Introduction
To talk about motivation in the course of behavior, we need to look at this issue from several perspectives. Firstly, it is important to start working on the task itself. Secondly, to maintain this activity in a longer time perspective. Then there is a problem of abandoning the action even before the task is completed, and finally, we move on to the completion of the action, which may mean directing the activity to another goal or taking a break. I want to focus on discussing the start of working on the task. First, we will dive into the topic of our values or why we want to do something. Then we will move on to possibilities, or the extent to which we are able to do something, and finally, we will discuss the affect component - what emotions the assumed result and action evoke in us.
Values
Do you ever have a moment when you sit down to tackle a new task, and it doesn't quite work out, or maybe it does, but frustration takes over, and you ask yourself why you're even doing this? The answer to that question can be difficult to find sometimes, but other times it comes to us immediately. Nonetheless, it's worth asking ourselves that question in moments of doubt because the answer may automatically boost our motivation. For example, if your dream is to be a talented programmer who comes up with solutions on the fly and isn't afraid of new challenges, then every time you stumble or doubt yourself, ask yourself why you're doing this; what motivated you. In general, ask yourself why as often as possible! Not only will you focus on your values and what really matters to you, but you'll probably eliminate unnecessary activities from your life.
Abilities
In addition to listening to yourself and your values, you must know your abilities. If you are already certain that you will not succeed before starting a task, your motivation to work will probably be low. Who would want to run 4 kilometers in 20 minutes, knowing they have never even achieved that distance, and the competition is in a week? You may now be thinking, should I give up if I think I won't succeed? Of course not! You can adjust your goals and tasks to your current skills so that you can develop them a little each time. Returning to our running example, maybe the first goal should simply be leaving the house and running a little bit? And the next goal is to run for 10 minutes without stopping. As you can see, even seemingly unattainable goals become more realistic when broken down into smaller factors. Therefore, taking action and then maintaining it has a much greater chance of success.
Emotions
We have reached the last element that affects our initial motivation before starting a task, which is our emotions. Whether we feel excitement and joy or tiredness and even anger when thinking about a certain activity has a significant impact. No one will be motivated to complete a task that creates an unpleasant emotional state before even starting.
But what if the expected outcome excites us, for example, obtaining our dream job, but the thought of the process to get there causes huge anxiety? This doesn't mean we should immediately stop our actions and sleep on the couch, waiting for the feeling to pass. This emotion can actually help us, especially when it acts as a motivator. It encourages us to prepare earlier for a job interview where we want to perform well or to study for an important exam where our goal is to graduate with honors.
The point is not to avoid tasks that create unpleasant feelings but rather to examine them and think about what we can do to reduce the tension and thus increase our initial motivation.
Conclusion
All in all - I wanted to introduce you to the aspects that are relevant to our motivation from a scientific point of view. Of course, in different people, each component will have a different impact, but the basis is the same. You need to ask yourself what your values are and what is important to you. You should be aware of your capabilities and know what you are capable of and what still needs polishing. And most importantly, you should listen to yourself and your emotions and act to make things a little more pleasant in your life.
