What motivates you?
You know that feeling when you wake up and immediately reach for your phone to check on a project you’ve been working on? That’s motivation at work. It’s the thing that gets you moving, keeps you going when things get tough, and sometimes mysteriously vanishes right when you need it most.
At its core, motivation is whatever pushes us to do something. Sounds simple enough. But anyone who’s tried to stick to a gym routine or finish a side project knows it’s more complicated than just “wanting” something.
The thing is, not all motivation works the same way. Sometimes you do things because they feel good in the moment. Like when you lose track of time coding because you’re genuinely curious about solving a problem. That’s intrinsic motivation. You’re in it for the experience itself, not for what comes after.
Then there’s the other kind. You slug through the boring parts of your job because you need the paycheck. You study for an exam because you want the grade. You post on LinkedIn because you’re building your professional brand. That’s extrinsic motivation. You’re doing the thing to get something else.
Intrinsic motivation has staying power. When you enjoy the actual process, you don’t need to force yourself to keep going. The work itself pulls you back. Extrinsic rewards work too, but they’re more like sugar. Quick energy that doesn’t last. Once you get the promotion or the praise, you need another hit to keep moving.
Making it stick
If you want motivation to last beyond the initial excitement, you need to know why you’re doing something. Not the surface reason, but the real one. I’ve set goals that sound impressive but don’t connect to anything I actually care about.
Start small. Break things down until the next step feels doable, not daunting. Finishing something, anything, builds momentum. That momentum matters more than most people think.
The people around you make a difference too. Find someone who’s doing what you want to do, or at least someone who gets it. Having someone to check in with when your motivation tanks can be the difference between pushing through and giving up.
The tricky balance
Most things worth doing involve both types of motivation. You might love the creative parts of your work (intrinsic) but still need to pay rent (extrinsic). The trick is not letting the external stuff kill the internal drive.
I’ve seen this happen with hobbies that turn into side hustles. You start doing something because you enjoy it, then you monetize it, and suddenly it feels like work. The money becomes the reason, and the joy fades. That’s the overjustification effect in action.
So check in with yourself regularly. Ask what’s actually driving you right now. If the only reason you’re doing something is for the reward at the end, that’s fine for some things. But if you want sustained energy over time, you need to find parts of the process that genuinely interest you.
Keep coming back to what pulled you in originally. That initial spark of interest or curiosity. Try to protect it. Let external rewards support your work, but don’t let them become the whole point. Because when they do, you’re always one disappointment away from losing all momentum.
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