Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic
Where does motivation originate?
As a die hard sports fan, there is nothing more appreciated than a genuine sports debate — the type of passionate dialogue that can be had anywhere at anytime; the barbershop, the water cooler at work, a kids birthday party, even the dentist. Imagine your dental hygienist cleaning your teeth while having a heated debate about your favorite athlete or sports team. These are the intense conversations that intrigue me.
So in the spirit of meaningful discussion, I ask the cliché question: who’s the greatest NBA player of all time? Now, I know you want to pound on the table for MJ, LeBron, Kobe maybe Steph, or your all-time favorite G.O.A.T., but let’s keep in mind there is no right or wrong answer (unless you’re a Michael Jordan fan), we are all entitled to our own opinions.
Here’s a better question just for argument sake, regardless of your answer to ‘who’s the greatest NBA player of all time?’. Is your favorite athlete intrinsically or extrinsically motivated?
Before you answer, let’s define both types of motivations then compare and contrast the two.
Intrinsic motivation can be defined as performing a task because it’s personally rewarding to you. Simply put, the motivation is derived from what’s inside you.
Extrinsic motivation is defined as completing a task because of outside factors such as avoiding punishment or receiving a reward. This motivation is fueled by external sources.
Although these factors are different in how the motivation is produced, the fact is they both can be used to garner results. Intrinsic, because it is internal, produces a long-term effect (see Almagro, B. J., Sáenz-López, P., Fierro-Suero, S., & Conde, C. (2020). Perceived Performance, Intrinsic Motivation and Adherence in Athletes. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(24), 9441.), whereas extrinsic is helpful for short-term results but may lead to burnout.
So, where does your motivation derive from? Are you intrinsically or extrinsically motivated? Have an internal debate with yourself and use that answer to propel you to dominate any and every task in front of you.
