Extrinsic Motivation Is A Good Thing

It's useful, but only in this circumstance.

If you’re like me, you try really hard to focus on the intrinsic factors of motivation.

You work on projects that excite you. You work on projects with impact. You rely on big picture visions to drive day-to-day actions.

Intrinsic motivation comes from the inside. It’s driven by you and it impacts your will-power. Extrinsic motivation is the classic “carrot or the stick” method of motivation. Extrinsically motivated people don’t care about what they’re doing—they are doing just enough to get the carrot or just enough to avoid the stick.

We’re told again and again that extrinsic motivation is bad. It’s not. You just don’t want to rely on it completely to get the outcomes you want in your life and work.

We’re told again and again that intrinsic motivation is the only way to truly succeed. That’s not true either. I think it’s the critical foundation for one’s life’s work—but it’s just not as good as it could be with a little ol’ fashioned extrinsic motivation sprinkled in.

Rewards. Badges. Bonuses. You know, the carrots.

We can go far if our core is built on intrinsic motivation. It’s stable. But shouldn’t we also be adding some cherries on top?

There’s no downside to supplementing your intrinsic motivation with extrinsic motivation, only upside.

Just don’t get them mixed up and build your foundation out of extrinsic motivation.

Go forth and reward yourself!