Motivation is all about getting started and consistently taking action, making sure we get back on track when we fall off the bandwagon.

Researchers in organisational psychology note that “intrinsic motivation is key for persistence at work”. If you enjoy what you do, the activity and the goal will collide so that both your interest and experience of work are enhanced.

Writing in the American Psychologist journal, Richard Ryan and Edward Deci highlighted the three innate psychological needs which must be satisfied to enhance self-motivation and mental health: competence, autonomy and relatedness.

If we feel competent in a behaviour, either as a result of feedback, communication or rewards, our intrinsic motivation will be greater. However, this is only the case if we have a sense of autonomy over the action. 

Relatedness is often more relevant to extrinsic motivation. If a behaviour is valued by a manager, client, or friend, we will feel a sense of connectedness with them, which will lead to internalisation of an extrinsic motivation.

Self-Determination Theory therefore demonstrates that our psychological needs must be met for self-regulation to occur, so that both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation can be maintained.

Similarly, if you set goals that do not suit you, you may be unable to self-regulate and see how they relate to you. Without self-regulation, neither intrinsic nor extrinsic motivation will be present, and you won’t manage to stay motivated.

In some cases, the absence of clarity in your aspirations may deter you from pursuing them. You might know that you’re unhappy in your current role, but feel unsure about where to begin with instigating a career change.

Whether your motivation for change is internally or externally motivated, you cannot sustain motivation without having an aim clearly in focus.

What matters is that when you recognise a lull in momentum, you get back on track as quickly as possible. Try to “never miss twice in a row” by acting on any demotivation and not allowing it to persist. 

Motivation will only come once we have started a task or behaviour, not before we get going. Rather than letting tasks accumulate until they feel insurmountable, the best strategy is to generate the momentum required to conquer a long-term goal by consistently showing up every day.

Focus on the right goals. Intrinsic motivation will occur naturally if you choose a goal you care about. If you don’t feel committed or connected to the goal, you’ll need to rely mostly on willpower, which isn’t sustainable in the long-term.

Create a motivation routine. Block out time first thing each morning to focus on the goal that matters to you. Prioritising this time reaffirms your commitment to the task.

Plan to bounce back. We will all slip up, but having a safety net in place will help to prevent demotivation setting in. Finding an accountability buddy can help keep you focused and celebrate your successes.

Most importantly, remind yourself that you will never regret persevering with hard, but valuable, work once it is done. Self-regulation is an important part of motivation, and it will only occur if you feel competent, autonomous and understand how your goal relates to you.