During college, I studied the dominant theory of motivation (self-determination theory). The theory states that there are three factors that contribute to intrinsic motivation (“intrinsic” meaning: motivation that originates within you, i.e. not created by an external reward or punishment).

The big 3 are

1. Autonomy: feeling that we have freely chosen to do something
2. Competence: feeling that we are capable or possess the skills/knowledge to figure out how to accomplish the task at hand
3. Relatedness: the feeling of being socially connected, feeling a sense of belonging among or contributing to others

The book on Self-Determination Theory is so big that if you dropped it on your foot you’d probably need to go to the doctor. But to put it simply, if you want to be motivated to do something, figuring out which of these three factors is lacking, and then adjusting your approach to increase it will almost always make a difference.

Today I just want to talk about the first one: autonomy.

In an experiment that studied the stress response in rats when running voluntarily versus involuntarily, the primary finding was: when rats are forced to run on a wheel, the stress response in their brains is significantly higher than the response in the brains of rats who are able to freely choose when they run.

Although we are not rats, being forced to do things causes much higher levels of stress than when we have the ability to choose or control some aspect of our approach. That said, increasing your motivation through the autonomy factor means finding a way to take control over how or when you do something.

TLDR: If you hear your brain saying “I have to do it this way,” that is a call to challenge yourself to explore a different variation or approach that sounds better to you. Even if you have to do X, there may be a way to take back SOME control by adjusting.

Our culture imposes enough on us, so there’s no need to impose even more specificity on ourselves! If you’re able to find a new approach, then it will help you feel like you have a little more autonomy over the task (and your life!).

If you feel unmotivated to do something, it doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with you, it just means there is room for experimentation and/or adjustment!

I witnessed an example of this in action when my software-developer partner took a new job outside of software development (coding).

He loves coding, but the constant deadlines to push out new code in his previous job removed the “autonomy” factor, so coding became less enjoyable. He didn’t feel motivated to do it in the same way he had in the past. However, the minute he moved to another job that didn’t require coding, he started coding for fun after work. And he contributes to open-source code DAILY.

By adjusting, he improved the autonomy factor for coding and he became intrinsically motivated to code (because he now can freely choose to do so when, where, and how he wants to.) I admire his ability to recognize that something could be better, and how he was brave enough to adjust and advance his career. This is a step many people are not brave enough to take.

Luckily, our adjustments don’t always need to be as big as moving to a whole new job. In fact, the adjustments can be far more minor and subtle.

As long as they help you feel like you have a little bit more control over “how” you do things, they have potential to improve intrinsic motivation.

I’m learning from my partner right now, because I’ve noticed I have also been lacking in the autonomy department in relation to writing for my blog. My intrinsic motivation to write has decreased over time in part because I’ve attempted to impose deadlines on myself for two years.

So to follow the science of motivation, I’m adjusting by removing my schedule entirely.

Instead of aiming to post once a week, or once every two weeks, I’m going to just write when I feel inspired, and post when something feels complete.

I don’t know how often this means I will post, but I know it will allow me to enjoy writing more than I have been. My hope is that by making this adjustment, the writing I share will be of higher quality and better reflect what’s on my heart throughout the seasons of my life.

Even as I write this I’m feeling more excited to write without the pressure.

Thank you to my partner, Bradley, for encouraging me to make this adjustment, and thank you to all of you for sticking with me thus far, reading along, and sharing how much my writing has impacted you. Your feedback means the world and adds much light to my life.

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Did this post resonate with you? If so, I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment or send me a message to share your thoughts. For more uplifting content, check out some other posts on my blog, follow me on instagram @morgan_barbret, or sign up for the Self Love Atlas Newsletter!

Cheers, 

Morgan Rita Barbret

If you’re interested in improving your own intrinsic motivation.

Check out Motivation Bingo, a game I created for refueling your energy and motivation using findings from Self-Determination theory.

Or, if you’re interested in working together 1:1, sign up for a free Kickstart Call.