The World has arrived at a period which renders it the part of Wisdom to pay homage to the prospective precedents of the Future in preference to those of the Past. The Past is dead, and has no resurrection; but the Future is endowed with such a life, that it lives to us even in anticipation. The Past is, in many things, the foe of mankind; the Future is, in all things, our friend. In the Past is no hope; the Future is both hope and fruition. The Past is the textbook of tyrants; the Future the Bible of the Free. Those who are solely governed by the Past stand like Lot’s wife, crystallized in the act of looking backward, and forever incapable of looking before. Competition and achievement are highly valued in Western culture. In less industrialized nations, the desire to achieve may be low. Some of your friends are more interested than others in success, money, possessions, status, love, approval, grades, dominance, power, or belonging to groups. In each case, we are referring to differences in social motives or goals. Social motives are acquired in complex ways through socialization and cultural conditioning. The behavior of outstanding artists, scientists, athletes, educators, musicians, and leaders is best understood in terms of such learned needs—particularly the need for achievement.

To many people, being motivated means being interested in achievement. The need for achievement can be defined as a desire to meet some internalized standard of excellence. The person with high needs for achievement strives to do well in any situation, in which evaluation takes place.  Human reason, fortitude, and perseverance, are adequate to the accomplishment of anything upon Earth. Is that like the aggressive businessperson who strives for success?   Not necessarily. Needs for achievement may lead to wealth and prestige, but a person who is a high achiever in art, music, science, or amateur athletics may strive for excellence without seeking riches. The need for achievement differs from a need for power, which is a desire to have impact or control over others. People with strong needs for power want their importance to be visible: they buy expensive possessions, wear prestigious clothes, and exploit relationships. In some ways, the pursuit of power and wealth is the dark side of the American dream. People whose main goal in life is to make a lot of money tend to be poorly adjusted and unhappy.

Many people believe in working out their bodies, in the New Year, but what about the mind? Self-confidence is an important source of motivation in everyday life. A person with self-confidence believes that he or she can successfully reach a goal or carry out an activity, That is why self-confidence affects motivation: it influences the challenges you will attempt, the effort you will expend, and how long you persist when things do not go well. To increase self-confidence, it is wise to do the following: you need to set goals that are specific and challenging, but attainable. Advance in small steps. When you first acquire a skill, your goals should be to make progress in learning. Later, you can concentrate on improving your performance, compared with other people. Get expert instruction to help you mater the skill. Find a skilled model (someone good at the skill) to emulate. Get support and encouragement from an observer. If you fail, regard it as a sign that you need to try harder, not that you lack ability. Some people look at living as hard work. Others think life is full of pleasure and dream of success. When you carry out an activity for enjoyment, to show your ability, or to gain skill, your motivation is usually intrinsic. Intrinsic motivation occurs when there is no obvious external reward or ulterior purpose behind your actions. The activity is enjoyed as an end in itself. Intrinsic motivation is closely related to the higher levels of self-actualization. In contrast, extrinsic motivation stems from obvious external factors, such as pay, grades, rewards, obligations, and approval. Most of the activities we think of as work are extrinsically rewarded.

People are more likely to be creative when they are intrinsically motivated. On the job, for instance, salaries and bonuses may increase the amount of work done. However, work quality is tied more to intrinsic factors, such as self-interest, freedom to choose, and useful feedback. Intrinsic motivation also promotes person involvement in a task. This, in turn, tends to lead to greater creativity. The following, however, are considered to be creativity killers on the job: working under surveillance, having your choices restricted by rules, working primarily to get good evaluation (or avoid a bad one), working mainly to get money. When a person is intrinsically motivated, a certain amount of challenge, surprise, and complexity makes a task rewarding. When extrinsic motivation is stressed, complexity, surprise, and challenge just become barriers to each a goal. A person who is extrinsically motivated wants to take the fastest, most direct route to a goal. Typically, this undermines creativity. How can the concept of intrinsic motivation be applied? Motivation cannot always be intrinsic. Nor should it be. Not every worthwhile activity is intrinsically satisfying. In addition, extrinsic motivation is often needed to develop enough skill or knowledge to make an activity intrinsically rewarding. This can be observed in learning to read, to play a musical instruments, or enjoy a sport.

So, both types of motivation are necessary. However, extrinsic motivation should not be overused. If there is no intrinsic interest in an activity to begin with, you have nothing to lose by  using extrinsic rewards; if basic skills are lacking, extrinsic rewards may be necessary at first; extrinsic rewards may be necessary at first;  if extrinsic reward are used, they should be small and faded out as soon as possible. It also helps to tell people that they are good at whatever activity you are rewarding. As a reminder, intrinsic motivation is motivation that comes from within, rather than from external rewards; motivation based on personal enjoyment of a task or activity. Extrinsic motivation is motivation based on obvious external rewards, obligations or similar factors. By following these guidelines, you can avoid taking spontaneous interest and satisfaction out of motivation, especially for those learning new skills.  There are times when you cannot understand why you cannot do what you want to do. When God brings a time of waiting and appears to be unresponsive, do not fill it with busyness; just wait. The time of waiting may come to teach you the meaning of sanctification—to be set apart from sin and made righteous—or it may come after the process of sanctification has begun to teach you what service means. Never run before God gives you His direction. The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.