What is Intrinsic Motivation?

Intrinsic motivation means to be motivated by internal factors, such as enjoyment of the activity. It's when you do something not because there's any external reward involved. The work in itself is the reward for you.

Examples of Intrinsic Motivation

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  Participating in a sport because it’s fun and you enjoy it rather than doing it to win an award

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  Learning a new language because you like experiencing new things, not because your job requires it

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  Cleaning because you enjoy a tidy space rather than doing it to avoid making your spouse angry

Why is Intrinsic Motivation important for me?

For tasks that don’t need a lot of creativity, it’s fine if you are not intrinsically motivated. But if it’s for something long-term like when choosing a career it’s important for you to be intrinsically motivated. This is because when you are intrinsically motivated, you are much more involved in the task, you enjoy the work more and you tend to be more creative. It’s easier to grow in a profession you have a genuine curiosity for.

Intrinsic motivation is found by pursuing your genuine curiosity. The curiosity has to be long-term. It has to be a long quest that you are on. Figure that out and voila, you’ve found your passion!

The puzzle of motivation

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