What Is Extrinsic Motivation and Does It Lead To Happiness?
Have you ever asked yourself why you do the things you do, or why you want the things you want? Have you ever heard of extrinsic motivation?
Well, when you get down to it, the reason why we want anything in life is because we simply think it will make us happy.
Whether it’s physical beauty, social recognition, or financial success we are conditioned by modern society to believe that for us to be happy we need to attain these things (extrinsic goals).
Which brings us to the subject of extrinsic motivation.
In this article, we will look at what extrinsic motivation is. If it can truly lead to lasting happiness and overall life satisfaction.
Before you continue you might like to consider our free worksheet on exploring “Stop People-Pleasing”. Please download this worksheet here.
Extrinsic Motivation
So, what is extrinsic motivation?
Extrinsic motivation refers to behavior that is driven by external factors. Like rewards (praise, money, status) or avoidance of negative outcomes such as, getting fired from a job.
This type of motivation arises from outside a person in contrast to intrinsic motivation, which originates within a person.
When we are extrinsically motivated, we perform acts and services that we might find tedious or even emotionally draining in exchange for rewards. This can be tangible (salaries, promotions, trophies) or psychological (praise, recognition, fame).
This type of motivation can be instrumental in helping us to establish comfortable lifestyles for ourselves and our dependents, for example when we work for a certain amount of hours each week in exchange for a paycheck at the end of the month.
It can also stimulate us to chase after our dreams with our end goals in sight, such as when we undertake studies which might be boring and hard to acquire the necessary skills to become eligible for employment.
Will it make me happy?
So, extrinsic motivation can play an important role in our lives, but can it lead us to happiness in the long run, or enable us to experience lasting satisfaction in our lives?
The answer is no.
Because happiness and lasting life satisfaction are an inside job, that can’t be influenced by outside achievements, no matter how great or fantastic those achievements are.
Yet, many of us still spend our lives chasing material success and working long hours in tedious jobs we hate. Tolerating unscrupulous people all in the misguided belief. Once we get the piles of money, the mansion, the recognition, then we will live happily ever after.
But the perfect time to start living happily will never arrive.
The Pursuit Of Happiness
There will never come a time when we can say, I’ve received all I ever wanted──because the more we achieve, the more we always want.
According to Bronnie Ware, a palliative nurse and the author of the best-selling memoir, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, this way of living is in the end guaranteed to lead us to one of the deepest regrets of the dying.
“I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.”
This is a wake-up call for us to start course-correcting our lives while we still can. To avoid getting to the end of our lives weighed down by guilt, regret, and sadness.
If extrinsic motivation will not lead to happiness, then what will?
The opposite of extrinsic motivation is intrinsic motivation.
Contrary with extrinsic motivation, when a person is intrinsically motivated they are driven to perform a specific task from internal forces. These are like intuition, a need for personal growth, or a natural desire to engage with others.
In other words, intrinsic motivation is inspired by natural abilities. Like love, purpose, and self-belief rather than external rewards.
Intrinsic motivation, therefore, is a more powerful catalyst for stimulating happiness and well-being than extrinsic motivation.
It is also a great incentive for ventures that require long-term commitment and execution because it’s neither dependent nor outside stimuli biased toward outside influences or threats.
Moving From Fear To Love
Fear is what drives most of our material desires.
Because we are afraid of feeling ‘left out’ or being seen as losers and undesirable. So, we go to great lengths to try and fit in.
Working an unholy amount of hours and neglecting our health and loved ones, just so we can buy the shiny trappings we believe will buy us acceptance into the ‘right’ circles and thus raise our social status.
But this is a dead-end road|
For, far from delivering us the desired outcome, this state of trying to keep up appearances leads to nothing but feelings of loneliness and despair.
Fortunately, there is a more effortless way for you to experience happiness and life satisfaction. That is without compromising your values and sense of self-worth.
That is by increasing your intrinsic motivation so that you start doing more of what comes naturally to you and that originates from that intuitive space within you.
This is the fountain of all love and wisdom.
If you can learn how to be happy now, no matter your circumstances, everything else you desire will start showing up effortlessly in your life―that is the law of attraction.
And please remember that;
Making money isn’t the backbone of our guiding purpose, making money is the by-product of our guiding purpose. If you’re doing something you love, you’re more likely to put your all into it. It will generally equates to making money.
── Warren Buffett.
When you opt for happiness by pursuing intrinsic goals, success will naturally follow as a by-product.
Do more of what you love or learn how to love what you do. You will begin to experience happiness on your journey. Rather than waiting to experience it when you arrive at your desired destination.
Extrinsic motivation can exert a powerful influence on human behavior, but it has its limits. You might find it helpful to consider whether you are intrinsically or extrinsically motivated in certain situations.
Ready to shift from external rewards to lasting happiness? Download our free workbook and learn how to cultivate intrinsic motivation for a more fulfilling life.
