Types of Motivation
“Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.”
Wayne Dyer
Motivating factors can vary from person to person. For the athlete in the example above, motivation consists of winning and all the prestige and glory that would come with it. This doesn’t mean that motivation always has to be positive, or that it has to come with some financial rewards attached. People can be motivated by different factors.
Achievement
This is probably one of the most common motivating factors, and can be seen in many examples in our own day to day lives. A student studying for his exam is motivated by the desire to achieve an excellent grade. This forms her motivation, and she puts in the required effort to achieve her goal. Compare this with another student who might not have the same motivation to excel in her studies. This person will almost certainly lack any desire to do particularly well, and this reflects in her lack of motivation.
Power and Influence
Some people find that the promise of power and prestige causes them to put in additional effort to reach their goals. Such people enjoy the influence that comes from their position of power and this serves to motivate them.
Competence
There are some individuals who are not motivated by power, prestige or fame. Neither is money a huge factor governing their actions. Such people thrive on doing a job well. They find the thrill that comes from performing a job to their satisfaction, or solving a problem by pitting their knowledge and skills in a tough environment is the biggest motivator of all.
Affiliation or Social Motivation
A person motivated by the affiliation factor will be goaded ahead by the desire to belong to a social or peer group. Such a person will be motivated by compliments and praise for their work from their peers. They don’t need all the external trappings of success to be motivated. Recognition from their peers is their main motivating factor.
Incentive
A person motivated by incentive will find that the promise of rewards and awards help motivate him better. A classic example of this is the athlete in our first example, who found himself motivated by the possibility of victory. This incentive (the lure of wining and all the accompanying perks) motivates him to train at unearthly hours to reach his goals.