To achieve our goals, we all need motivation for us to push through the hardships and obstacles. It has been found that different types of motivation are needed depending on where we are in pursuing our goals.
Firstly, at the start of our journey, ‘promotional motivation’ is being made use of to achieve our goals. “Promotion motivation” means that we place a focus on our hopes and aspirations and think of the positive things that we are able to attain if we succeed in chasing after our goals. By thinking of the results or skills that will be able to benefit us, it motivates us to come up with approach-oriented “eager” strategies in the pursuit of our goals.
However, the type of motivation we use tends to shift from “promotional” to defensive. Instead of thinking of the benefits we may reap, we tend to think of what we may lose or experience negatively if we do not reach our goals. Here, we make use of “preventive motivation” and adopt avoidance-oriented “vigilant” strategies in the pursuit of these goals.
With that being said, the golden advice will be, at the start of a journey towards our goal, focus on the positive benefits that you may reap when these goals are reached!
Category(s):Life Purpose / Meaning / Inner-Guidance
Source material from Psyblog
