Everyone, at some point in their life, has gone through a phase where they have no motivation for anything, not even in academics. The psychology of motivation can explain this, since motivation is the fuel of all our objectives.
Motivation comes from the brain, particularly the mesolimbic pathway, which is responsible for the reward system of the brain. The brain releases dopamine when you are expecting a reward or you have achieved what you wanted. Dopamine is what makes us feel good, which is why goal setting works; you are subconsciously training your brain to associate those goals to dopamine release. However, when you achieve the goals you set for yourself, the dopamine levels in the brain drop, since you are no longer expecting a reward, and it becomes difficult to move on to the next goal.
Intrinsic And Extrinsic Motivation
Motivation can be broadly classified into two categories: Intrinsic and Extrinsic.
Intrinsic motivation comes from within you and extrinsic motivation comes from external factors. In other words, when you want to achieve a goal simply because you want it, not because you are being paid to achieve it, you are intrinsically motivated.
Although both are important, it is always better to have one's intrinsic motivation be strong, and use extrinsic factors as a supplement to it. It is not advisable to rely on things like money and rewards to push yourself, because they can become very stressful once they become unavailable. In contrast, when one's intrinsic motivation is high, he/she will pursue their goals with an eagerness that cannot be matched by external factors.
In addition to this, one should understand that the two motivations are not mutually exclusive. When you achieve something worthwhile on your own (intrinsic), you feel good about yourself and your achievements. However, when you achieve something that you felt was unimportant (extrinsic), you feel empty and low.
The Psychology Of Motivation: Mindset
The best way to understand mindset is that it is a matter of perception. In the area of motivation, mindset is what decides whether one will succeed or not. The two types of mindsets are the growth mindset and the fixed mindset. People with a growth mindset believe that they have the power to change their level of intelligence, while people with a fixed mindset believe that they were born with a certain level of intelligence that they cannot change. As you can imagine, people with a growth mindset are much more motivated to achieve their goals than those with a fixed mindset. They believe that they can overcome any obstacles that come their way, because, to them, those obstacles are merely situations that they can use to improve.
A growth mindset plays a pivotal role in motivation because it pushes people to strive for their goals. It is important that we have a growth mindset if we want to achieve our goals. The most important reason for wanting to have a positive mindset is that it gives you the power to overcome the inevitable failures and setbacks of life. It is important, in this regard, to encourage yourself and learn from your mistakes.
Conclusion
Motivation can be very interesting sometimes, but it also can be very complicated. Understanding the science of it, as well as the hindrances to it, can help one learn how to stay motivated and achieve their goals.