Motivation

Hello, friends!

There have been some posts reminding you to keep writing and not stagnating, but I think we need to talk about the key component of fighting the procrastination away, and that is MOTIVATION. 

A word we use often, but do we truly understand what we mean by it? 

I used some notes from my psychology classes to make this post I think everyone should read. Understanding motivation can be crucial in keeping it going.

Let's get into it!

For starter, let me show you the very basic division of motivation:

EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION = external factors, driving the individual towards the goal, for example: a good grade, supporting partner, clean surroundings

→ that's why it's very important to take care of the external factors that influence you!

INTRINSIC MOTIVATION = internal factors, driving the individual towards the goal, for example: doing X, because it makes you happy, writing because you want to be a writer, cleaning because it makes you feel worthy, cooking because you're hungry

→ you need to be internally ready to complete your goal

Motivation is characterized by:

DIRECTION - specific desires or concerns

INTENSITY - a greater or lesser amount of forces expended on the implementation of tasks and goals

EMOTIONAL STATES - positive or negative feelings related to the fulfillment of individual’s desires or fears

SENSE OF SELF-EFFICACY = an individual's belief in their ability to complete a task, which may be shaped by previous successful implementation of the same or similar task.

According to Albert Bandura, a person's sense of self-efficacy plays a fundamental role in motivating behavior!!!

THE FOUR SOURCES OF SELF-EFFICACY:

→ “if people receive realistic encouragement, they will be more likely to exert greater effort and to become successful than if they are troubled by self-doubts” (Wood & Bandura)

→ experiences we gain when taking on new challenges and succeeding

→ when we observe others succeeding (or failing) at activities, we can estimate our own likelihood of success or failure 

→ emotional arousal. Unpleasant emotional states like fear can have the effect of making us feel less competent

INTRINSIC MOTIVATION is reflected in four psychological states related to a person's attitude to perform the task:

IMPORTANCE - the benefits of a given task or activity; it's the driving force of a given person

COMPETENCE - belief in one's own ability to skillfully perform a given task or activity; not just doing it, but doing it well

SELF-DETERMINATION - freedom of action, autonomy and the ability to make choices related to initiating, maintaining and regulating one's actions in the pursuit of a task ("tell us what to do, not how to do it")

INFLUENCE - The degree to which an individual can influence strategic, administrative, or other work outcomes; a sense of achievement related to one's goals

The hormone connected most to motivation is DOPAMINE.

Dopamine acts as a stimulant and is crucial for coordination, motor functions, memory, learning, concentration, as well as mental performance. Working with serotonin, dopamine improves mood, regulates the reward system, and thus enthusiasm and motivation.

That's why people with ADHD find it hard to complete tasks - their brains don't produce enough dopamine.

HOW TO GET DOPAMINE? By meditation, exercising, listening to your favorite music, being appropriately nourished. 

MOTIVATE YOURSELF:

→ reward yourself for the little wins as well as the big ones; finishing a book is a big achievement, but finishing a chapter is also a good reason to celebrate! Small steps matter.

→ there are some great self-care and goal-oriented apps out there (like my beloved Finch app) - I would strongly recommend trying some out. BUT try searching for ones that reward you after you finish a task. The sense of an awaiting reward is very helpful. 

→ make it a fun process! It's your story, so enjoy it as you create! Make some collages for your characters, try drawing them, make a presentation about them or about the story, think which cover would suit the story, etc

THE SMART METHOD

S - specific; what actions will you take to accomplish your goal?

M - measurable; how will you know you succeeded?

A - attainable; can you complete the goal with the skills and resources you currently have?

R - relevant; does this goal align with your wider purpose and values?

T - time-bound; what is the deadline?

What should you NOT do that will only demotivate you?

→ Do not exhaust yourself. Take your time. An exhausted individual with burn out quickly.

→ Don't push if something doesn't make you happy. If the goal you set for yourself brings more negativity than positivity, why force yourself to keep doing it?

→ Do not focus on how much you have left to do. Focus on what you're doing now and how it moves you towards achieving your goal

→ Don't over-criticize yourself. When you're not sure about the quality of your work, ask some trusted individual to share their insight on your work. 

→ Doing too much at once. Focus on one thing and do it well instead of focusing on ten things and making them all mediocre.

→ Don't compare your work to other's works. Remember every piece of art is unique in its own way.