Definition:

Motivation is defined as the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors. Motivation is what causes us to act, whether it is getting a glass of water to reduce thirst or reading a book to gain knowledge.

It involves the biological, emotional, social, and cognitive forces that activate behavior. In everyday usage, the term motivation is frequently used to describe why a person does something.

For example, you might say that a student is so motivated to get into a clinical psychology program that she spends every night studying.

"The term motivation refers to factors that activate, direct, and sustain goal-directed behavior... Motives are the "whys" of behavior - the needs or wants that drive behavior and explain what we do. We don't actually observe a motive; rather, we infer that one exists based on the behavior we observe." (Nevid, 2013)

Psychologists have proposed a number of different theories of motivation, including drive theory, instinct theory, and humanistic theory.

Anyone who has ever had a goal (like wanting to lose ten pounds or wanting to run a marathon) probably immediately realizes that simply having the desire to accomplish something is not enough. Achieving such a goal requires the ability to persist through obstacles and endurance to keep going in spite of difficulties.

There are three major components to motivation: activation, persistence, and intensity.

Activation involves the decision to initiate a behavior, such as enrolling in a psychology class.

Persistence is the continued effort toward a goal even though obstacles may exist, such as taking more psychology courses in order to earn a degree although it requires a significant investment of time, energy, and resources.

Finally, intensity can be seen in the concentration and vigor that goes into pursuing a goal. For example, one student might coast by without much effort, while another student will study regularly, participate in discussions and take advantage of research opportunities outside of class.

So what are the things that actually motivate us to act? Psychologists have proposed a number of different theories to explain motivation:

Different types of motivation are frequently described as being either extrinsic or intrinsic. Extrinsic motivations are those that arise from outside of the individual and often involve rewards such as trophies, money, social recognition or praise. Intrinsic motivations are those that arise from within the individual, such as doing a complicated cross-word puzzle purely for the personal gratification of solving a problem.

Browse the Psychology Dictionary

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

References:

Nevid, J. (2013). Psychology: Concepts and applications. Belmont, CA: Wadworth.

Follow this link:
Motivation: The Psychological Factors That Guide Us

No matter how old you are now. You are never too young or too old for success or going after what you want. Heres a short list of people who accomplished great things at different ages 1) Helen Keller, at the age of 19 months, became deaf and blind. But that didnt stop her. She was the first deaf and blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. 2) Mozart was already competent on keyboard and violin; he composed from the age of 5. 3) Shirley Temple was 6 when she became a movie star on Bright Eyes. 4) Anne Frank was 12 when she wrote the diary of Anne Frank. 5) Magnus Carlsen became a chess Grandmaster at the age of 13. 6) Nadia Comneci was a gymnast from Romania that scored seven perfect 10.0 and won three gold medals at the Olympics at age 14. 7) Tenzin Gyatso was formally recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama in November 1950, at the age of 15. 8) Pele, a soccer superstar, was 17 years old when he won the world cup in 1958 with Brazil. 9) Elvis was a superstar by age 19. 10) John Lennon was 20 years and Paul Mcartney was 18 when the Beatles had their first concert in 1961. 11) Jesse Owens was 22 when he won 4 gold medals in Berlin 1936. 12) Beethoven was a piano virtuoso by age 23 13) Issac Newton wrote Philosophi Naturalis Principia Mathematica at age 24 14) Roger Bannister was 25 when he broke the 4 minute mile record 15) Albert Einstein was 26 when he wrote the theory of relativity 16) Lance E. Armstrong was 27 when he won the tour de France 17) Michelangelo created two of the greatest sculptures David and Pieta by age 28 18) Alexander the Great, by age 29, had created one of the largest empires of the ancient world 19) J.K. Rowling was 30 years old when she finished the first manuscript of Harry Potter 20) Amelia Earhart was 31 years old when she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean 21) Oprah was 32 when she started her talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind 22) Edmund Hillary was 33 when he became the first man to reach Mount Everest 23) Martin Luther King Jr. was 34 when he wrote the speech I Have a Dream." 24) Marie Curie was 35 years old when she got nominated for a Nobel Prize in Physics 25) The Wright brothers, Orville (32) and Wilbur (36) invented and built the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight 26) Vincent Van Gogh was 37 when he died virtually unknown, yet his paintings today are worth millions. 27) Neil Armstrong was 38 when he became the first man to set foot on the moon. 28) Mark Twain was 40 when he wrote "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", and 49 years old when he wrote "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" 29) Christopher Columbus was 41 when he discovered the Americas 30) Rosa Parks was 42 when she refused to obey the bus drivers order to give up her seat to make room for a white passenger 31) John F. Kennedy was 43 years old when he became President of the United States 32) Henry Ford Was 45 when the Ford T came out. 33) Suzanne Collins was 46 when she wrote "The Hunger Games" 34) Charles Darwin was 50 years old when his book On the Origin of Species came out. 35) Leonardo Da Vinci was 51 years old when he painted the Mona Lisa. 36) Abraham Lincoln was 52 when he became president. 37) Ray Kroc Was 53 when he bought the McDonalds Franchise and took it to unprecedented levels. 38) Dr. Seuss was 54 when he wrote "The Cat in the Hat". 40) Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III was 57 years old when he successfully ditched US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River in 2009. All of the 155 passengers aboard the aircraft survived 41) Colonel Harland Sanders was 61 when he started the KFC Franchise 42) J.R.R Tolkien was 62 when the Lord of the Ring books came out 43) Ronald Reagan was 69 when he became President of the US 44) Jack Lalane at age 70 handcuffed, shackled, towed 70 rowboats 45) Nelson Mandela was 76 when he became President Pablo

See the original post:
Quotes About Motivation (2549 quotes) - Goodreads

With our articles, quick tips, clinics, courses, and more, you'll learn how to get motivated, improve your attitude, boost your confidence, and achieve your goals, all while having a lot more fun. To get started, click here for your free motivation welcome kit.

Want a quick look around? Click here for a tour of our site.

Curious about what's included in your free kit? GO

Motivation123 Weekly QuickTips is our weekly publication. Each issue shares a simple, fun idea to motivate you.

Want to learn more? Ready to join? GO

Motivation dying fast? You could be the victim of this deadly poison.

To see the full list of articles, visit our Motivation Articles Directory.

If not, you'll want to check out our featured motivation tip. You'll be happy you did. GO

For more inspiring quotes, or to suggest your favorite, visit our Motivational Quotations Department.

Stop by the Motivation123 Visitor Forum to ask your questions, offer answers, or just poke around.

You'll find the answer in our latest motivation eCourse.

You probably don't know, do you? Don't worry, it's a common problem. But it will be long gone after you read our motivation checklist.

If you're ready for a career change, our featured motivation clinic will give you a few tips to help ease that discomfort. GO

To pluck the idea out of inspirational clouds and bring it to earth where it can do some good, read this story about the Delaney sisters. GO

Want to vote? Interested in what others had to say? GO

I am thrilled to have discovered your motivation web site! From what I've managed to see so far, I'm very excited to start this new adventure for the second phase of my life. I want to wish you the best! -- Denise N. Piccola Harrisburg, PA

For specialized articles, tips, clinics, and more, visit the links below:

Work | Health | Parents | Students

To pick up a few pointers on motivating your workers, stop by our Employee Motivation Department.

Nail together a few tips here, glue together a few ideas there, and you have yourself a happy, successful life.

For articles, tips, clinics, and checklists to help you succeed at work and home, visit our Success Department.

In our Attitude Department, you'll learn simple tips to help you gain and keep a winning mindset. Offers articles, quick tips, clinics, and more. GO

Only problem is, not everyone can set the right goals--even fewer know what they want to begin with.

We solve all of these problems and more in our new Goals Department.

Fortunately for you, there are simple ways to give your confidence a noticeable boost. And you can begin using the techniques immediately.

Ready for that boost? GO

Gaining the first and avoiding the second isn't as hard as you think. You just need the right tips.

Where to look? Our Habits Department.

For articles, quick tips, clinics, and more to help you live a happier life, visit our Happiness Department.

Life's Greatest Skill Wouldn't it be nice to feel in control? To have what you need and move toward what you want? It's all possible when you learn just one skill. GO

With our new course, Life's Greatest Question, you'll learn dozens of tips and ideas to help you uncover what you want to be, do, and have. GO

To get started, visit our Affiliate Center.

Read more:
Motivation 123 - Simple Motivation Tips & Techniques to ...

If you want to make things happen the ability to motivate yourself and others is a crucial skill. At work, home, and everywhere in between, people use motivation to get results. Motivation requires a delicate balance of communication, structure, and incentives. These 21 tactics will help you maximize motivation in yourself and others.

1. Consequences Never use threats. Theyll turn people against you. But making people aware of the negative consequences of not getting results (for everyone involved) can have a big impact. This one is also big for self motivation. If you dont get your act together, will you ever get what you want?

2. Pleasure This is the old carrot on a stick technique. Providing pleasurable rewards creates eager and productive people.

3. Performance incentives Appeal to peoples selfish nature. Give them the opportunity to earn more for themselves by earning more for you.

4. Detailed instructions If you want a specific result, give specific instructions. People work better when they know exactly whats expected.

5. Short and long term goals Use both short and long term goals to guide the action process and create an overall philosophy.

6. Kindness Get people on your side and theyll want to help you. Piss them off and theyll do everything they can to screw you over.

7. Deadlines Many people are most productive right before a big deadline. They also have a hard time focusing until that deadline is looming overhead. Use this to your advantage by setting up a series of mini-deadlines building up to an end result. 8. Team Spirit Create an environment of camaraderie. People work more effectively when they feel like part of team they dont want to let others down.

10. Recognize achievement Make a point to recognize achievements one-on-one and also in group settings. People like to see that their work isnt being ignored.

11. Personal stake Think about the personal stake of others. What do they need? By understanding this youll be able to keep people happy and productive.

12. Concentrate on outcomes No one likes to work with someone standing over their shoulder. Focus on outcomes make it clear what you want and cut people loose to get it done on their own.

13. Trust and Respect Give people the trust and respect they deserve and theyll respond to requests much more favorably.

14. Create challenges People are happy when theyre progressing towards a goal. Give them the opportunity to face new and difficult problems and theyll be more enthusiastic.

15. Let people be creative Dont expect everyone to do things your way. Allowing people to be creative creates a more optimistic environment and can lead to awesome new ideas. 16. Constructive criticism Often people dont realize what theyre doing wrong. Let them know. Most people want to improve and will make an effort once they know how to do it.

17. Demand improvement Dont let people stagnate. Each time someone advances raise the bar a little higher (especially for yourself).

18. Make it fun Work is most enjoyable when it doesnt feel like work at all. Let people have fun and the positive environment will lead to better results.

19. Create opportunities Give people the opportunity to advance. Let them know that hard work will pay off. 20. Communication Keep the communication channels open. By being aware of potential problems you can fix them before a serious dispute arises.

21. Make it stimulating Mix it up. Dont ask people to do the same boring tasks all the time. A stimulating environment creates enthusiasm and the opportunity for big picture thinking.

Master these key points and youll increase motivation with a bit of hard work.

Related Articles:

How To Be Happy At Work:Employee MotivationHow To Increase Your Will Power

Dont Forget to Follow PickTheBrain on Twitter!

Read more here:
Increase Motivation | PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self ...

I subscribe to Coast to Coast a paranormal and other oddity stories radio station that streams on the web. Attached is an hour's worth talking about stuff. You'll enjoy.ooops Its a media windows file but it's to large. check it out on your own.

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/show/2011/08/02

World Affairs / Conscious Evolution
Date: 08-02-11
Host: George Noory
Guests:

In the latter half, visionary, social pioneer and author Barbara Marx Hubbard discussed the idea of conscious evolution, and how humankind must evolve or face extinction. She suggested that evolution can occur by choice rather chance, and while many are focused on doom & gloom 2012 scenarios, she presented a hopeful vision of our future. "I think we're seeing the emergence of a universal species...we're going to have extended life, extended intelligence, extended contact throughout the universe, that we'll be freed up from repetitive labor...and the species itself will evolve into a co-created humanity... But if we don't, if we stay self-centered, separate, competitive, overpopulating and polluting, we won't make it," she stated.
We're seeing a breakthrough of more people becoming conscious of god, super-nature, spirit, or tendency of higher order-- a transcending impulse of higher evolution, she continued. Hubbard, now 81, shared some of the fascinating paths in her life, how she turned from a housewife into a "futurist," her relationship with Buckminster Fuller, and details of her run for Vice President in 1984 (Neale Donald Walsch recently penned a biography of Hubbard called The Mother of Invention).

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/show/2011/08/02

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWWU43oyZvg[/youtube]USC quarterback Matt Barkley made the rounds at ESPN today as part of the Pac-12's summer promotional tour.Among the topics in this "SportsCenter" clip is the 2012 NFL draft. Barkley said being

Excerpt from:
Mock drafts are motivation for USC's Matt Barkley