I was required to take three psychology courses in college in order to be a teacher: intro, ed psych, and adolescent psych. I don't remember much of the lessons, though, just like with any good course, you remember something that may not necessarily be directly connected to the curriculum.
In my ed psych class, however, I recall a professor applicant who came in to present a lesson as part of her interview. Her approach was more interesting than our professor's, and that may be why the topic still comes back to me. It was on motivation to learn. Using an overhead projector and a number of strips from the Peanuts cartoon, she demonstrated a child's motivation to learn and absorb lessons.
Intrinsic motivation is the drive that a person has inside of them to learn. Think about your favorite subject, topic, hobby, skill. These are the things that people want to learn about so much that they are willing to read up on the topics, collect the tools in order to have hands-on experience, self-teach an instrument or game, or seek out experts and mentors who can teach them more about it.
Extrinsic motivation are more of the "hooks" and "carrots" that get people to do things. Stickers, cash, praise, or some kind of reward. Sometimes these motivators are good to introduce students to a new topic that may seem boring, scary, or "lame", but often they are used to push others to finish projects and tasks.
Intrinsic and extrinsic motivators are not just for students. Adults have them in the workplace (personal satisfaction in success, perks, bonuses, mentions at meetings, promotions). The self-employed, however, often have to find more motivators. This may be challenging if they are not as creative as corporate HR teams with bigger budgets. Something has to help people make an income, complete tasks, or achieve milestones.
The weather has been cold and gloomy, and sometimes people just want to hibernate and carb load. Or, in terms of major winter weather, power outages keep remote workers from completing assignments. The same is true for warmer weather that lures people outdoors to soak up that vitamin D and fresh air.
Motivation is key to success in all areas of work and play. How do writers stay motivated, especially in the beginning? There are goals that drive them each step of the way - finishing a draft, submitting a piece for publication, seeing a name in print or online. Payment for creative works is also motivating, as is fame and recognition.
A small percentage of writers will be the next Danielle Steele, Stephen King, or J.K. Rowling, and those writing icons may motivate them to achieve big. However, motivation can be just penning a memoir for family members in order to pass down ancestral stories or self-publishing a child's favorite bedtime tale.
When your current work is stale and bringing you down, it is good to review goals. Motivation and milestones are important to achieving those goals. How you motivate yourself is up to you, whether it is the intrinsic motivation to achieve or the extrinsic motivators that push you past hurdles.
