Intrinsic Motivation

      I’m currently reading Drive by Daniel Pink about intrinsic motivation. It made me think about why I race and do the things I do. He says we have three basic drives: biological, extrinsic, and intrinsic. Biological drives are basic human needs such as food, shelter, procreation, etc. Extrinsic drives are monetary or physical rewards for accomplishing a task. “If then rewards” he calls them. If we do something, then we will be given a reward. If I work really hard, then I will qualify for a championship race. Intrinsic rewards are internal motivators, feelings of accomplishment or of learning.

      In tasks that are routine and automatic, “carrot and stick” extrinsic rewards work well. However, many of the tasks we perform require heuristics and creativity that are impaired with the “carrot and stick” approach. Examples:

• More people donate blood when there is no monetary reward.
• Participants persevered longer on a math problem when there was no monetary reward.
• Participants were more creative & successful on a physical task of arranging a candle so that wax would not drip on the floor when there was no monetary reward.

      Monetary rewards tend to consume our attention and reduce creativity. There is also the potential for unethical behaviors to meet a quota or reach a quarterly goal. Extrinsic rewards have the potential to turn tasks into punishment in order to obtain a reward. People will only work so hard until the cons of performing a task outweigh the rewards. However, if the task is performed out of pure enjoyment and curiosity, people tend to persevere longer.

      Robert J. Hastings said, “Uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour we will pull into the station. There will be bands playing and flags waving. And once we get there, so many wonderful dreams will come true. However sooner or later we must realize there is no one station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us. When I am 18, that will be it! When I buy a new 450 SL Mercedes Benz, that will be it! When I put the last kid through college, that will be it! When I have paid off the mortgage, that will be it! When I win a promotion that will be it! When I reach the age of retirement, that will be it! I shall live happily ever after! Relish the moment, the station will come soon enough.”

• What are your priorities and how much energy are you putting into each priority. 
• Success is found in knowing your priorities and applying the appropriate effort. 
• Get to know your motives by examining your past. 
• What type of goals do you set? Focus on the process (specific behaviors) and the outcome will take care of itself.
• Set small manageable goals to challenge yourself every week. They could be as simple as arriving to work on time each day. Chart progress on a calendar. 
• Find ways to make your job or task more creative and fun.
• Randomly celebrate accomplishments as opposed to “If then rewards.”