t understand how motivation works for us, which may be why we struggle with it.
This leads to the ultimate question: what is the best way for us to arm ourselves against this struggle? For this, our ultimate guide to motivation will help you learn the interpretation of motivation in society, and most importantly, what motivation means to you.
Motivation is defined as the force that drives us to act towards anything. It is the process through which activities with certain goals are initiated, guided, and maintained. This affects both major and minor parts of our lives.
Whether it is to lose or gain weight or simply to get started on preparing for your next big test, we act on these goals based on how âmotivatedâ we are. Needless to say, motivation is a driving force behind much of human behavior.
With motivation, we work more efficiently towards our goals. It gives us emotional strength to help us feel more control over our lives, as well as adapt healthy habits and behavior to improve our lives. Motivation is a huge factor that lets us connect the line between our goals and action.
Now you may wonder why we tend to feel less or more motivated based on certain tasks or goals. In actuality, it depends on a few vital factors that drive motivation in us, described as follows:
This factor defines the autonomy you have while carrying out your task. If you have more control over what you are learning or working on, you may tend to feel more motivated.
One proof of how autonomy drives motivation can be seen in many successful individuals who may not have thrived in a conventional educational system that is already defined for them.
Instead, they worked on their own projects with more autonomy and control over their work. Steve Jobs, among many others, is an excellent example of this.
We can also see children with more control over what they want to learn to be more motivated than children who are not given as much freedom in approaching their goals.
This refers to your connection with your learning or working environment. It means you feel a sense of belonging with the resources and environment that exists around you as you work on your tasks.
Naturally, the more you feel emotionally connected with your environment, the more motivated you feel.
Suppose that you are working in an environment with people who not only treat you like a valuable person with undeniable skills, but you also feel a sense of belonging with them. You will naturally feel more comfortable and motivated.
In contrast to that, if you do not feel a connection to your environment, you may feel like that is not the right place for you. It may make you feel less motivated.
It is no doubt that self-confidence plays a huge role in how you carry out your tasks. If you feel competent enough in your skills and ability, you will also feel more motivated and enthusiastic towards your task or goal.
How competent you feel while striving for your goals affects factors such as self-doubt, the emotional factors that play a major role in driving motivation. In fact, many pieces of research throughout history show proof of this positive relationship between self-confidence and motivation.
One such piece is a study in 2015 with statistics targeting 111 field athletes in hockey. It suggests that when athletes have high self-confidence and efficient self-perception, as well as faith in their talents, their motivation to practice their sports increases.
This plays a huge role in driving motivation, as a special purpose behind your tasks can help you feel more emotionally moved, eventually leading to feeling more motivated.
If thereâs a meaning behind the simple tasks that resonate with your ultimate goals and with the meaning of life for you in the longer run, motivation will be your best companion.
A purpose behind your goals increases the readiness for change within you. We can find this evident through the difference in our motivation towards tasks that we find meaningful or not.
For example, you may feel more motivated and thrilled to excel in sports activities that may mean more to you than in subjects that may not contribute towards your purpose in the longer run.
Like any other force that affects human behavior, the concept of âmotivationâ is also a thoroughly researched topic among psychologists throughout history.
Psychologists have presented several ideas to explain what motivates human conduct, and these ideas include numerous motivation and motivational variables.
Understanding the benefits of these many motivation theories allows you to adopt the finest methods to keep yourself motivated. The following are some of the key motivation theories.
Abraham Maslow is well known for developing the Hierarchy of Needs Theory in 1943. This hypothesis is a traditional representation of human motivation.
This motivation theory is founded on the premise that each human has a hierarchy of five requirements, and although the urgency of these requirements may vary, these needs are classified into two categories: higher-order and lower-order.
Lower-order demands included physiological and safety requirements. These lower-order requirements are usually met outside.
Higher-order needs included social, esteem, and self-actualization requirements. These higher-order demands are often met internally, that is, inside an individual, however, they may be influenced by outside factors.
The Theory of Needs was developed by David McClelland in 1951. This hypothesis is based on a person’s incentive to achieve as well as his or her motivation to avoid failure.
McClelland believed that humans have three basic motivation needs: need for power, achievement, and affiliation.
Edwin Locke proposed the goal-setting theory of motivation in the 1960s. This theory states that goal setting is linked to motivation, and that creating defined and attainable objectives is more successful than setting vague ones.
Many people in the professional world use this theory for maximum performance in their workplace. This theory has the following principles for such cases:
To benefit from this theory, you can use the SMART Model for your goals.
Yes, even motivation is classified into types. It is primarily classified into two types: extrinsic and intrinsic.
Extrinsic drive originates outside of the individual and frequently includes external incentives such as prizes, money, social recognition, or praise. In other words, it refers to performing something for the sake of receiving external rewards, instead of a sense of self-satisfaction.
In your career, this can involve financial gain, rewards, bonuses, and even avoiding being fired. Other examples include losing weight, playing a sport only for a win, learning a language to impress others, and many more.
So conclusively, with extrinsic motivation, you are looking for a tangible reward. We expect money, fame, or praise for tasks that may not satisfy us internally.
Extrinsic motivation may not be a negative thing, but it provides less satisfaction and fulfillment than intrinsic motivation.
Intrinsic Motivation refers to an individual’s capacity to motivate oneself based on their inner wants and higher selves. Some psychologists have linked intrinsic behavior to basic human needs, creativity, performance enhancement, and happiness.
When we perform an activity that satisfies our basic desires, such as hunger, thirst, and sleep, we are more equipped to execute a task. In other instances, such as hobbies, we may just do something because it increases the sensory experience of being in that state of activity.
To put it simply, we tend to feel that intrinsic motivation when we feel satisfaction and fulfillment with those hobbies that we enjoy. You may not feel so fulfilled with a job that you carry out only for external rewards, but some other hobby that you inherently enjoy, such as painting, will make you feel internally satisfied.
It could also be spending a good and healthy time with your friends, meditating, reading, or other leisure activities that contribute to your internal reward system.
One may wonder if happiness is also a motivating factor if we feel this intrinsic motivation because we are enjoying our time and feel joy. That may be right, as according to some studies, short-term positivity helps us be successful in many aspects of our life.
One such study in 2019 also shows how positive emotions, resulting from the activities that bring self-satisfaction and fulfillment, produce an upward spiral in motivation and drive that eventually leads to a better success rate.
Motivation is well applicable to many major parts of our lives – including our workplace and career, learning institutions, politics, and even towards goals pertaining to self-improvement. We may need the concept of âmotivationâ for more efficient and quality work.
We all need motivation to face the daily challenges and tasks in our workplaces, and organizations are employing methods through which they can create a motivated employee force.
After analyzing what motivates employees and what demotivates them, Frederick Herzberg presented a two-factor hypothesis, often known as the motivator-hygiene theory, in 1959.
According to Herzberg, some employment variables contribute to job happiness, while others contribute to job discontent. In this theory, he states that the opposite of “Satisfaction” is “No Satisfaction,” and the opposite of “Dissatisfaction” is “No Dissatisfactionâ.
The two-factor hypothesis is factorized into Hygiene factors and Motivational factors, where hygiene factors are the basic needs in the job and the motivational factors are elements that encourage the employees to stay and grow.
If you are planning goals that contribute towards creating a better lifestyle for yourself, and improving yourself, you may find it hard to adapt to such goals in the longer run.
Staying consistent towards goals that we will have to hold ourselves accountable for without any other force assisting us can be daunting if we struggle with motivation. Naturally, the more you feel motivated towards creating healthy habits, the easier it will get.
Suppose that you are trying to lose weight, and develop better eating habits. It is no doubt that you face a lot of internal struggles, but in the end, you may overcome all of these struggles if motivation is a common companion for you.
Educational psychologists are particularly interested in motivation because of the critical role it plays in student learning. It is no doubt that motivation is essential for effective study.
When you are motivated, it is much easier to maintain attention over time. When you are unmotivated, it is tough not just to stay focused, but also to get started in the first place.
Motivation makes us feel good, energizes us, and motivates us to complete tasks. But it doesn’t always come effortlessly, and we all go through moments when inspiration is difficult.
Focusing on subjects that we feel more motivated to study for is also easier than on those subjects that donât keep us as motivated.
When we talk about motivation in politics, we may notice that we are more concerned with in-group loyalty and demonstrating devotion to our team or community than with policies themselves. This may be because such devotions tend to make us become more motivated towards our cause.
We can also say that without a motivated bunch of individuals, politics isnât politics.
It is inevitable that you will face a lack of motivation at some point in your life, whatever the reason or situation may be. We may get started on our goals or during the goal-setting phase with a lot of motivation, but we also experience low motivation through the journey of achieving these goals.
One vastly noticed example is new year’s resolutions. Many people set a lot of new year’s resolutions with motivation and enthusiasm, but along the way, they lose that spark and drive to achieve those goals.
The difficult part about motivation is not getting started but maintaining that motivation. Through time, you may experience a lack of motivation. Below is a list of reasons for this lack of, or low motivation.
You may be wondering why we listed procrastination as a cause of lack of motivation rather than a consequence.
The truth is that procrastination is a negative habit that you may have developed due to an unhealthy lifestyle over time or other reasons such as feeling overwhelmed by tasks, so once this cycle of procrastination keeps continuing, you will feel a further lack of motivation than you did before.
It is important to overcome this procrastination if you want to attain your short-term objectives. Otherwise, it can create a lot of internal struggles for an individual.
If a person is suffering from mental struggles such as depression and anxiety, they tend to feel hopelessness which eventually leads to a lack of motivation to do anything.
With depression, suffering from self-doubt and meaning or purpose with your goals is a common issue, and as discussed before, competency and meaning are the driving factors for motivation.
You may tend to feel overwhelmed with your tasks if you suffer from anxiety, and your brain signals you to delay working on such tasks. In both cases, a lack of motivation can be hard to prevent.
Your diet, movement, and sleep are one of the major factors that define how you feel throughout the day. It is apparent that you will feel less motivated generally with an unhealthy lifestyle.
Lack of sleep can cause many problems including depression, anxiety, and even physical ailments. When we don’t get enough sleep, our body doesn’t have time to repair itself and heal properly. So if you’re not getting enough sleep, you may feel tired and unmotivated throughout the day.
Similarly, if you develop other unhealthy habits that you may perform every day, they can contribute to your low motivation.
If you believe that you must be flawless in order to achieve your objective, or that there is no sense in trying, one minor slip-up or relapse might drain your motivation to keep going.
If you have this âeverything-or-nothingâ mindset, you could also potentially suffer from frequent burn-outs because of the overwhelming mindset of perfecting every task.
If you’re used to remaining in your comfort zone, you’ll miss out on the gratification that comes with accomplishing a life-changing objective. Pushing yourself will allow you to develop unshakeable confidence as you demolish goal after goal.
So in simple words, setting objectives that are too easy to achieve will make you become easily bored and lose interest. It’s easy to lose motivation if you stay in your comfort zone and only target goals that you can attain right away, as true ambitions frequently require time to achieve.
You should try to find a balance between pushing yourself and setting reasonable goals.
Ted talks, motivational quotes from famous speakers, and motivational workshops – you may be familiar with all of them. You may also have tumbled across videos from motivational gurus that created a burst of motivation and urge to turn things around in you.
So if we properly analyze what all of these motivational speakers or gurus bring to the table, how important is their role today?
It is no doubt that motivational speeches have a lot of significance since they serve to motivate you, boost your creativity, lessen fear & anxiety, provide a fresh perspective on things, and also help you meet and connect with other individuals that may be in the same situation as you.
You will surely discover different and productive ways to approach your problems while watching or sitting through a ted-talk with an experienced professional who supplies the audience with new ideas and answers to problems that they have most likely been dealing with for a long time.
When these motivational gurus use their story-telling skills for real-life experiences, it also helps in boosting your energy, giving you a source of inspiration especially if you are not in the highest of your spirits.
In their speeches, they make sure that they include stories of both failure and success, so the listener knows that failure is just a part of life. In this way, they donât lose their motivation to succeed and keep going with simple failures.
However, relying too much on motivational gurus and excess consumption of motivational speeches can also lead to less critical thinking on your part. Yes, their advice can be really helpful, but it is not generalizable.
Everyone has different experiences in life, What worked for others may not work for you, and vice versa. Only you know the best approach to solving your own problems and creating your own lifestyle.
Hence, it is important that you know when and how to apply the teachings of motivational gurus to your problems in life.
You may feel energized and very motivated to achieve your objectives at times. At other times, you may feel drained or unclear about what you want or how to get it.
It can be frustrating, but fortunately, there are several efficient tips and tricks that will help in increasing and maintaining motivation.
First, it is important that you adjust your goals to focus on what is truly important to you. Goals based on things that are extremely essential to you will help you push through your obstacles more than goals based on things that are really important to you.
You should set the few ultimate goals first that matter the most to you and are essential, and then adjust and prioritize these goals. This lets your mind know what it essentially needs to focus on.
At times when you might feel lost and demotivated, reminding yourself of this ultimate goals list lets you remember what you are working and striving hard for.
If you’re undertaking a project that feels too large or overwhelming, divide it into smaller, more manageable tasks or goals. Then, fix your sights on merely completing the first steps of these tasks one at a time.
Most of the time, you procrastinate because there is too much on your plate and you don’t know where to begin. It’s difficult not to feel overwhelmed when you attempt to tackle everything at once.
However, focusing on one or two tasks at a time makes it simpler to stay focused and avoid feeling overwhelmed. When you find the strength to get up and do one task, you will start to have more confidence in yourself and that âyou can do itâ.
Merchandise such as cups or T-shirts with motivational quotes can come quite in handy as motivational tools, but if you want to involve actual action to connect the line between your goals and reality, YouBetchaCanâs Motivational Product âThe Canâ is the perfect motivational tool.
The product lets you write down what you want to achieve, and lets you visualize your goals. The sentimental value of writing âI Canâ to each of your goals that your mind may trick you into thinking you canât do lets you know that all of these tasks are possible and achievable.
The process of using this product is very simple, you just need to write down your goal, fold it, and write âI Canâ on the outside.
And yes, you have guessed right. The motivational product is named âThe Canâ because one – it is a can, and second – because you can do anything.
Motivation works differently for everyone, but one thing that is the same for everyone is that we all have our own sources of motivation that may work the best for us only. We are the ones who know the best about what motivates us.
Hence, it is important that you understand the sources of motivation that work best for you. It may be certain sports that you enjoy that you make feel re-energized and motivated.
It could also be other activities such as talking to your loved ones, solitude, socializing, gaming, or any other sort of entertainment. For many people, spirituality and religion play a significant role as motivating factors too.
As we said, everyone has different sources of motivation, which could be multiple sources too. If you donât know what activities motivate you, you may want to start observing your behavior pattern and recognize what energizes and motivates you the best.
It’s all about the simple things you do every day when it comes to making life changes. If you want to feel more motivated in the morning, you should start making adjustments to your daily routine and habits.
Having a healthy routine includes adopting healthy habits such as exercising regularly and meditating into your lifestyle.
Meditation is a great way to clear your mind and relax. Studies have shown that meditation can reduce anxiety and depression, increase focus and concentration, and improve sleep quality. These are the factors that affect how motivated you feel.
Exercise is also another great way to boost your energy. It releases endorphins, which give you a natural high. Endorphins are naturally produced in our bodies and help us feel good.
You may be thinking that this is your typical âstay healthyâ advice, but it is a very important measure as developing a healthy routine with healthy habits lets you stay organized on days when you may feel a temporal lack of motivation to do anything.
Gratitude is a simple practice that can improve your mood and outlook on life. Journaling every day and practicing gratitude reminds you of the reasons you must keep going, especially if you feel disconnected from the âwhyâ element of your goals.
Try writing down three things you’re grateful for each morning in your journal. It undoubtedly creates a huge difference.
There is a significant distinction between resting and procrastinating. Rest is essential for survival because it clears your thoughts so you can face your challenges front on.
Procrastination, on the other hand, keeps your brain occupied with anxiety that you are slacking off on your tasks. It doesnât give your mind the rest it needs, and neither do you get your tasks done.
If you set a certain rest time, you can relax and rest without any worries about completing your tasks as you know that you have already adjusted your time accordingly.
Grab your headphones and enjoy some music to relax, go on a walk or just lay down on your bed. Make sure that you use this rest time to actually let your brain relax. Our bodies and minds require rest in order to operate properly.
Make sure you reward yourself for accomplishing your goals. Once you start rewarding yourself for accomplishing all the small tasks you created using the break-down goals method, you will be more motivated to keep working.
Doing this will keep your brain thrilled and active throughout the journey while completing your task, as you know that a reward awaits you.
This reward could be enjoying some leisure time or eating your favorite chocolate. Whatever will get you excited, works.
Tracking your achievements can feel very rewarding as it creates self-confidence in your abilities, and it also lets you keep a track of your behavior pattern. It may seem insignificant at first, but over time, these accomplishments will add up.
This also brings you fulfillment as you will be reminded of the goals that you already accomplished, which lets you believe that you can do more. Again, you can use YouBetchaCanâs motivational product to keep track of your progress.
Whenever we talk about toxicity – the most important thing is your toxic behavior patterns. This refers to the behaviors, habits, or hobbies that can cause you to procrastinate because of instant gratification. This can be scrolling on your phone all day.
Consistently hanging out in groups where the norm is unhealthy habits and wrong guidance can also create these toxic behavior patterns. Make sure that you are in the right crowd.
Finally, finding a mentor can help you greatly in staying motivated as they help you achieve your goals. A mentor can give you advice and guidance and they can also be great role models for you.
Understanding how motivation works is an important step before using tips and tricks to keep yourself motivated. The psychology of motivation teaches us about the mentality we need to succeed in life.
Our ultimate guide to motivation covers all that you need to know about motivation – from the factors that drive motivation, the main theories of motivation to how you can stay motivated.
Utilizing this guide, you can find out what tricks work best for you, then adjust them accordingly to your lifestyle.
Certainly, this is a question all of us have asked ourselves at some point in our lives. How do I find the motivation to achieve my goals? or How do I find the motivation to take the next steps in my growth be it personal or business?
If only Life Motivation was as simple to achieve. To understand motivation, we first need to acknowledge that it’s a name of a feeling, which stimulates a person to take action. The challenge with motivation is that we all feel motivated, but the feeling does not stay longer, in fact, it’s a fleeting moment, and if we fail to capitalize on it, it’s lost, sometimes forever.
If you don’t take action when you are motivated, you will end up with regret and shame, which are detrimental to achieving your goals. The good news is, there are simple plans and strategies that you can imply, to make sure to replenish your motivation. Following are a few steps that will help you to find Motivation:
Preferably with people who already have achieved what you want to achieve. Being around them will feed into your feeling of motivation, as well as help you see what actions you need to take to be living a life like them.
2. Find Motivational Support in the Community
Don’t always try to boot-strap yourself. Harness the power of community and ask for help where needed. Everyone loves to be of service. Find someone who can do it better than you and faster than you. Getting help for a few initial steps may snowball your action plan, and lead the way for progress. When you can see your goal(s) getting closer you will feel more motivated.
3. Adopt a healthy lifestyle
Diet, exercise, and sleep are not one size fit all. Explore and try different approaches to nourish your body, move your body, and give rest to your body. Once you find a style that feels good, stick to it. You will find motivation and be able to take action when you are well-rested, satiated, and well-built.
4. Use our Motivational Product The Can (Youbetchacan) to list down goals
The can is the best motivational product and the most practical tool to help you with motivation. It’s simple enough to list your goal, which you deem you can’t do, and then envision the steps you need to take in order to turn the can’t into a can. Having written down a goal is very different from having a vision in your head. The power of your words will be a stronger motivator to help you achieve your life goals.
5. Imagine your Future
Imagine your future if you don’t change yourself, also imagine your future if you successfully use motivation to achieve your goals. The cons of not achieving and the pros of the achieving future will fuel your motivation to keep going in the direction of your dreams.
Encouragement may make a big difference in how an individual grows and improves, as well as how people succeed in their daily lives. Words of encouragement donât just affect the people who are receiving them. It also improves the mood of those who are around them. Just by saying a few words of encouragement to someone you know can help them gain the confidence they need to achieve wonders. Keep reading to understand why it holds so much importance in your community. Scroll down below and have a look at them!
Each one of us requires motivation, at some point in life to reach our goals. Encouragement boosts self-confidence, and inspires people to accomplish those said goals. People who hear those helpful words are more confident in their talents, and have a greater chance of succeeding. By encouraging others, you push them to pursue their dreams, and help improve their self-confidence; in which they may have lacked for a long time. Overall, a simple word of encouragement may be all that you need to say to help those around you stay motivated.
Emotions play a vital role in some people’s life decisions. This can be highly detrimental when a demotivated person ends up making poor choices that can affect him negatively. On the other hand, a person who is being encouraged can make sensible decisions that lead towards some type of reward. Therefore, by uttering just a few positive words of encouragement can transform someone’s self-doubt into seeing a positive future for themselves. Give it a try, and see results!
The greatest dishonor you can do to personal growth is to give up. Individuals respond positively to words of support, because they feel more confident about themselves and their potential. Supportive comments encourage people to continuously go forward. A few words of motivation can enable anyone to chase their goals, and help them to not give up. Play your part in stopping someone from giving up, by just using a few words of encouragement.
All of the advantages of encouragement comes together to help you become a more successful person. Having the support of the community also plays a vital role in the members not only striving for, but being able to accomplish their goals. Since we are valuable members of these communities we can voice encouraging comments to support one another, while simultaneously growing a better future for the next generation.
It’s easy to become discouraged in a world filled with obstacles. Some of us have no one to turn to for words of support, which is why the thought of giving up becomes present in our minds. As a result, we may lose sight of our moral responsibilities to one another, our family, or society members. Being part of a community, on the other hand, gives us the advantage of engaging with like-minded people who may provide us with unconditional support, and words of encouragement that can raise our confidence. As a result, focus on self-care first and then look for motivation from others!
