Motivation is a drive or need that propels us towards our goals and aspirations. It is what drives our actions, behaviours and performances in various areas of life.

What is motivation?

It is an internal process that intiates, guides and sustains our behaviour in order to achieve a particular goal. It is influenced by a number of factors like personal desires, external rewards, social pressures. It has 3 major components that are activation, persistence and intensity. Activation is the initial urge and decision to initiate a behaviour. Persistence is the spontaneous effort to pursue a goal and also overcome the obstacles. Intensity is the degree of energy, effort in pursuing a goal.

Its theories:

It has two main theories that are the Maslow’s hierarchy of Needs and Self-Determination Theory (SDT).

• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Maslow proposes that motivation is driven by a hierarchy of needs. It is in the form of a pyramid with physiological needs at the bottom, safety needs, belonginess, self-esteem and finally at the top is self-actualization. It states that lower needs fulfilment act as a motivation to satisfy higher needs.  
• Self- Determination Theory: SDT proposes that people are motivated to satisfy 3 psychological needs – autonomy, competence and relatedness. Autonomy refers to desire for self-direction. Competence refers to seeking perfection and effectiveness. Relatedness refers to need for social connections and belonging. 

Marshmallow experiment:

This experiment explains the importance of motivation in self-control, goal pursuit and long-term success. It proved that individuals who are motivated and determined are capable of delaying immediate gratification and have a better chance of achieving goals and desired outcomes. In this experiment young children were given a choice between an immediate reward that was a marshmallow or a delayed larger reward that was two marshmallows.

How to remain motivated?

• Set clear goals
• Break your gaols into easier, smaller and achievable tasks
• Find intrinsic motivation
• Celebrate small achievements
• Seek support

Source: (PDF) Revisiting the Marshmallow Test: A Conceptual Replication Investigating Links Between Early Gratification Delay and Later Outcomes (researchgate.net)