Self-development motivation: what it is and how to energize yourself for success

The article explains:

1. The importance of motivation for self-development
2. 2 types of self-development motives
3. Types of self-development and motivators
4. Methods for diagnosing motivation for self-development
5. Checklist for self-development and motivation
6. TOP 7 best books for self-development
7. Films about self-development
8. Favorite activity as motivation for self-development
9. A valuable reminder for those who decide to take the path of self-development

Motivation for self-development is what encourages us to move forward not only in the external world, but also in the internal. If you don’t have the force pushing you towards your goal, you may find yourself lying on your bed, in apathy from morning to evening and losing the meaning of life. There is little pleasure in this. What to do?

If you want to ignite the fire of action and determination within yourself, read our article. In it we explained what motivation is, what types it comes in, and what exactly causes it. With this information, you can start changing your life today.

The importance of motivation for self-development

A person inevitably goes through transformations. This happens to everyone at the subconscious level, even among those people who did not have such a goal.

Personality self-changes at the subconscious level are inevitable due to the peculiarities of the functioning of the brain. Some actions of an individual or environment, life attitudes, events lead to the fact that the nervous system begins to activate the body’s defense mechanisms (sublimation, projection, rationalization, etc.). Transformations can also be caused by consequences of habits, beliefs, values, etc.

The greatest value is personal growth or self-development of a person. These are conscious actions that have a specific goal and are aimed at achieving a certain result. Researchers are still working on the issue of identifying factors that influence the area of ​​personal self-development.

Thus, the basis for purposeful transformation of personality is the motivation of self-development. This is the main concept in setting and choosing goals, making decisions, discipline and regular actions aimed at obtaining the desired result. Only through self-motivation can a person correct actions and is capable of self-control and self-support.

Self-motivation means motivating oneself to achieve goals using both one’s own motives and internalized ones (come from others).

There may be several mechanisms of self-motivation. However, a formed personality has only 1-2 main mechanisms. They must be acceptable for both intrapersonal and general social cases.

The concept of “self-motivation style” is distinguished. It is a set of specific processes with certain characteristics that motivate activity. This includes both the presence of certain motives for action and their presentation to society.

Motive for identification with another person

Some people have their own idols, heroes, or simply individuals who are especially authoritative for them (mother, teacher). The desire to be like one of these individuals is a strong motive for self-development. It is especially common in teenagers. They copy certain qualities of their hero, behavior pattern, conversation or style. The desire to be like your idol inspires a person to change. This gives strength, the desire to work on oneself and take action. It also helps you become bolder.

Methods for diagnosing motivation for self-development

Psychology has developed dozens of techniques with which you can test your level of motivation and self-regulation. This information will help you learn more about yourself, as well as outline ways for further internal changes.

The names of the methods are presented below:

1. Social and psychological attitudes of the individual (Potemkina)

2. Terminal Values ​​Questionnaire, OTeC

3. Morphological test of life values, MTLC

4. Affiliation Motives Test, MAFF (Mehrabian)

5. Achievement Motivation Test, TMD/MATS (Mehrabian)

6. Assessing the level of aspirations (Gerbachevsky)

7. Motivation for success and fear of failure, MUN

External motives

There are so-called external motives. When a person is motivated to action not by the activity itself, but by the result. These include the following motives:

• The desire to gain recognition and approval from people;
• The desire to obtain high social status and prestige;
• The motive is to avoid problems or punishment. In this case, the person performs certain actions in order not to be punished or to avoid trouble;

Such motives are temporary; they help to accomplish only certain short-term tasks. But they are useful as experience.

Checklist for self-development

• Clearly define your standard of living. What's most important right now? What goal should you strive for?
• Answer honestly the question of what needs to be done in all areas of life. Make a list of what you want to achieve in your career, relationships, social causes. Where do you see yourself in 1-2 years, 5-10 years?
• Analyze your skills, abilities, knowledge. In what areas are there knowledge gaps, what skills do you need to acquire to achieve your goals? Let the movement not be fast, but constant.

Power motive

One of the main motives is the motive of power. This is a powerful driving force if a person strives to influence people and lead them.

All people holding leadership positions have discovered the ability to overcome difficulties and make enormous efforts to solve important problems. It was precisely the motive of power, that is, the desire to lead, that prompted them to act. This motive is very powerful, but in this case a person does not work for the sake of self-development and knowledge, but only in order to influence other people. Such motivation does not benefit either the individual or society.

TOP 7 best books for self-development

1. Spencer Johnson - "Where's My Cheese?"

The work was included in The New York Times best-selling books list. This is not about mastery of cooking. Spencer Johnson, the author of the book, and at the same time a doctor, management consultant, disguises his life goals under cheese: from material wealth to love.

2. Mark Manson - “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Paradoxical Way to Live Happily”

The book is literally imbued with the spirit of pragmatism. The author, popular blogger Mark Manson, teaches how important it is to preserve your true self and at the same time achieve those goals that are of paramount importance to you.

3. Stephen Covey - “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”

The book is recognized as a classic among works dedicated to motivation and self-development. Its circulation is more than 25 million copies. The essence of Covey's work comes down to the transformation of the internal qualities of the individual in order to obtain new positive habits and, as a result, the transition to a new level of life.

4. Timothy Ferris - “Tools of Giants. Secrets of success, techniques for increasing productivity and healthy habits"

World-famous blogger Tim Ferriss interviewed several of the most famous and most successful people in their field: athletes, actors, businessmen, etc. He tried to identify the factors that helped these people become the best in their field.

3 steps towards limitless possibilities!

5. Henry Cloud and John Townsend - "Barriers"

A guide to setting personal boundaries in the new digital world. The book teaches you to develop reasonable boundaries in communicating with your family, children, colleagues, loved ones and, most of all, with yourself.

6. Lewis House - “How to become a legend. Live more fully, love with all your heart and leave a mark on the earth."

The author of the book was a former promising American Arena League football player. Unfortunately, he received an injury that was incompatible with his sports career. House did not lose his zest for life and found a new business for himself, which led him to success.

7. Daniel Pink - “Drive. What really motivates us?

The author of the book, Daniel Pink, proves the fact that a person receives motivation from a variety of sources. However, the highest level of productivity comes from a clear sense of self, understanding who you are and what your purpose is.

Problems of self-realization

Famous psychologists, philosophers, and social scientists have devoted their works to issues of personal fulfillment. Aristotle wrote that the highest happiness can only be achieved through the realization of innate and developed talents.

Maslow spent a lot of time studying aspects of self-actualization. The scientist argued that the need for self-realization and expression of the inner world is located at the top of the pyramid of personal needs. This is a difficult task, because initially it is necessary to overcome physiological needs, feel safe, understand social factors - find friends, love.

According to statistics, only 4% of people can reach the top of the pyramid of needs. Self-realization of an individual in society by 40% allows a person to feel like a happy and full-fledged person.

There is no doubt about the statement that the most important component of a full, harmonious, happy life is the opportunity to use all creative and professional potential.

As a rule, on the path of self-knowledge and development, a person often experiences problems of a psychological nature - a discrepancy between intellectual and energy potential, level of skills and the degree of realization of experience in the real world. Self-realization of an individual in society and in relationships can be difficult for certain reasons:

• living in an unfavorable geographical area;
• physical limitations - poor vision or hearing.

It is important! The discrepancy between aspirations for self-realization and the true capabilities of the individual can lead to pathological deviations in the psyche.

Psychologists identify the main stress factor – the cessation of the prospect of realizing one’s own talents and skills. For example, a promising athlete who was involved in an accident uses a wheelchair. This state of affairs does not allow a person to fully demonstrate his abilities. This will inevitably lead to depression in the future.

Another example is the termination of funding for a successful scientific project. In this regard, professional self-realization of a scientist is impossible.

Every woman experiences the need for self-realization as a mother. The inability to realize one’s direct destiny against the backdrop of constant loneliness transforms into alcohol addiction.

Favorite activity as motivation for self-development

The best motivation for professional self-development is doing what you love. Only in what brings pleasure and joy can you get incredible results. When the goal ignites, a person does not feel any obstacles, and fears seem to fade into the background.

Imagine a person who loves sports. Not because you can make a lot of money in it. He is ready to do it because he likes the process. In this case, success is inevitable.

When a person truly does what he loves, he receives inner satisfaction and a feeling of happiness.

So, any kind of hobby can be turned into a life’s work.

Self-development motivation is a strong character trait. Often we lose incentive and stop. But over time, it becomes clear that the successes achieved in the past are not the limit. You need to constantly improve yourself, because this process is endless. And my favorite thing on this path is a wonderful companion, engine and assistant.

Self-affirmation motive

If you feel that prestige and a certain status in society are very important to you, then this is an excellent motivation for self-development for you.

If you have such character traits as pride and self-esteem, then you need recognition in society. The desire and desire for self-affirmation, high status, for a positive assessment of one’s personality from others, respect is a significant motivational factor. He encourages you to work hard and actively develop.

Practical recommendations

1. First of all, you need to competently and realistically assess your own talents and abilities. To do this, psychologists recommend taking a sheet of paper, creating a calm, relaxing environment and writing down the qualities and hobbies that need to be worked on.
2. Honestly and impartially write down all your character traits, regardless of how much they are valued by society.
3. List all the types of activities in which you would like to realize yourself. Think about your dreams, what you wanted to do as a child. As psychologists note, childhood dreams reflect a person’s true personality. Next to each activity, write down the necessary character traits that will help you achieve success. After all, only in activity does self-realization of the individual occur.
4. Compare the lists and this way you will see which type of activity suits you best. At first glance, this method is only suitable for teenagers who have not decided on a profession. However, according to statistics, most adults are not satisfied with their work and would like to change their type of activity. Such dissatisfaction is dictated, first of all, by the inability to correctly identify one’s talents and set life priorities.
5. Many people mistakenly believe that they can only realize themselves in professional activities. However, this is a general misconception. It is necessary to abstract from traditional views and evaluate yourself comprehensively. It is quite possible that a person will be able to express himself while on vacation or while doing his favorite hobby. The main thing is that the process is enjoyable - this is the main sign that the self-realization strategy has been chosen correctly and is successful.

Watch the video - an expert’s opinion on personal self-realization and finding a worthy goal in life.

Dependence of the process on upbringing and immediate environment

Without any doubt, the greatest influence on a person is exerted by the agents of his primary socialization. A child’s personality is formed around the age of five or six years and then it does not change globally, it can only be easily adjusted, or the person will pretend to achieve certain goals.

The formation of personality directly depends on the events occurring in the life of a child up to approximately six years of age. It’s not for nothing that psychologists say that all problems come from childhood. So all the events that happened in childhood bear an indelible imprint on the personality and remain with the person throughout his life.

It is noteworthy that the same events have different effects on different people. This is due to personal qualities and temperaments. Therefore, there are no identical cases and problems.

An example from psychology that will demonstrate both the importance of socialization and the influence of actions on personality development: a mother, due to circumstances or personal beliefs, did not approach the crying baby in the cradle at his first cry. The child felt abandoned and abandoned by everyone. As he grew up, he became extremely sensitive about breaking up with girls, to such an extent that he needed the help of a professional to continue living a full life.

This could only happen to this specific person. For anyone else, the situation described would have affected us differently or not at all. It's impossible to predict for sure.

Therefore, parents never know how certain actions will affect the child and whether they will affect them at all. Of course, certain events such as abuse or violence will leave an indelible mark, but most often it is impossible to predict what and how will affect the child. Often the most ordinary things can have a powerful effect.

Each family chooses its own method of raising a child: in some it is too harsh and tough, in others it is too liberal, and in others it is democratic. This is due to the views of the parents and their personal upbringing.

Of course, no one has the right to tell parents how to raise their own child. But the best method for allowing a child to grow and develop normally is one where parents communicate with him regularly. They explain why something cannot be done, rather than simply prohibiting it.

They tell you what the punishment will be for, and communicate a lot with the child, and also spend time with him doing exciting activities. What is also important is that parents must be consistent. They should not constantly change their minds, and both father and mother should be at the same time, otherwise the child will grow up completely disoriented, lacking any kind of value system, and also quite insecure.

The described education system is desirable for the good development of the child. But, unfortunately, it is not a guarantee or panacea for anything.

Strategies for self-realization

What conditions for self-realization of young people does modern life dictate? First of all, this is the ability to respond to life’s demands, adapt to them, wisely choose and modify self-development strategies, while remaining psychologically and emotionally calm.

Human goals are dynamic and changing quantities. This explains why human self-realization is possible only through activity. At different periods of a person’s life, a person’s social status, priorities, health status and needs change. For example, psychologist Meg Jay believes that the best time for self-realization is the period between twenty and thirty-two years. She explains why in her book: “Important years. Why you shouldn’t put off life until later.” Are you around this age?

Thus, a person chooses a strategy, focusing on goals that are relevant to him. Here you can read about methods for finding a target.

A high school student strives to master a prestigious profession. To do this, he needs to enroll in a higher education institution. His main efforts are focused on acquiring a sufficient amount of knowledge. At this stage, the importance of education for self-realization is higher than other goals and tools.

At the next stage, the young man strives to realize himself in his chosen profession and build a career. In accordance with the set goal, the strategy is modified.

The tools that promote personal self-realization are adjusted when a man decides to start a family and become a father.

Basic conditions for personal self-realization

Professor of the School of Social Ecology Salvatore Madde in his works identified factors that contribute to individual self-realization.

• Freedom as a condition for personal self-realization.
• A feeling of absolute control over your own life.
• The ability to adapt to living conditions.
• Spontaneity in decision making.
• Availability of creative potential.

It is important! One thing is obvious - full-fledged, successful social and creative self-realization of an individual is possible only if there is confidence in one’s own strengths and determination. Only with a certain passion for life, hard work and understanding of the set goal can you become a successful person.

Laws of personality development in psychology

Patterns of personality development are studied by the psychology of personal growth. They also form the basis of educational programs for children and adolescents. Thanks to knowledge of patterns, psychoanalysts better understand clients and help them, guiding them on the path of formation and self-development.

The laws of personality development in psychology include:

• psychological changes occurring in the individual;
• the existing relationship between spheres and directions of development;
• specific features of personality development;
• differences in development over time and other criteria (between peers who may develop faster or slower);
• formation of a person’s own views and beliefs;
• manifestation of certain psychological characteristics (sensitivity);
• processing, study/awareness of different areas of life;
• plasticity of an individual’s development (one personal component can be compensated by another);
• contradictions that arise between a person and the surrounding world;
• constantly progressive personal development.

Driving forces of self-realization

It is clear that creative and professional self-realization requires long and hard work. Often a person needs motivating factors; they need to be looked for among universal human values:

• need for recognition and respect;
• desire to set personal records;
• desire to show intelligence;
• desire to start a family;
• the need to occupy a certain social position.

It is important! Motivating factors are accessible and understandable. The ideals that a person strives for are varied. That is why there are no time limits for achieving your goals. But it is necessary to remember that only in activity does the self-realization of the individual occur.