MOTIVATION

5. Needs for self-realization: Maslow defined self-realization as the desire to

« become all that one is capable of becoming. »

The need for self-realization can materialize when you have « harnessed » all the experiences and knowledge in each circumstance, but you know that you can do more, and you can do better. The awareness of this needs to grow comes to the fore because all other needs have been met.

Free from distractions, you can take a broad look at the sum of your efforts and decide what really makes you feel fulfilled. This level of freedom has its own motivating power, making it easier for you or the people around you to take the next step on a personal development journey.

To support this, find continuing education opportunities, higher-level certifications, or resources that help pursue these passions.

Over time, you will recognize that your needs overlap or change in importance based on individual circumstances.

Awareness and constant communication around your needs and those of the people around you are the essential component to meet these needs, whatever their order.

MOTIVATION

Motivation is what drives us to achieve our goals, feel more fulfilled, and improve our overall quality of life.

Understanding and developing your personal motivation can help you take control of many other aspects of your life.

To improve your personal motivation, you could think of achieving an ambition, or placing yourself in a state of mind. To be more specific, there are two types of mindsets, the fixed and the evolving.

For people with a fixed mindset, they believe talent is ingrained and they cannot change their level of ability. And there are those with an evolutionary mindset who believe they can improve their skills through hard work and effort.

People who believe they can improve themselves have an evolutionary mindset above all else, and they are much more likely to succeed in any field they choose.

A growth mindset is therefore an important element in a personal desire to succeed. Other elements of personal drive include organization, especially good time management and avoiding distractions.

There is plenty of evidence, albeit largely anecdotal, that goal setting is important for our overall well-being.

For example, Albert Einstein reminded us; if you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.

Most of us need to aim for something in our lives. Knowing where you want to go and understanding how you plan to get there is the key to staying motivated.

To do this, it is necessary to consider helping you in your quest for success, to develop a spirit of initiative.

Initiative is, in fact, the ability to take advantage of circumstances when they arise, and it is too easy to hesitate and then the opportunity may be lost.

However, the old saying, look before you jump, makes perfect sense. It's important to think things through and make sure you're making the right decision for you, while considering the other people involved.

The initiative can therefore be seen as a combination of courage and good risk management.

Risk management is necessary to ensure that you identify the right opportunities to consider, and that they present the appropriate level of risk for you.

Courage is needed to overcome the fear of the unknown inherent in new circumstances.

However, the initiative cannot take place without a touch of optimism accompanied by resilience.

Optimism is the ability to see the bright side of things or to think positively. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from setbacks or stay positive in the face of challenges. The two are closely related, although not exactly the same.

Resilient people use their thinking skills to manage negative emotional reactions to events. In other words, they use positive or rational thinking to examine and, if necessary, overcome reactions that they understand, may not be entirely logical. They are also willing to ask for help when needed, as well as generously offering their help to others in need.

On the other hand, it helps to understand what motivates you to do things. There are two main types of motivators, intrinsic and extrinsic.

In their simplest form, you can consider these two types of motivation: intrinsic, which is related to what you want to do, and extrinsic, which is related to what you must do. To be more precise:

• Intrinsic: Performing an action or task based on the expected or perceived satisfaction of performing the action or task. Intrinsic motivations include pleasure, interest, and personal challenge.

• Extrinsic: Performing an action or task to gain some sort of external reward, including money, power, and good grades.

Also, consider that different people are motivated by different things and at different times in their lives.

The same task can have more intrinsic motivations at certain times and more extrinsic motivations at others, and most tasks combine the two types of motivation.

Remember, we all tend to work better when we love what we do. It's easier to get out of bed in the morning, we're happier at our jobs, and happier in general.

Research shows that this is especially important when we are under stress. It is much easier to deal with stress and long hours if we generally enjoy our work. Intrinsic motivators therefore play a big role in personal motivation for most of us.

What if a task has no intrinsic motivations or extrinsic motivations?

The obvious conclusion is that we are unlikely to do so, as it would serve no purpose.

We all know it doesn't always work that way. There is another problem, the feeling of obligation.

Obligation motivations are not strictly intrinsic or extrinsic but can still be very powerful.

Obligation itself result from our personal ethics and our sense of duty, of what is right and what is not.

For example, you may feel compelled to go to a party because someone you know has invited you. There will be no obvious extrinsic or intrinsic benefit to attending, but you may fear offending or upsetting your friend if you don't.

However, you are more likely to enjoy the party if you go with a positive and open attitude, expecting it to be fun.

As a result, it adds intrinsic motivation, allowing you to have fun and consequently derive some satisfaction from it.

Here, we must understand that wishing to be motivated, or even to improve your personal motivation a little, will not happen overnight.

There are a lot of skills involved and you can't expect to develop them all instantly.

However, a better understanding of the elements of motivation, and especially their combination, should help increase your skills.

Just remember that Rome was not built in a day: think about progressing over a long period and in small steps!

People who have achieved extraordinary success in life are extremely motivated people. They live a passionate life, they work tirelessly on their goals, and they are always on the move no matter what.