10 Scientific Reasons Why Some People Are More Motivated Than Others
There’s no denying that motivation is one of the most important ingredients for success. You need to be highly motivated to succeed at anything, from your career to your personal life and even your hobbies or side interests.
Motivation has been the key ingredient for success for great thinkers, athletes, artists, and scientists.
However, as with everything else, not everyone is equally motivated. Some people have a natural inclination towards being motivated and achieving their goals.
For others, staying focused on long-term objectives and maintaining enthusiasm in the face of adversity is much tougher.
But why? What are the factors that make some people more motivated than others?
Let’s take a look at ten reasons why some people are more motivated than others:
1. Motivated People Are Creatures of Habit
Let’s admit it: some people are naturally more inclined towards being creatures of habit. For example, some people can’t function without drinking their morning coffee. Other people can’t start their day without reading the news or checking their social media feeds.
These things can be a great source of motivation for certain people. But others who are more naturally inclined towards being creatures of habit may find it hard to motivate themselves to do anything productive.
If you’re a creature of habit, you might find that you’re more motivated to do things if you have the same conditions for motivation every day.
For example, if you typically like to exercise after work, but you’re traveling for work and can’t do that one day, that might throw you off and make it harder for you to get back into the habit afterward.
2. Motivated People Are Strongly Disciplined
Strong self-discipline is another factor that can make some people more motivated than others. If you have a good level of self-discipline, you’re able to motivate yourself to follow through on your goals.
Not everyone is equally self-disciplined, though: some people are naturally more disciplined than others.
For example, kids who grow up in disciplined households with lots of rules and expectations are often self-disciplined, while kids who grow up in households with little discipline are less likely to have self-discipline.
This is because self-discipline is usually a learned skill. As you progress through life, you’ll encounter various challenges that will test your self-discipline. If you have strong self-discipline, you’ll find it easier to overcome these challenges and maintain a high level of motivation.
3. They Value Their Goals
Some people have a clear idea of what they want out of life and what they’re trying to achieve. Others, however, don’t have any major goals or ambitions. This can be a major factor that makes some people more motivated than others.
If you have clear goals in life, you have something to focus your time and energy on. You also clearly know what you need to do to achieve those goals.
Because of this, you have a very good reason to get up and do whatever it is you need to do daily. For example, if you know that you need to lose some weight to be healthier and more fit, that knowledge gives you a very good reason to exercise.
4. They Have Faith
Another great way to increase your motivation is to feel confident about your future. In other words, you should have a good idea of what’s coming up. You should have a clear idea of what you need to do next in your career and what milestones you need to achieve along the way.
You should also have a clear idea of what you need to do next in your personal life, and what steps you need to take to achieve your goals there.
You should feel comfortable and confident about the road ahead: you should feel like you know what’s coming up and have everything you need to achieve your goals.
This sense of confidence can be a major source of motivation for some people.
5. Motivated People Work On Things That Excite Them
Another great way to increase your motivation is to find something that excites you. Some people are motivated by extrinsic rewards like money and fame. Others are motivated by intrinsic rewards, like helping others and improving the world.
Again, this is something that can be learned. If you’re interested in something, you can usually figure out a way to make money with it. If you have a clear idea of how to do that, you have something great to motivate you: a goal and something to look forward to.
Finding something that excites you and that you want to achieve gives you a very good reason to stay motivated.
6. It’s All About Your Mindset
Finally, it’s all about your mindset: how you frame the situation and what you think about it. There are a lot of negative stereotypes about laziness that make people feel guilty for not being motivated.
If you’re not motivated, you might feel something is wrong with you. However, nothing is wrong with you if you’re not super motivated.
Everyone has their own unique set of circumstances and no two people have the same set of strengths and weaknesses. Certain factors make some people more motivated than others.
You can’t control those things; you can only control how you react to them.
If you want to be more motivated, you have to recognize the factors that make some people less motivated than others and work on overcoming them. You have to find your sources of motivation and focus on them.
7. Role of Environmental Influences and Upbringing
The environment in which a person is raised plays a significant role in shaping their motivational levels.
People who grow up in supportive environments where achievements are celebrated, and effort is encouraged tend to develop a stronger drive to succeed.
Conversely, those raised in less encouraging settings may find it challenging to develop the same level of motivation.
This difference highlights the impact of upbringing and the social environment on an individual’s motivation levels.
8. Impact of Personal Experiences and Life Events
Life experiences, both positive and negative, can significantly influence a person’s motivation.
Overcoming challenges or enduring hardships often instills resilience and a stronger drive to succeed. In contrast, individuals who have faced fewer obstacles may not feel the same urgency or determination.
Personal successes and failures also play a role, as experiencing success can fuel further motivation, while repeated failures might dampen it.
9. Biological and Psychological Factors
Biological factors, such as genetic predisposition and brain chemistry, can affect an individual’s natural inclination toward motivation.
Some people might be biologically wired to have more drive and determination.
Psychological factors, including mental health conditions like depression or anxiety, can also impact motivation.
Understanding these biological and psychological underpinnings can offer deeper insights into why motivation levels vary among individuals.
10. Influence of Societal and Cultural Norms
Societal and cultural expectations can greatly influence an individual’s motivation. In cultures that place a high value on achievement and success, individuals may feel more compelled to be motivated.
Conversely, the motivation to excel might not be as strong in societies with less emphasis on individual achievement.
This aspect underscores how cultural context can shape one’s drive and ambition.
My Final Take
Let’s think about a simple idea to wrap up our discussion about why some people are more motivated than others. Imagine motivation like a garden.
Different plants in a garden need different things to grow – like sunlight, water, or good soil – people need different things to feel motivated. Everyone’s garden is unique, with its needs and conditions.
Some people might have gardens that naturally get a lot of sun (like having a supportive family or a passion they love), which helps their motivation grow easily. Others might have to work harder to get that sun, maybe by changing their thoughts or finding what excites them.
Also, remember, just like a garden, our motivation can change with time and care. Sometimes, it might be strong, and others might need extra help to grow. And that’s okay! Like gardeners learn what their plants need over time, we can learn what helps our motivation.
So, as we think about all the reasons we’ve talked about – like how we were raised, our life experiences, and what we’re interested in – it’s like learning how to take care of our unique motivation garden.
By understanding this, we can get better at helping ourselves and others find that drive to succeed, no matter what our gardens look like.
