There
are two kinds of motivation, extrinsic and intrinsic.
Extrinsic
motivation is when someone is motivated to behave a certain way because of
something (an expectation, consequence, or variable) outside of oneself. For example, Josie would rather not
work. She’d prefer to be a
full-time stay-at-home mom to our boys.
But that’s not an option for us.
So she goes to work two times a week, each time extrinsically motivated. Extrinsic motivation is part of
life. We are all extrinsically
motivated to do all kinds of things in life. We are extrinsically motivated to pay our taxes, to show up
to work some days, to go home after work some days. I often do things for my wife—not necessarily because I want
to—but because I know my life will go better for me if I do: happy wife, happy
life. Sometimes I will
procrastinate (a sure sign that intrinsic motivation is wanting), but I will
eventually get around to doing it – whatever “it” is. Procrastination and extrinsic motivation are almost always
connected.
Now,
different people will be extrinsically motivated by different things and vary
to the degree with which they are extrinsically motivated. Some people are rule followers. I have a friend like that. She wants to know what the rules are
and where the boundaries are set.
She then operates very freely within those boundaries but always tries
to respect them. I am more of a
rule follower myself. Other people
are the exact opposite. They live by
the philosophy that “rules are meant to be broken.” I have a friend like this too. He simply isn’t very responsive to extrinsic motivators. He’d rather just do what he prefers to
do. As a result, he has a lot of
speeding tickets. The odd thing is
that he pays the tickets, which strikes me as a bit inconsistent. But whatever.
Intrinsic
motivation is different from extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation points to the internal desire that drives
behavior. For example, I am
intrinsically motivated to read.
My top strength on the Clifton StrengthFinder 2.0 Assessement is Learner. I am intrinsically motivated to learn. And I spend countless hours every week
doing just that. In fact, if I
don’t get enough time to read, I get really cranky and irritable. Really, it’s not pretty. You can ask Josie. Sometimes if I am cranky she will ban
me to the basement for some reading time.
Once again, different people will be intrinsically motivated by
different things, often connected to their passions and interests.
Understanding
extrinsic and intrinsic motivation has massive implications for life.
Think
about parenting for a moment. You
can parent using extrinsic motivation.
“If you write on the wall with that crayon one more time, you will get a
spanking.” You are providing your
child with a choice at that moment.
But the choice is designed to steer your child away from a behavior you
do not like by holding a consequence over their head that they don’t like. And since you are in a position of
authority over them, you can get away with that. For the record, I think it would be almost impossible to
raise kids without ever using extrinsic motivation. Sometimes kids behave like mini-terrorists bent on
destroying your sanity. It’s
important that they learn from a young age that actions have consequences. But think about what a win it would be
for you as a parent if you could get your child to choose to do the right thing
because they truly desire to do the right thing. No doubt, this requires a lot more time and energy. You have to get down on your knees and
look your child in the eyes. You
have to spend time exploring motivations – the “why” behind their behavior –
and weigh the pros and cons of their actions. I submit this is the end goal of parenting, because at some
point your kids are going to move out of the house. They will either rebel against the rules you extrinsically
imposed on them or they will continue to follow them because they became
intrinsic to who they are and how they want to live.
It’s
the same thing with leadership.
You can lead extrinsically by holding out rewards and consequences. “If you follow my direction, good
things will happen for you. If you
resist me, I will squash you.” And
your position of authority might allow you to get away with that kind of
leadership. But that is so less
than ideal. Now, to be fair, there
will be times when, similar to parenting, you will need to provide definitive
direction for people even though that direction may not be all that popular for
those on the receiving end. I’ve
found that such moments have a way of revealing quite a bit about the receiving
person. Some people are receptive
to instruction and direction.
Others are more resistant to it.
It often comes down to teachability and humility. Just know that the variables in
leadership are almost always complex and rarely dependent on you alone. But let’s just consider you for the
moment. What if, so far as it
depends on you, you aimed at intrinsic motivation when leading? What if you led in such a way that
those entrusted to your care followed your direction not because they were
forced to, but because they actually wanted to? This kind of leadership often takes more time and energy and
is more challenging than simply telling people what to do. But I think it’s a noble aspiration
that leads to greater impact.
For
example, consider the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
when it comes to the topic of evangelism.
Lots of people feel guilty for not sharing their faith more
frequently. And, in my experience,
many people who are passionate about evangelism only make this guilt feeling
worse. In an effort to motivate
others to get out there and make some converts, they say things like, “It’s our
job to fulfill the Great Commission.
People are dying and going to hell.” Extrinsic motivation.
Such statements make people feel like they aren’t being obedient to
Jesus and that they are responsible for the world’s eternal destination. I am convinced that one of the defining
issues for the church today – at least the church in the U.S. – is to help
people become intrinsically motivated to be missionally engaged with those
around them. I suppose when people
share their faith, it is a win no matter what (so long as they aren’t being
obnoxious about it and turning people away). But, I’d rather see people intrinsically motivated to share
their faith because of their deep affection for God and for others. Can you imagine the impact?
We
can’t always be intrinsically motivated in every aspect of life.
The
truth is that I am often a mix of extrinsic and intrinsic motivations with most
aspects of my life. I work out
regularly. There are times when I
intrinsically enjoy exercise and am internally motivated to be healthy. There are other times when the exercise
feels like an obligation and my primary motivation is to avoid getting
fat. Sometimes it ends up being
both. My workout starts
extrinsically – begrudging obligation – but halfway through I really start to
enjoy it. I’d say most of the time
it is a mix of the two.
It’s
the same with Jesus.
Sometimes
I have a hunger and thirst for Jesus that motivates me. There is an internal drive – an
intrinsic motivation – to spend time with Jesus, to talk with him, to read my
Bible, to be missionally engaged.
But then there are other times when I just feel flat. The internal drive is all but
gone. When the internal drive is lacking,
a variety of things can happen.
Sometimes I simply choose not to engage. When I don’t engage, I feel guilty. Then I have to remind myself that I am
forgiven and loved despite my inconsistency and that each moment is a new
opportunity to engage. So I start
afresh. Other times I try to push
through my flatness. Like many of
my morning runs, I start out with extrinsic motivation. I’ve found that pushing through the
flatness is always worth it. Some
of my best moments with Jesus have started with a flat feeling.
One
of the most consistent prayers in my life is for an intrinsic desire for
God.
God, give me an insatiable hunger and
thirst for you in my life.
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