Internally-Motivated External Motivation

Are you sure that you're lacking willpower, and not just fighting yourself? Normally when I 'lack internal motivation', it's that I'm stopping myself. Normally out of a sense of fear either of the results or the effort or something else.

When I learned this about myself, I found I could work hard on a project not knowing the result. Once I understood that my block was a fear of completing the project (and it failing), I could work past that.

Okay, it's been a long day and I'm not sure if I'm making sense. I hope this was coherent.

If I am fighting myself -- and who knows? Maybe that's it -- that doesn't change the fact that creating external motivation for myself still gets the job done when other tactics don't. And I love that. But I see what you're saying, and it's certainly possible.

This was a great vlog!! It makes perfect sense to me. Megan, you really walk the talk. I can't believe I'm old enough to be your mother (okay, a really young mother) and yet I get so much from reading your work or listening to you (and I'm pretty damn picky about who I take advice from- believe me).

Thanks for sharing this.

I really appreciate your comments, Syd. Finding stuff like this in my inbox is why I keep writing / recording. Man, you're awesome.

I just read that your speech went well! Congratulations!

I had the same thought as James - negative self-talk and similar problems can be the barrier to internal motivation. Believing that you aren't good enough, believing you can't succeed, being afraid TO succeed, these are all real issues that get between people and their goals. Usually, I've found that addressing those barriers directly is instructive. Either it gets you past the barrier or it clarifies why you're picking a different goal.

hahaha...very interesting...didn't know that there is somethign called "internally motivated external motivation"