Have you ever wondered how to get motivated and generate motivation in others? The prescription is easy to describe, but not easy to administer.
First, find or define a reward.
If you know there is something desirable on the line, then you will be more motivated to do the task. We are just that way. There needs to be something worthwhile in it for ‘me.’
Second, attach the task to a mission where it is clear how what you will accomplish will help others and strengthen your relationships.
While we want there to be something in it for ‘me’, we also want to feel like we’ve made a difference in the lives of others. We also love the feeling we get when we work on a goal with others.
So, motivation comes from the perceived benefit we will get ourselves and the perceived good we will bring into the lives of others. Either of these alone is not as powerful as the two together.