Self Motivation in Learning

SYNOPSIS:
Self motivation is the ability to motivate oneself, to find a reason and the necessary strength to
do something, without the need of being influenced to do so by another person. It refers to
working in a careful and consistent manner without giving up. Self-motivation is the force that
keeps pushing us to go on – it's one’s internal drive to achieve, produce, develop, and keep
moving forward. When a person thinks he is ready to quit something, or he just does not know
how to start, his self-motivation is what pushes him to go on. With self-motivation, a person
learns and grows – regardless of the specific situation. That's why it's such a fundamental tool for
reaching the goals, achieving dreams, and succeeding, in this journey we call life.

Wanting to do something and motivating oneself to actually do it are two different things. So,
there is a difference between those who never reach their goals, year after year, and those who
achieve one goal after another. The answer lies in self-motivation.

MOTIVATION:
Motivation is a desire to achieve a goal, combined with the energy to work towards that goal.
Motivation is defined as the process that initiates, guides and maintains goal-oriented behaviors.
In other words, motivation is a kind of internal energy which drives a person to do something in
order to achieve something. It is a temporal or dynamic state within person which is not
concerned with his/her personality.

Motivation has been defined as the psychological process that gives behavior purpose and
direction (Kreitner, 1995); an internal drive to satisfy an unsatisfied need (Higgins, 1994); and
the will to achieve (Bedeian, 1993). In psychology, motivation refers to the initiation, direction,
intensity and persistence of behavior (Green, 1995). In simplistic terms, we can define
motivation as the desire and willingness to do something and the inner force that helps
individuals achieve their goals.

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INTRINSIC AND EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION:

Intrinsic Motivation:
Intrinsic motivation refers to motivation that is driven by an interest or enjoyment in the task
itself, and exists within the individual rather than relying on any external pressure. Students are
likely to be intrinsically motivated if they:
• Attribute their educational results to internal factors that they can control (Ex: the amount
of effort they put in).
• Believe they can be effective agents in reaching desired goals (Ex: the results are not
determined by luck).
• They are interested in mastering a topic, rather than just rote-learning to achieve good
grades.

Extrinsic Motivation:
Extrinsic motivation comes from outside of the individual. Common extrinsic motivations are
rewards like money and grades, coercion and threat of punishment. Competition is in general
extrinsic because it encourages the performer to win and beat others, not to enjoy the intrinsic
rewards of the activity. A crowd cheering on the individual and trophies are also extrinsic
incentives. Social psychological research has indicated that extrinsic rewards can lead to over
justification and a subsequent reduction in intrinsic motivation.

SELF MOTIVATION TECHNIQUES:

A person may feel lazy and unmotivated too often. But just like other skill motivation can be
developed in a person. Here are some self motivation techniques that can be used to get on track.

Make A Deal With Yourself:

This technique is good for overcoming procrastination and getting things done. You can make
the deal small or large. You simply tell yourself something like: When I’m done with this
chapter/these reports I can take a walk in the park and enjoy an ice-cream.

Compelling Reason:
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Everybody needs a reason to do what you need to do. Nobody can force you to do something you
don’t like to do. However, if overcoming this obstacle will allow you to be closer to your goal or
bring a greater joy to your life. You will find it easier to get over with this mandate task.

Act Like It:

If you don’t feel motivated or enthusiastic then follow the strategy, act like it. The strange thing
is that within a few minutes you actually start to feel motivated or enthusiastic for real.

Ask Uplifting Questions In The Morning:

Here is what you do; every morning ask yourself five empowering three-part questions. For
instance, a couple of my questions are:
• Am I happy about my life right now?
• Am I excited about my life right now?

It’s important that you really feel how it makes you feel. When I think about the last part about
what makes me happy right now I really feel it. These morning questions are great because the
way they are set up makes you recognize things you take for granted and then they really get you
to feel those positive feelings.

Move The Goalposts:

Set a large and specific goal. This will motivate you much more than small goals. A big goal has
a big effect and can create a lot of motivation.

Do Something Small And Create A Flow:

You just need to get started with a small task. When you have finished that small task you’ll feel
more alert and ready to go for the next thing. You just need to get started to get motivated. So if
you really don’t feel like doing anything, start with something small and work your way out up.

Do The Toughest Task First:

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This will ease a lot of your day-to-day worries and boost your self-confidence for the rest of the
day. When you complete the task, you will really feel that you have achieved something and you
will get motivation for the next work.

Start Slow:
Instead of jumping into something at full speed start slow. When you do that your mind will not
visualize the task as something hard that you have to do fast. Actually getting started, even if it’s
at a slow pace, is a whole lot better than not getting started at all.

Compare Yourself With Yourself; Not With Others:

Comparing what you have and your results to what other people have and have accomplished
can really kill one’s motivation. There are always people ahead of you and a few of them are
miles ahead. So focus on thyself. Focus on your own result and how you can and have improved
them.

Reviewing your results is important so you see where you have gone wrong in the past to avoid
similar missteps further on. But it’s also important because it’s a great motivator to see how
much you have improved and how far you have come. Often you can be pleasantly surprised
when you do such a review.

Remember Your Successes:

Believe that you have what it takes to achieve your dreams. Review your earlier successes and
gain confidence in yourself. Let them flow through your mind instead of your failures. Write
down your successes. Consider using a journal of some kind since it’s easy to forget your
successes. This is the only way to stay motivated.

Act Like Your Heroes:

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Read about them, watch them, and listen to them. Discover what they did that was special and
what made them tick. But remember that they are people just like us. So let them inspire you
instead of looking up at them admiringly.

Remember To Have Fun:

Make your task fun and interesting. Sometimes we tend to work in a robot like manner doing
things the same way that we did it yesterday and repeating it over and over again. Instead break
the monotony and introduce some fun elements to your work. Try to create fun in a task. This
will keep you interested and focused on your work.Then you’ll stay motivated to do and finish it.

Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone:

Face your challenges to get a real boost of motivation. If you are holding yourself back have a
look at ways to overcome fear. They can help you get started and take that first scary step outside
your comfort zone.

Don’t Fear Failure:

Success and failure is part of life. So, if you failed to achieve your desired goal, don’t fear that
failure. Try to accept the failure and redefine it as feedback and as a natural part of a successful
life. As Michael Jordan, a former American professional basketball player said that he had
missed more than 9000 shots in career. He had lost almost 300 games. 26 times he had been
trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. He had failed over and over and over again in
his life. And that is why he succeeded. Also, try to find the valuable lessons in each of your
failures. Ask yourself: What can I learn from this? Find the answer and take lessons from it.

Do Some Research On What You Are About To Do:

Then your expectations will be more grounded in reality and you can also get good hints on what
difficulties that you might run into along the way. Managing your expectations can lower the
often almost explosive initial enthusiasm. But it can also lessen the lack of motivation that
usually follows when most of that enthusiasm has dissipated. When you know what has
happened to others in similar situations – what path they have walked – you can adapt and try
their solutions (and personal variations of those) and your own. This makes the worries and

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challenges easier to handle. Both emotionally – since you know at least some of the things that
will happen and that others have lived through it before – and practically.

Figure Out Why You Are Doing Something:

If you don’t know or don’t have good enough reason to do something then it will be hard to get it
done. Do things that you have really strong reasons to do. If you want to do something then
figure out a good reason to do it. If you can’t find one, then you may think of dropping it and
doing something that you have a good reason to do instead.

Write Down Your Goals And Reasons For Working Towards Them:
Have a work plan in mind and work to achieve it. Make sure that you understand your priorities
while drawing up this work plan Tape them on your wall, computer or bathroom mirror. Then
you’ll be reminded throughout the day and it becomes easier to stay on track and stay focused.

Take The Challenge Positively:

Learn to think more positively most of the time. Learn to let to go of negative threads of thought
before they have a chance to take hold of you. You might not be able to be positive all the time.
But I think most of us can improve on our positive thinking and the results can lead us to perhaps
more than you realize right now.

Break It Down:
Break down your task or project into small steps. Check your progress by splitting up your task
into smaller milestones and achieving it on a regular basis. This will help you correct yourself in
case you lag behind.When you are done with the small task move on to the next and just focus on
that one. The small successes will keep your motivation up and keeping your focus away from
the big picture. It’s amazing how much you can get done if you follow this simple method.

Reprogram Your Information Intake:

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Reduce your information intake. Then program in positive news and entertainment, more of your
own thoughts and useful information such as personal growth tapes and books. Be selective and
keep it positive.

Make Use Of Your Creativity:

Take out a piece of paper. Write at the top of the page what area in your life you would like to
have more ideas about. Perhaps you want ideas to earn more money or become a healthier
person. Then brainstorm until you have written down 20 ideas on that topic. Not all ideas will be
good. But some will. And as you make use of your creativity you not only discover useful ideas
you also discover just how creative you can be if you try and how motivating and great that feels.

Find Out What Makes You Happy:

Then do that. As much as you want or can. This will refresh your mind and help you to start new
task with more energy and enthusiasm.

Listen While You’re On The Move:

Build your own small library of motivational/personal development tapes. Listen to them while
you are driving, riding the bus or your bike, while you are out running or walking. Take a peek at
my recommended personal development products if you are looking for a good place to start.

Make Each Day Count:

Keep a visual reminder of what you need to achieve on a particular period. We don’t have all the
time in the world. So focus on today and do the things you really want to do. This will remind
you of what you are fighting for in times of adversity.

BOOKS ON SELF MOTIVATION:

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There are lots of books, articles written on self motivation. Reading these books, articles help a
person to find their self motivation. Name of some best self motivation books are:

Rich Dad Poor Dad:

Written by Robert Kiyosaki, Rich Dad Poor Dad is one book that has left every reader
speechless. This book is considered as one of the best selling books of all time.

Who Moved My Cheese:

Who Moved My Cheese is one book that the reader will definitely remember for so long. This
brilliant piece of writing filled with self motivation tips, is written by Spencer Johnson.

TOP 10 SELF MOTIVATION BOOKS:

1. Man's Search For Meaning ~ Viktor E. Frankl

2. The One Minute Manager ~ Ken Blanchard
3. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People ~ Stephen R. Covey
4. Awaken the Giant Within: How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional,
Physical and Financial Destiny! ~ Anthony Robbins
5. Organizing from the Inside Out, Second Edition: The Foolproof System For Organizing
Your Home, Your Office and Your Life ~ Julie Morgenstern
6. Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated ~ David D. Burns
7. Eat That Frog: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time ~
Brian Tracy
8. 50 Self-Help Classics: 50 Inspirational Books to Transform Your Life ~ Tom Butler-
Bowdon
9. How to Win Friends & Influence People ~ Dale Carnegie
10. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience ~ Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE:

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People choose different types of self-motivating quotes to empower themselves and to give
themselves that much needed inspiration and enthusiasm to meet targets and achieve goals.
While some choose to focus on inspirational and religious quotes, others prefer to listen to quotes
that solely deal with business success. Here are some quotes that work as self-motivation:

• "Build upon strengths, and weaknesses will gradually take care of themselves." - Joyce C.
Lock
• "Things will happen in your life that you can’t stop, but that’s no reason to shut out the
world. There’s a purpose for the good and for the bad" – Walter Sparrow, Now and Then.
• "People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things.
When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success." - Norman Vincent
Peale
• "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."-
Henry David Thoreau
• "If you have the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed."- David Viscott.
• "Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning."- Winston Churchill
• "Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first
step." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
• "The abundant life does not come to those who have had a lot of obstacles removed from
their path by others. It develops from within and is rooted in strong mental and moral
fiber."- William Mather Lewis.
• "Courage is about doing what you’re afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you’re
scared" – Eddie Rickenbacker.
• "One of the most courageous things you can do is identify yourself, know who you are,
what you believe in and where you want to go." – Sheila Murray Bethel.
• "For every person who doubts you, tells you you will fail, try twice as hard to prove them
wrong." – Anonymous.
• "Above all, challenge yourself. You may well surprise yourself at what strengths you
have, what you can accomplish." – Cecile Springer.

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 • Don’t’ let the low times keep you down. Learn from them and reach for the high times."
– David Wiemers.
• "Being committed to some goal in your life – a sense of having a mission, a purpose,
even a calling – is a very motivating, very comforting thing. Some people’s mission steps
up to greet them, others have to hunt theirs down." – Anonymous.
• "Square your shoulders to the world, be not the kind to quit; It’s not the load that weighs
your down but the way you carry it." – Anonymous.
• "Accept everything about yourself. I mean everything. You are you, and that is the
beginning and the end; No apologies, no regrets." – Clark Montanas.
• "If you believe in yourself, things are possible." – Shannon Macmillan.
• "The biggest mistake you can make continually fears you will make one." – Anonymous.
• "If you want to accomplish anything in life, you can't just sit back and hope it will
happen. You've got to make it happen." – Chuck Norris.

MOTIVATIONAL STORY:
I would like to mention two real stories which say how a person get success using self
motivation.

A Beautiful Story of a Boy:

There is a boy in a certain school. This boy has a fascination towards soccer and always
practiced his level best but was never selected for the final team but he never left his practice and
hope. When ever he is there for practice, he was accompanied by his father who used to sit in the
same seat till his practice is finished. The final year came and the final selections for the team are
near and the practice is at its peak. When there are still 4 days left for the selections and match,
the boy suddenly stopped coming to the practice and the coach was not informed priory about it.

The selections day came and the match will be in the afternoon and suddenly the boy appeared
from no where before the coach and asked a place for him. Now the coach said "son, I had better
players and you are not here for the practice sessions and how can u expect me to take you in, I
can’t go against my better judgment and I cannot take you in". The Boy pleaded like anything
and almost is on the feet of his coach begging a place for him. Now the coach never had seen
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anyone plead like that and said "son, okay I can give you a chance for the first half and you got
to prove your abilities and never forget that the reputation of the school is at risk, this is the first
time I am going against my better judgment" The Boy thanked him and got into the finals. The
match started.

The boy played like a house on fire and he converted every ball that came to him into a goal.
Needless to say, the team won the match for the first time in their history and the boy was
awarded the player of the tournament award. When he came to the coach, the coach asked him
“son where have I went wrong all these days, how am I wrong in my judgment about you all
these days, how did you play so well, what motivated you " The boy replied “sir my father is
watching me". "Where is he watching from, when ever you made a goal I looked for your father
and he is no where to be seen" said the coach with a surprised tone. "Sir, there is one thing that
you don’t know; my father is blind by birth. He is just here to motivate me. Four days back he
died and for the very first time he is watching me from there" and pointed his finger to the sky
with tears in his eyes.

Motivational Story of Self-Image:

During my junior high and high school years in school, I was very self-conscious about my
image and weight. I had always been a chubbier kid in my life, however now that I had matured
along with my friends, and a thing such as image was more important at this age, I was
especially down about my heavier weight. My motivational story is about my decision to lose
weight, get into shape, and feel more confident in myself.

Alongside going to school and work, I went to the gym on a regular basis and began a diet that
was strict yet also achievable. This was very difficult at first; however, after seeing results the
first couple of weeks, it became easier. This carried all the way through my college years and
university life.

Since then I have lost about 50 pounds and am in the best shape of my life. I have been more
involved in weight lifting also, trying to put more muscle on my body. During this experience, I
learned that even in the toughest times of peer pressure and teenage image, someone can put in

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the effort to have more confidence. You don't need to have a rock star body, but if you feel great
about yourself, that is worth more than anything.

I think this motivational story can help anyone worried about their image or their confidence. A
good diet, gym plan, and motivation will give you a great chance of getting in great shape and
giving you a higher quality of life. You owe it to yourself!

CONCLUSION:
Self motivation depends on individuals and their perspective. Keeping a positive attitude is very
important for everyone. There's nothing more powerful for self motivation than the right attitude.
It gives you joy, the impetus to push further, and a sense of power. Self- Motivation is not an
accident or something that someone else can give you -- you are the only one with the power to
motivate you. You have within you the unique power of deciding your destiny.

FINDINGS:

• What is the difference between a topic and thesis statement?

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Ans: Topic represents what is our subject; and thesis statement represents what we actually want
to write about topic.

• Write down the best paragraph of your paper, why do you think it’s the best
paragraph?

Ans: In my paper I think that the real life story that is stated here in this report is the best
paragraph of my term paper. Because it states a story of a school boy who won his desired goal
by self motivation. The paragraph says that how a person gets self motivated and move towards
success.

“A BEAUTIFUL STORY OF A BOY"

There is a boy in a certain school. This boy has a fascination towards soccer and always
practiced his level best but was never selected for the final team but he never left his practice and
hope. Whenever he is there for practice, he was accompanied by his father who used to sit in the
same seat till his practice is finished. The final year came and the final selections for the team are
near and the practice is at its peak. When there are still 4 days left for the selections and match,
the boy suddenly stopped coming to the practice and the coach was not informed priory about it.

The selections day came and the match will be in the afternoon and suddenly the boy appeared
from nowhere before the coach and asked a place for him. Now the coach said "son, I had better
players and you are not here for the practice sessions and how can u expect me to take you in, I
can’t go against my better judgment and I cannot take you in". The Boy pleaded like anything
and almost is on the feet of his coach begging a place for him. Now the coach never had seen
anyone plead like that and said "son, okay I can give you a chance for the first half and you got
to prove your abilities and never forget that the reputation of the school is at risk, this is the first
time I am going against my better judgment" The Boy thanked him and got into the finals. The
match started.

The boy played like a house on fire and he converted every ball that came to him into a goal.
Needless to say, the team won the match for the first time in their history and the boy was
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awarded the player of the tournament award. When he came to the coach, the coach asked him
“son where have I went wrong all these days, how am I wrong in my judgment about you all
these days, how did you play so well, what motivated you " The boy replied “sir my father is
watching me". "Where is he watching from, whenever you made a goal I looked for your father
and he is nowhere to be seen" said the coach with a surprised tone.

"Sir, there is one thing that you don’t know; my father is blind by birth. He is just here to
motivate me. Four days back he died and for the very first time he is watching me from there"
and pointed his finger to the sky with tears in his eyes.\

• How is your thesis related to some kind of improvement of our country?

Ans: Here I try to point out some ways thorough people can choose and follow their own way to
get self motivation. By having better self motivation knowledge readers to perform better and
accomplish his desired goal. Their better performance will definitely contribute to country in
many ways.

• What type of essay are you writing? Why did you choose this type of essay?

Ans: My essay related with human mind-set . I choose this essay because It develops our
mentality. Ambitious people can easily accomplish their objectives. It also helps us to recover
our frustration and enhance our thinking power.

• Which approach to write did you use? Process or product approach?

Ans: I used both of two approach . Because if we write one time we don’t get a good essay
.That’s why I wrote it more than three times and finally I got complete product.

• How many drafts did you do for your paper ? What kind of changes did you do
from draft to draft?

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Ans: I drafted three times . When I wrote my second draft I included some topic and my third
draft I improved my all things.

• What are the readings did you use? Give name of the source.

Ans: I use some readings like Man's Search For Meaning ~ Viktor E. Frankl and the One
Minute Manager ~ Ken Blanchard

• What are the key terms that you use your paper?

Ans: Key terms are- Build confidence, make a deal with yourself, start slow, set a goal, don’t
fear failure, positive thinking, make work funny etc.

• What new knowledge you gather by writing your term paper?

Ans: New knowledge that I gain by writing my term paper is that if any person really wants he
can remove his frustration. He can gather self motivation following various methods and have a
walk towards success.

• What are some new suggestions or solution that you have developed on topic?

Ans: Before write the essay we have to write a good outline that helps my essay to build up
nicely, A good outline makes an essay easier.

• How did you make your introduction?

Ans: I did my introduction combination of my own thought and the information about my topic

• Is your conclusion just summery or its opens new horizons for thinking?

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Ans: My conclusion is not just a summary. It helps to open new horizons for thinking. After
reading the conclusion the reader will be compelled to rethink his self motivation.

• How did the paper develop your critical creative and reflective thinking?

Ans: A essay can increase our creative thinking because with out thinking we can’t build a
strong essay and here we show our creativity by writing the essay .

• How much did you discover about your error pattern?

Ans: When I was writing my essay then I faced some problems like word order, wrong sentence,
right form of verbs, run on, fragments and spelling.

• How are you overcoming your error making process?

Ans: To over come my error I practiced a lot and tried to learn the grammar and memories lots
of vocabulary.

• What are some weaknesses did you find as a writer?

Ans: I found some weaknesses as a writer that was grammatical problem, vocabulary, sentence
making, spelling, word limitation.

• What are some strengths did you find as a writer?

Ans: As a writer I thought that it helped me to increase my thinking knowledge and writing
expertise.

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