Published By: Darielle Britto

Ways To Identify Your Motivation Style

Knowing your motivation style could help you achieve your goals.

Understanding what drives you to stay motivated could help you better achieve your goals. A better understanding of what works for you, in this case, could change your behaviour for the better, grow your interest in a particular area that could benefit you, and even give you a deep sense of satisfaction. Here are some motivational styles that could you help you identify problems and find the motivation to keep going on a long-term goal or short-term project.

Physiological

This motivational style can be hard to ignore. It is commonly situational and may come up when covering your basic needs - food, water and shelter. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, most people are motivated to cover their basic needs. However, some may also have a higher level of need for psychological and self-fulfillment.

Competence and learning

Learning motivation is the kind of motivation one gains more from the process than the reward. The process of learning something in itself can be motivating enough to keep going on something.

Achievement

Feeling a sense of achievement after completing a task could be a driving factor for you. However, it may not just be the reward at the end of it. It could also be the process you take from making progress towards a small goal.

Fear

Being driven to do something by fear or when you are in an uncomfortable position could be an extrinsic motivation style that is common to a lot of people. While the external influence could be negative, it could benefit you in the long run. For instance, working extra hours out of fear that you will be unable to pay your expenses could cause unease. However, the fear could help drives you to complete a goal.

Affiliation and social

The affiliation and social motivation style is the kind that is almost innately in us. This form of motivation comes from our need to connect and make a contribution. It could also stem from our desire to be accepted and have a sense of belonging to a group.

 Power

People who are motivated by power are those who are driven by the need or desire to have control over their lives and maybe others' lives too. There is power in being able to make choices as it causes you to be intentional with your thoughts and actions.