Hey restless minds—
You’ve probably heard this before: “You just need to stay motivated.”
Sounds easy, right?
But here’s the truth nobody says out loud—most people don’t know what motivation actually is.
We throw the word around like confetti: motivational quotes, motivational speakers, motivational Mondays. But scratch the surface, and things get far more complex—and much more interesting.
Motivation isn’t just a feeling—it’s a structure. A system of beliefs, perceptions, and psychological triggers that push or pull us in subtle ways. It’s not about “finding the energy” to do something. It’s about understanding why the energy is there (or not) in the first place.
So let’s pull the curtain back.
The Three Types of Motivation (and Why Most Strategies Miss the Point)
Psychologists generally break motivation down into three types:
- Extrinsic Motivation – Driven by external rewards or pressures (money, recognition, fear of punishment). This is the “carrot and stick” approach, and it’s what most business incentives are built on.
- Intrinsic Motivation – Powered by internal satisfaction (curiosity, mastery, meaning). This is the creative zone, the space where people do things because they want to, not because they have to.
- Introjected Motivation – The invisible one—where we act to avoid guilt or boost ego, even if we don’t truly want to do the task. It’s often mistaken for discipline, but it’s closer to self-manipulation.
At first glance, this seems like a clean framework. But real life is messy. You can start a project out of passion (intrinsic), keep going because of praise (extrinsic), and push through the hard parts because you’d feel like a failure if you quit (introjected).
The lines are fluid. The motives bleed together.
And that’s where things get interesting.
The Employee Who Lost His Fire
Take Luca, a talented designer at a growing agency. He started with intrinsic motivation: he loved the craft. Sketching, iterating, learning. It was his flow state. But after years of tight deadlines and uninspiring client work, something shifted. The joy faded. Deadlines became dreading lines.
What remained? Fear of disappointing his boss. Anxiety over losing his status. A need to prove himself, day after day. That’s classic introjected motivation. The task didn’t change—but the why behind the action did. And it changed everything.
The company tried to fix the problem with performance bonuses and perks—extrinsic tactics. It made sense on paper. But it missed the target. What Luca craved wasn’t more money.
It was purpose.
He needed to feel like his work meant something. That it was his, not just another file in the project folder.
And here’s the twist: when his manager finally gave him full autonomy on a side project—no client, no rules—Luca lit up again. The fire was still there. It had just been buried under the wrong kind of motivation.
His story isn’t rare. It’s everywhere—from burned-out founders to students on the edge of quitting. And it brings us to a deeper, less comfortable truth.
The Paradox of Motivation: Why It Backfires
One of the most counterintuitive findings in psychology is that extrinsic rewards can kill intrinsic motivation. This is known as the overjustification effect.
Tell a child she’ll get $10 for every book she reads, and suddenly reading becomes transactional. The joy dissolves. The behavior now relies on payment.
Sound familiar? That’s your gym routine you keep “bribing” yourself into. That’s your content calendar you hate but “push through” for metrics. That’s the task you once loved but now dread because it’s been systematized, optimized, and sanitized.
The truth is: motivation is fragile.
It doesn’t respond well to brute force. And most modern systems—corporate hierarchies, school curricula, productivity tools—treat it like a faucet that can be cranked open at will.
But real motivation isn’t a faucet. It’s a fire.
Fires need fuel—but also oxygen. Too much pressure? You suffocate it. Too much fuel? You overwhelm it. No spark? It never ignites. Sustainable motivation requires balance, attention, and care.
How to Work With, Not Against, Your Motivation
If you want to build motivation that lasts, stop trying to push it. Start understanding it.
- Track the Source: Ask yourself why you’re doing something. Are you chasing reward (extrinsic), seeking joy (intrinsic), or avoiding guilt (introjected)? Most people don’t realize how often they’re operating from fear or shame.
- Redesign the Context: Motivation isn’t a switch—it’s a system. Change the environment. Inject autonomy, invite mastery, build connection. These aren’t luxury perks. They are the psychological conditions under which motivation thrives.
- Use Extrinsic Rewards Wisely: They’re not evil—they’re just misunderstood. Use them to reinforce competence, not to substitute for meaning. And always tie them back to effort, growth, or shared values.
- Notice the Drift: Motivation evolves. What drove you a year ago may no longer serve you. Recalibrate. Realign. Refresh the why behind the what.
Motivation Is a Compass, Not a Whip
Motivation isn’t about being constantly energized or excited. It’s about knowing the direction you’re truly meant to follow—and making adjustments when you veer off course.
The next time you feel “unmotivated,” don’t panic.
Don’t reach for hacks or hustle porn. Ask instead: What’s pulling me? What’s pushing me? What story am I telling myself about this task?
And most importantly: What would make this feel like mine again?
Because real motivation doesn’t scream. It hums. And once you hear it, you’ll never mistake it for noise again.
Until next time, stay driven.
Alex
🔥 Want to build a strategy that fuels real motivation? At Kredo Marketing, we design human-centered strategies that align with what truly drives people.
💬 Let’s create something that lasts.