How motivated are you by rewards?

What would you do today if there wasn’t a reward?

No paycheck.

No grades.

No recognition.

No potential for promotion.

No external feedback whatsoever.

What I’m attempting to get to the bottom of is, what are you intrinsically motivated to do?

Why am I asking?

Because if you can tap into what you’re intrinsically motivated to do, then you’ve found one of the secrets to a fulfilled and meaningful life.

When you find activities that you enjoy doing, simply for the love of doing them and not for any external reward or recognition, you’ve tapped into the core of who you are.

The reality is that there are things you will do for external recognition and rewards regardless of how you feel about them because that’s part of the social contract of living in society. But the danger of external rewards is that they are ephemeral. And once you receive one, you very quickly search for the next one.

How do you discover what intrinsically motivates you?

Well, just like any other self-exploration, this requires time and introspection. It requires you to step off the treadmill of daily life and look inward. And while searching within yourself isn’t a requirement of life, it can be extremely rewarding.

So, as you go through your day today, spend some time looking inward. See if you can detach yourself from the continuous seeking of external rewards and experience fulfillment as you begin to explore what you’re intrinsically motivated to do.

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