Powering Up Motivation

At work and in life, to give our best, we need to stay motivated. To achieve our goals, motivation is what keeps us showing up. It keeps us committed, focussed, and on-track especially during tricky patches. We can all struggle with motivation from time to time. What do you do if you are feeling a bit ‘blah’ and unmotivated?  

It really helps to add another tool to your toolkit. I’ve talked a lot about the power of strengths and how you can tap into them to boost your energy. What about motivation? Personally, I love Daniel Pink’s theory of motivation from his 2009 book called ‘Drive’. This graphic shows you the three ingredients he says make up.

Let’s look at each of them and see what happens when we boost them with strengths.  

Autonomy: Humans need a sense that they can make their own decisions. Autonomy is the feeling that we have some say in our lives. This is great in theory but we don’t always feel as though we are at the steering wheel of all the choices and consequences in life. Not everyone can leave a job they don’t enjoy (or even loathe!). Not everyone can choose where they want to live or who is in their life. Finding things in life that might seem small where we do have some control and choices can help us feel a sense of autonomy.  

Powering Up autonomy: Knowing your strengths allows you to see what you naturally do best. Using your strengths skilfully means directing your energy into the things you have control over and letting go of what you cannot control. When you are looking for a greater sense of autonomy, ask yourself, ‘How could I use one of my strengths right now to get a better result?’ This will boost your sense of control and therefore give your motivation a little kick in the pants too.  

Mastery: When we feel as though we are good at something, it’s a huge boost to our motivation. If you feel as though you are improving or mastering a new skill, you’re more likely to stick with it.  

Powering Up Mastery: noticing and using our strengths is an incredible shortcut to mastery. The act of acknowledging your strengths gives you an immediate ‘what I am great at’ rush of positive energy. When we want to get better at something, applying our strengths to the task or challenge allows us to get into a state of flow. This is where we feel immersed or lost in something, it is enjoyable, and feels natural. To dial up a sense of mastery, think about what your strengths allow you to do best and do more of that. Feeling more motivated? You betcha! 

Purpose: When we connect to something bigger than ourselves or we can see how our contribution makes a difference, that sense of purpose fires up motivation. Humans are social beings and knowing we make a difference in the world is powerful.  

Powering Up Purpose: When we apply strengths to our values or sense of purpose they supercharge impact. An example; one of my strengths is Input and it allows me to gather and store away a whole lot of seemingly random information. I often use Input in my coaching to connect my clients with information or other people to help them achieve their goals. My values include generosity and kindness. Input helps me connect practical action to those values. When my strengths and values align in this way, I get a huge buzz and it supercharges my motivation.  

In those moments, hours, or even days when motivation feels out of reach, tap into your strengths. They are right there in your toolbox ready for use. Don’t know your strengths yet? Want to get Powered Up? I’m here to help! We can work together individually, with your work team or other group, or even to create change in your community.  

You can check out my book here. For coaching and development programs, find out more here.