Does this sound familiar? It’s Sunday evening and you write down a ‘to-do’ list of things you need to get done the following week.
Monday rolls around. A burst of Monday motivation keeps you on task for the first half of the week. You give yourself a pat on the back.
But when mid-week hits, you find yourself pushing tasks aside, procrastinating, and your work productivity slows to a crawl.
What happened to all that fired up Monday motivation? What seems to be the problem here?
Why do we work so hard to motivate ourselves to do what we need to do, but are terrible at actually getting around to it?
It all has to do with what motivates you.
So, is there a way to make our Monday motivation last all week long? The answer lies in science.
According to an American Psychological Association study published in June 2018, human beings are motivated by learning, reward, competition, and curiosity.
And New York Times bestselling author and Mindvalley speaker, Daniel Pink, agrees.
He spoke with Mindvalley’s CEO Vishen Lakhiani on the Mindvalley Podcast and shared his thoughts on what people need to stay motivated at work and in their daily lives.
According to Daniel Pink, there are three important factors that lead to lasting motivation. These three factors are summarized in the A.M.P. model.
A.M.P. stands for Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose.
Here’s how Daniel Pink explains the importance of the A.M.P. model in the Mindvalley Podcast:
According to Daniel Pink, autonomy in the workplace increases motivation.
Essentially, when a company gives full autonomy to their employees, it allows them to have complete freedom to create their own schedules.
Nowadays you see a lot of companies offering work-life balance and the option to work remotely. These are examples of autonomy that motivates people to work.
Having the freedom to come to the office and work from home allows people to manage their time effectively.
The rise of giving autonomy to employees has risen in the last twenty years because of the increase of working single mothers, outsourcing, and hiring expatriates and contract workers from foreign countries.
But why does autonomy motivate people to work? How can autonomy help our initial Monday motivation last?
Autonomy motivates people because they get to decide on how much time they want to put in at the office and at home.
Also, giving autonomy to employees allows them to decide how their work should be done.
According to Daniel Pink, people don’t engage as much when they know they are being controlled. That’s why autonomy motivates people to get things done: because they are in control of themselves.
When employees are given the freedom to set their own deadlines and deliver, they’re responsible for a sense of internal motivation, instead of external pressure in the form of a deadline or obligation.
During Daniel Pink’s ‘On The Surprising Truth About Motivation’ Podcast, he explained that the second factor for motivation in the workplace is mastery.
When people have autonomy and get paid well, they are more motivated to get better at what they do.
Daniel’s point about mastery ties in with the American Psychological Association study, which states that learning and curiosity are primary motivational factors.
When people have the freedom to work at their own pace, they have the time to learn and be creative.
Most importantly, people are naturally curious about what they can do further.
Self-learning motivates people to master their skills and hone their art.
That’s why having a unique skill-set is so important for people.
Mastery in your own skill-set will help set you apart from others and give you a sense of empowerment.
In Daniel Pink’s podcast, he talks about how people are motivated when they know they can make a difference in the world.
Having a sense of purpose – not only in the work place, but at home and in their communities – boosts motivation because people know what they do will leave an imprint on their legacy.
Daniel Pink explains that when people are at work, they need to be able to see how they’re making a difference. They need to see how they’re affecting the lives of others. They need to see how the world is improved from their contributions and the work they do on a daily basis.
This is what instills a greater sense of purpose.
Getting feedback from customers, clients, and others impacted by the decisions you make each day creates a feedback loop. You find out what works and what doesn’t. You can refine your approach to get better feedback, and in turn, feed your inner drive and sense of purpose.
Working in a vacuum with no input from those affected by the work you do is a recipe for disconnection, disillusion, and apathy.
You need to connect with those around you; your coworkers, clients, and customers. When you know that what you do actually impacts others, it makes a world of difference in your motivational drive and overall sense of purpose.
In conclusion, when people have autonomy, the ability to master their skill-set, and a sense of purpose, they stay motivated in life.
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