What exactly is motivation whether character motivation or behavior motivation?
If you divide the word motivation into two words you easily see “motive” and can almost see “action”. But what’s a motive. A motive is a purpose or reason. And that’s a perfect definition of motivation- purposeful action or action with purpose to build behavior motivation, character motivation or any thing else.
History of Motivation
Motivation use to be accomplished through fear. The guy with the biggest club got all the marbles. The landholder with the biggest army and the biggest castle was the motivator – my way or receive my wrath. Then the people got together and formed unions and collectively began saying, “NO!”. Clearly something had to be done since fear-motivation was now less effective.
And so incentive motivation was initiated. Incentive motivation is best described as a carrot tied to a string at the end of a stick in front of a donkey pulling a cart. As long as the carrot is there dangling, the cart keeps plodding along. But people are not donkeys and people see the significance of the string. Therefore people need a bite of the carrot now and then. But this brings in another factor- the hunger of the donkey.
The best illustration of incentive motivation is the Christmas bonus; the boss begins initiating Christmas bonuses… what a guy! Each year the bonuses are really a great incentive to do your job better. Then one year, bonuses are cut out. “HEY! Where’s my bonus!” The bonus has become an expectation.
The conclusion is simple. A bigger and bigger carrot is required to do less and less output. Incentive motivation, it seems, offers diminishing return. Therefore why not give the donkey the will to perform. Change the donkey into a thoroughbred.
I am fully aware that you could enter a donkey in the Kentucky Derby 10,000 times and it doesn’t have a prayer. A donkey will always be a donkey. But that is my point. People can change. People can gain that winning spirit to overcome all odds.
How Do People Change?
But change is not easy. You can’t stand under a horseshoe or find a 4-leaf clover and suddenly you posses a winning spirit. No one is going to pop out of your mail box and hand you a million dollars. But there are very specific steps you can take to build within you that winning spirit to do anything you desire.
The next article in this series is Behavior Motivation & Character Motivation – 5 Steps to Change Any Habit. In it will be discussed success and the steps necessary to be successful.
Meanwhile take advantage of this sites motivational material at I need Motivation and Nightingale Conant