{"id":7738,"date":"2022-11-07T17:58:14","date_gmt":"2022-11-07T18:58:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/?p=7738"},"modified":"2022-11-07T20:02:41","modified_gmt":"2022-11-07T20:02:41","slug":"how-to-identify-your-motivation-style-and-use-it-to-improve-your-health-and-fitness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/everything-else\/how-to-identify-your-motivation-style-and-use-it-to-improve-your-health-and-fitness\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Identify Your Motivation Style\u2014and Use It to Improve Your Health and Fitness"},"content":{"rendered":"
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People are motivated by different things and in different ways; what motivates you could have zero effect on your partner, friend, or colleague\u2014and vice versa. So, if you want to harness motivation to get things done (including becoming a healthier person!), you need what specifically motivates you and how you specifically are motivated.<\/p>\n

But how, exactly, do you do that? Let\u2019s take a look at how to identify your personal motivation style\u2014and how to use it to improve your health and fitness:<\/p>\n

What are the different motivation styles?<\/h2>\n

As mentioned, there are a variety of motivation styles, including:<\/p>\n

Extrinsic motivation.<\/strong> \u201cExtrinsic motivation<\/a> comes from outside of us,\u201d says sports and performance psychologist Dr. Haley Perlus<\/a>. This means external factors\u2014like external pressures or the desire for recognition, praise, or acceptance\u2014are going to motivate you to take action. For example, if you\u2019re trying to start a new running routine, you might be motivated by joining a running group; knowing that your new running buddies are waiting for you to go on a run can help you get motivated to lace up your shoes and hit the pavement.<\/p>\n

Intrinsic motivation. <\/strong>On the other hand, \u201cintrinsic motivation<\/a> is when one is motivated by internal sources,\u201d says Perlus. This means you inspire yourself to get things done\u2014for example, you are driven by things that make you happy, make you feel good, you enjoy the challenge, or they align with your personal values.<\/p>\n

So, if you have an intrinsic style and are trying to get into the habit of running, you might be motivated by how good you feel after a morning run. Just knowing how good you\u2019re going to feel is enough to get you up and running when your alarm goes off.<\/p>\n

Introjected motivation.<\/strong> Introjected motivation<\/a> is similar to intrinsic motivation in that it comes from inside yourself\u2014but it\u2019s a different type of motivation. \u201cIntrojected motivation comes from within, but instead of doing tasks with pleasure or passion, it\u2019s with the pressure <\/em>to perform,\u201d says Perlus.<\/p>\n

This means you\u2019re more likely to be motivated out of an internal pressure to achieve your goal, as well as a desire to avoid the guilt you\u2019ll feel if you don\u2019t complete it. You may have set a goal for yourself to complete a 10K by the end of the year\u2014and the thought of not hitting that goal (and how terrible you\u2019ll feel if you don\u2019t hit it) is what\u2019s most likely to motivate you to stick to a regular running schedule.<\/p>\n

Identified motivation.<\/strong> One more motivation style worth noting is identified motivation\u2014and it\u2019s a bit different from the others. \u201cIdentified motivation <\/a>is activated when a person knows that something needs to be done\u2014but they have not decided to do anything about it,\u201d says Perlus. \u201cThis powerful form of\u2026motivation can prepare the person to act.\u201d<\/p>\n

This means you may have accepted that you want to start running, but aren\u2019t quite ready to lace up your shoes and go. Instead, you harness your motivation to create a plan around becoming a regular runner. You might try researching potential running routes, finding the right running shoes for your feet, or looking into common running injuries and how to avoid them.<\/p>\n

How to identify your motivation style\u2026<\/h2>\n

If you need help identifying your personal motivation style, \u201cthe first step that you should take is to think about the most challenging situation you\u2019ve experienced,\u201d says Perlus.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve identified a challenge you\u2019ve experienced (and overcome), Perlus suggests asking yourself specific questions about how you were able to navigate that challenge, including:<\/p>\n