Self motivation is the ability to drive oneself to take initiative and action to pursue goals and complete tasks. It’s an inner drive to take action — to create and to achieve. It’s what pushes you to keep going on tasks, especially those you’re pursuing because you want to, not because someone told you to.

When reaching for a big goal, self-motivation plays a key role. But making a change in your life requires persistence, and many of us find it difficult to stay motivated over time.

In order to find motivation, we first need to understand what we’re really talking about.

Motivation is simply the force driving your behavior. It’s the “why” behind everything you do, and the reason you might take up a cause. Everything we do is motivated by some combination of conscious and unconscious need or desire.

When we talk about self-motivation , we are going beyond basic motives. What we mean is the ability to follow through on making a positive change in life — without giving up. Self-motivation requires that you believe in yourself, stay inspired, and keep going despite setbacks.