The Power of Why
Looking at last year's survey results, lack of motivation was one of the main barriers to prioritizing your health during the pandemic. One of the main purposes of these weekly newsletters are to help you stay motivated by keeping you accountable. We hope that these emails have helped you do that!
However, lack of motivation continues to be an ongoing problem, and one of the reasons for this is that this type of accountability isn’t enough for long-term behaviour change. Your motivation needs to also come from the inside. This is referred to as intrinsic motivation or the Power of Why.
So what exactly is intrinsic motivation and why is it so important?
Intrinsic motivation is when the motivation to do a behaviour is driven by internal factors. The behaviour is internally satisfying, meaning that the behaviour itself is the reward. It’s about focusing on the process as opposed to the outcome. Example of this are:
Participating in a sport because you enjoy it
Learning something new because you enjoy the challenge/personal growth
Anything that gives you a sense of personal accomplishment or satisfaction
On the other hand, extrinsic motivation is when the motivation to participate in a behaviour is driven by external factors. The motivation comes from outside the body and mind. This is often referred to as external validation. Examples of this are:
Participating in a sport because you want to win
Learning something new for a good grade or for recognition
Comparing yourself to others
Extrinsic motivation can be driven from external factors that are “positive”, such as money, awards, fame, or recognition, or they can be driven from external factors that are negative such as fear or punishment.
The research is clear in health, sport, and educational settings that intrinsic motivation is a much more powerful motivator in both the short and long term. Extrinsic motivation can be a powerful motivator in the short term, but it is not sustainable. So if you can focus on what drives you from the inside, you will find it a lot easier to implement the new skills, knowledge, and techniques that we’re going to be diving into for this upcoming year and into the rest of your lives.
As we kick off 2021, ask yourself "why" to understand your internal motivation. Why do you want to eat better? Why is it important to prioritize sleep? Why do you want to get fitter? Why do you want to improve your mental health?
Understanding your why will help you when things get tough and you regress or get off track. If you’re aware of your why – why you are working hard to improve and grow – you will recover very quickly.
What we are finding in the research?
If you want to dive deeper into the topic of behaviour change and motivation, check out this paper by Dr. Marie Flannery on intrinsic motivation. The author discusses the Self-Determination Theory, which is a psychological theory to explain the motivation behind people’s choices and actions. The author suggests that it’s less to do with the amount of motivation, but rather the type of motivation that will determine behaviour.
Dr. Flannery goes on to discuss how intrinsic motivation is facilitated by the three basic innate psychological needs: autonomy (the need for agency or taking control of one’s life), competence (having the proper skills and resources), and relatedness (the need to belong or have close relationships). When these three basic needs are met, people are more likely to engage in intrinsically motivated behaviour, which is associated with sustained behaviour change.
