Important cornerstones of motivation

· Motivation is not fixed

Motivation is a hugely fluctuating thing. Your motivation for a certain thing can change from time to time, sometimes in minutes, sometimes in hours and sometimes in days. Motivation is not fixed. You can’t stay motivated for a longer period of time depending on that particular human’s nature. Therefore to stay motivated, you must find ways to keep motivating yourself for a particular thing.

· Motivation is influenced

Motivation depends on many things, it is not true that if you want something badly, you can achieve it. Only being motivated to achieve something doesn’t make you successful. Your behaviour is influenced by experiences and conditions that shape your motivation towards achieving something. Knowledge, skills, time, support, equipment etc. influence your motivation.

· Motivation is a combination of internal and external factors

Motivation is a combined result of what drives you internally towards your goal and the right kind of external feedback and experiences. Rewards and punishments are not enough to motivate you, your inner willingness is also important. If you look after external factors to get yourself motivated, the motivation won’t be a sustainable and productive one. If you want to get healthy motivation, balance internal and external motivating activities.

· Motivation is specific in nature

Motivation is very specific in nature, it’s not necessary to get motivated for two related things at a time. A person may be motivated to quit smoking but won’t be motivated to quit drinking. Though smoking and drinking are closely related, the specific nature of motivation lets a person unconsciously decide what he/she is motivated for and what they are not. When a person says I am feeling motivated today, they surely are motivated to achieve a specific goal and not to change their entire lifestyle.