Rewarding Efforts Lead To Intrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic motivation is the desire to do something for its own sake. With intrinsic motivation, we enjoy the action as its own reward, and we do it without taking money, fortune, or fame into account.

You are intrinsically motivated when you accomplish something because it is personally rewarding to you. You want to do something because of an internal desire.

For example:

• Going for a run every morning because you love the runner’s high and the energy it gives ...

Without realising, our goals often originate from an outside source, such as societal pressure or a promotion at work. This works well in the short term, but only if the external rewards feel satisfying. 

In contrast, asking ourselves a question is more effective