The 3 secrets of intrinsic motivation

The Daily Drip

Have you ever met someone who is just intrinsically motivated?

I don't mean they are working late to hit their sales goals, that's the old "carrot and the stick" model.

I mean someone who just seems to have energy coming from the inside.

Psychologist Daniel Pink got under-the-hood and did some research to understand intrinsic motivation. He reported his findings in his book "Drive."

Spoiler Alert: It turns out that being intrinsically motivated has to do with three things:

Autonomy. Mastery. Purpose.

When we are empowered to do our own work, we take ownership of it. When we're micro-managed, we burn out faster.

When we develop skills and become good at something, we enjoy it more. Yes, we humans do in fact like winning more than losing.

When we feel what we're doing has a greater meaning, one beyond ourselves, we are even more inspired to work harder.

Today is Monday. Today is a great day to ask if you are experiencing these three things in your work.