An Introduction to Self-Motivation & the Need for it

Nothing in this world is out of our reach, as long as we put our minds to it. Self-motivation is simply defined as our ability to execute what is expected from us without the influence from others. Our ability to self-motivate ourselves is a skill that contributes to our success in various situations. Throughout professional, academic, and social settings, I have been able to incorporate self-motivation in many ways.

“Self-motivation, in its simplest form, is the force that drives you to do things” (Daniel Goleman)

Everyone has it and that is what makes us strive to improve.

It consists of the following (Goleman):

Personal drive to achieve, the desire to improve or to meet certain standards

Commitment to personal or organizational goals

Initiative, which he defined as ‘readiness to act on opportunities’

Optimism, the ability to keep going and pursue goals in the face of setbacks.

Ideally, no human being is perfect and people work for many reasons. When it comes to work, it is important to perform up to par when we and this applies to my philosophy of work. We work hard to gain experience, network, and obtain a large fortune. These are highly self-motivating factors that encourages us to be at our best. We shouldn’t conform to others perspectives, but rather we should aim to improve ourselves. We need to discover our own path and goals in life; and that in itself is golden. Challenges enter our lives on a daily basis and as a self-motivator, we are able to take on these challenges head on without the need of others assistance.

To truly understand how self-motivation can be further developed, we need to analyze its different elements, varying from personal drive, optimism and initiative. We need to learn what makes us want to succeed and improve.

During the next few weeks, I hope to learn more about how self-motivation is applicable in my daily life and serve as a foundation for achieving my future goals. As an enthusiastic individual that has high hopes for my future, being able to develop my ability to self-motivate will be crucial to becoming a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist. The best way to expand on this skill is to learn from many business people and what drives them to their success, effortlessly self-reflecting on my life, and more importantly finding precisely the necessary pillars to be at my highest potential. No one pushes us harder than ourselves.

Goleman, D. (n.d.). Self-Motivation. Retrieved September 22, 2017, from https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/self-motivation.html