Motivation Test

You are a driven and motivated person, with a positive outlook towards completing tasks. You mostly work hard and play hard and are responsive to positive motivation.You sometimes have a strong drive for completing important tasks, but you will often not be driven if you do not feel the task is important enough.

Take the Motivation Test

(3-6 mins)

What motivates you?

Which factors motivate you most effectively? Are you a fun seeker looking to enjoy yourself? Perhaps you are motivated by incentives and rewards? Maybe you are motivated by the desire to avoid pain or punishment? In any case understanding the factors which contribute to your motivation may provide serious insight into improving how you operate, deciding upon a career path or setting new goals.

Controlling your motivation

As human beings we attempt to minimize pain and maximize pleasure but motivation is an extremely complex creature. Many seem self motivated and constantly driven while others in remarkably similar situations lack any form of motivation. While there a number of conflicting theories on motivation one thing we can agree upon is that different people are motivated by different factors. With a greater understanding of the forces which consistently provide sustained motivation you greatly increase your ability to set and achieve goals, a life changing skill.

Motivated by avoidance?

Those of us that are motivated by avoiding pain can employ a number of strategies to improve our effectiveness.

Get Real
Realize that if you don’t work towards your goal and get yourself into gear you’ll never achieve your goals and be trapped within your current circumstances. Nasty? Yep you bet but this works for you remember.

Deadlines
Set a reasonable date for completion of your task and don’t let yourself fail. Without the deadline you don’t have as much to ‘avoid’

Live the alternative
Take a minute out and consider the alternative. Imagine living your life without achieving the goal you’re trying to achieve. Close your eyes and imagine every little detail of the alternative from how you would breathe to how you would walk, feel and think. Now open your eyes and seize the opportunity.

Motivated by Pleasure?

Like those motivated by avoiding pain there are dozens of tips and strategies which can maximize and pro-long motivation for those driven by the desire for pleasure.

Reward yourself
Chunk your tasks into small manageable segments and reward yourself at every stage with rewards that correspond to the size and level of achieve you’ve just attained.

Get Creative
Find a way to make your tasks fun and exciting and your motivation will be much more self perpetuating.