Upgrade your motivation to version 3.0 to get success

Do you feel that something wrong with the current approach in motivation? That method “carrot and punishment” gives fail and even harm more than helping. Maybe it is time to rework the concept of motivation and upgrade it to the next level.

What exactly motivates us? What makes us move forward despite the difficulties in our way? What is the incentive? What ignites in us that burning and unbearable itching in the brain that moves us? Maybe the thirst to get what we want, or maybe the process itself is already satisfying, where the reward is just a nice bonus.

Our far ancestors didn’t need motivation as it is, everything was much easier. If you want to live, run so as not to be eaten, if you want to eat, hunt or gather. The primary instincts of our ancestors were limited to the motivation of version 1.0. Modern society is motivated rather by a reward or punishment, let’s call it version 2.0. But does this version really work as well as before or does it fail every time?

Fail of current motivation system

Scientists conducted an experiment with children to find out how the reward affects children who like to draw. The children were divided into three groups, the first group drew for a reward, the second for an unexpected reward, and the third group without any reward. Surprisingly, the longer the experiment lasted, the less motivated the children from the first group, where the motivation was the award. Drawing itself, the creative process for the other two groups became a motivation in itself. We must boldly admit that the current version of motivation 2.0 for creative activities is failing and harming than helping. It requires an upgrade that will be something bigger than it is now.

Why does “reward and punishment” still work?

So why is this approach with reward and punishment still so widely used around the world? So it works? Yes and no. The constant increase in rewards fosters motivation in people, but only in the beginning. The encouragement for routine and boring work also works, however, not for creative tasks. The efficiency of this is not close to the results of people where the motivation is not “carrot and stick”. Think of open source projects, people come together to bring a useful product to this world, to help others, to be part of something bigger than ourselves. We strive for autonomy in work, mastery in ourself skills, and a clear purpose for which it is all.

Workable rules to boost the motivation upgrade

Humans are evolving slowly, and we are moving in the right direction, however, we still need to ignite a spark into a huge hearth to build the new version of motivation and self-confidence. They always go hand in hand and are an integral part of each other. By following simple and workable rules, you will keep upgrading your motivation and self-belief.

1. Visualize. Formulate and draw a mental picture of yourself as successful, motivated. Hold this picture hard. Never let it fade. Your mind will strive to develop this picture. Never think of yourself as a failure; never doubt the reality of the mental image. This is the most dangerous because the mind is always trying to complete what it draws. So always draw “success”, no matter how bad things seem at the moment.

2. Whenever a negative thought comes to mind about your ability, consciously express a positive opinion to cancel it. Our minds can not keep two thoughts at the same time.

3. Do not build up obstacles in your imagination. Depreciate every so-called obstacle. Minimize them. Difficulties must be studied and efficiently dealt with to be, eliminated, but they must be seen for only what they are. They must not be inflated by fear thoughts.

4. Make daily positive affirmations.

5. Write your daily achievements and analyze them. Find out what went well, what were the drivers for it. Only by understanding these, you can repeat this experience over and over again. Our application “Success Journal your Motivator” will help you in it. It designed to let you learn from your success, build confidence and motivation in your abilities.

6. Make a true assessment of your abilities, and then raise it by 10 percent. Do not become selfish, but develop useful self-esteem. Believe in your strength.

In conclusion

Search, try, change, take seemingly insignificant steps but just don’t stop. Sometimes the small leads to the big as journey thousand miles begins with one step. Support, develop, and protect your motivation and over time it will care about you.