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If you regularly struggle with making choices, you could be living with so-called 'decision fatigue'. Psychologist Stanislava Puač Jovanović explains how to tackle indecisiveness with seven practical techniques, so you can move forward with your life. It’s normal to be indecisive every once in a while, especially if you’re about to make a meaningful, life-changing decision. However, if you find yourself frequently agonising over the most straightforward choice such as picking spaghetti or pizza, there might be something else lurking behind your indecisiveness. I bought my apartment without even seeing it in person. I was simply too psychologically exhausted from unrelated demands and decisions I was making each day. I couldn’t bring myself to ponder over what’s nearby, whether there’s an elevator in the building, and which side of the world the bedroom is facing. So, I went for the first ad I came across that seemed remotely fine and fitted my budget. True story. Luckily, it’s a great apartment, and I didn’t regret it. However, it might have also been one of the worst decisions I had made in years. How is this relevant? When you can’t make decisions (or can’t be bothered to), there is likely to be a hidden reason behind it. The good news is that there are also ways you can overcome it. This article will help you understand indecision, why it happens, and how to try and avoid making bad choices. Struggle with indecisiveness? You could have decision fatigue There are plenty of reasons why a person might be indecisive. Some are related to the decision itself, such as a lack of information. However, many are not. We’ll concentrate on the latter because that are the reasons that could, ironically, make decisions about your life for you. The path to freedom: learn how to be less indecisive Emotional disturbances Indecision could be a symptom of an emotional disturbance. Depression, in particular, is tied with a negative outlook on the future, our own worth, and the intentions and character of others. Additionally, motivation is often non-existent. A depressive person will, therefore, have a hard time making any choice whatsoever – or wanting to make one. RELATED: The time is now: how to stop worrying about the future Indecision can also stem from anxiety. An anxious person might be at an advantage in terms of making sure that they have enough information before deciding on something. However, anxiety (and, similarly, high neuroticism) mostly results in being unable to make up one’s mind beyond any practical reason. It causes overwhelming fear of making the wrong choice and not being capable of coping with it. The dread of hurting, alienating, and disappointing others could also be too much to bear. So, indecision becomes a sort of a defence mechanism. Dysfunctional beliefs We’re all tangled up in a myriad of beliefs about ourselves, others, and the world. Some are accessible to our conscious examination. However, some escape our critical analysis. Those are usually the ones we embraced as a part of ourselves when we were very young and never got to question them again. Dysfunctional beliefs meddle with our career choice, romantic relationships, or any other decision, for that matter. Convictions about how things should be could make us either procrastinate or, on the other hand, make rash decisions. Perfectionism is a textbook example of a creed that often causes severe indecisiveness. “There are plenty of reasons why a person might struggle with indecisiveness. Some are related to the decision itself, such as a lack of information. However, many are not.” Nowadays, we have more options than ever before in human history. We get to pick (or be a part of the decision about) almost every aspect of our day-to-day living. In fact, researchers at Cornell University found that we are making an average of 35,000 remotely conscious decisions each day. That’s a lot of opportunities to get it wrong. And it’s exhausting. With this, we reach an interesting source of wavering or being paralysed when we stand facing a decision. When we are indecisive, we might be ego-depleted. According to Roy Baumeister, a social psychologist who extensively examined this phenomenon, our willpower comes in limited supply. With each choice we make, we drain a bit of this resource. Bear in mind that we’re not only making choices between different meals, careers, or towns to live in. We are, daily, also choosing to suppress our basic, low-lying urges. We decide to replace them with higher-order, more responsible choices favouring long-term benefit. Yet, as a result, we end up experiencing decision fatigue. We then tend to procrastinate, go for the easiest option, act impulsively, or rely on rules of thumb. Can’t make decisions? Here are 7 strategies that work The consequences of being indecisive often go beyond missing a train because you weren’t sure if you wanted to go left or right. They stretch much further and can cause innumerable trouble. Indecision could make you act irrationally. Your career, personal relationships, health, and your overall well-being could suffer. So, discover these seven tried and tested ways you can overcome indecision and avoid its adverse consequences. 1. Make important decisions early in the day Decision fatigue usually happens at the end of a decision-riddled day. You probably know the horror of deciding what to have for dinner after you’ve spent ten hours at work, making critical judgments. Now, a dinner choice is a relatively insignificant matter. However, if it were the ruling on whether to move, marry, or change a career, decision fatigue could, potentially, mess up your life. So, make sure that you leave the (expected) significant decision-making for the morning, when you’re rested and clear-minded. 2. Routinize the banal choices Some of the most successful people have a curious habit. You might have noticed that Obama, Zuckerberg, or Steve Jobs wear (wore) pretty much the same clothes. They've all explained that they need not waste their time and energy on deciding what to eat or wear every day. So, take a page out of their book. Routinise the unimportant decisions as much as you can. Commit time to make healthy choices just once, such as which food you’ll eat, what clothes you’ll wear and when you’ll exercise. Then make them a routine. That way, you leave plenty of willpower and psychological energy for the important and less routine decisions. Can't decide? Go with your gut! shutterstock/Taisiya Kozorez 3.Don’t make decisions on an empty stomach It may sound odd, but there’s scientific proof of this old decision-making wisdom: don’t make big decisions on an empty stomach. The appetite-increasing hormone ghrelin can hinder your ability to make a right call. Findings from several experiments revealed that we’re better equipped to make (proper) decisions when we’re not low on glucose levels. Simply put, with every decision we make, we use some of our energy. And it needs to be replenished if you want to make judgements with your full capacity. 4. Pros and cons lists and other tools A tested way of analysing your options is to make a pros and cons list. It’s a simple but effective means of taking control of the chaos in your mind when facing a decision. It’s also an excellent way to make sure you’ve covered it all and get rid of the anxiety. In addition to this technique, you can also utilise other tools, such as SWOT analysis, or journaling, to address the unhelpful beliefs you may have. 5. Go with your gut Even though it might sound irrational, intuition may, in some cases, be your go-to method of making a choice. Intuition, as a psychological construct, is nothing ethereal or mystical. It’s also not to be confused with impulsiveness, which is guided by an urge for immediate satisfaction of emotional or other needs. Intuition is based on expertise and can be a great way of making decisions when speed is crucial, such as in business or healthcare. “Recognize that some decisions you will make may not work out, and that's OK. You will manage. Get support when you need it – and keep moving forward.” 6. The 10/10/10 rule The 10/10/10 rule, proposed by Suzy Welch, a business writer, is a fast and effective tool to use when you need to put your decision into perspective. So, when you can’t tell if your decision is the right one, simply ask yourself these three simple but insight-evoking questions: How will I feel about it 10 minutes from now? How about 10 months from now? How about 10 years from now? Your answers should help you get a feel for making a well-informed choice. 7. Face your fears and move forward Yes, life is daunting. And yes, we’re often burdened with unhelpful beliefs about it. However, most of our concerns are irrational. And we also have a much greater capacity to overcome problems than we realise. So, recognize that some decisions you make may not work out, and that's OK. You will manage. Get support when you need it – and keep moving forward. Decide not to be indecisive Indecision doesn’t merely affect you before the decision is made. It was found to cause post-decision dysfunctional behaviour, such as worry, as well. In other words, the effects of being indecisive don’t end with you picking an option. It can linger with you much longer than that. You might also get used to giving the power to others, or become a conformist, which are rarely optimal options. Break free from indecisiveness and its influence on your life. Start by making this resolution – not to be indecisive anymore! ● Main image: shutterstock/fran–kies Written by Stanislava Puač Jovanović Stanislava Puač Jovanović has a master’s degree in psychology and works as a freelance writer and researcher in this area. During her early career, she gained several certifications (life coach, assertive communication trainer, peer educator, fitness instructor). Her primary focus is on questions relating to mental health, stress-management, self-development and well-being.

Der erste Test über die typischen Ursachen für Stress bei der Arbeit gab uns einen Überblick über die verschiedenen Aspekte, die unsere Zufriedenheit bei der Arbeit beeinflussen. Heute geht es vor allem darum, unsere Arbeitsmotivation zu messen. Also darum die Testergebnisse beim "Motivation bei der Arbeit"-Test besser verstehen und einordnen zu können. Was bedeutet Motivation? Motivation kommt einerseits aus uns selbst, andererseits von einem externen Antrieb, also einem Ziel das wir vor Augen haben. Interne und externe Motive aktivieren das Bestreben, uns beständig für einen Job, eine Rolle oder ein Thema zu interessieren oder sie geben uns die Energie uns für ein Ziel einzusetzen. Motivation bei der Arbeit ist der wichtigste Prädiktor für Erfolg. Je länger man in einem Beruf bzw. in der Karriere steckst, desto weniger wichtig werden die angeborene Fähigkeiten (z.B. die Intelligenz), und desto wichtiger wird die (Eigen-)Motivation. Eine hohe Motivation garantiert eine hervorragende Vorbereitung, die wiederum maximale Leistung und Ergebnisse gewährleistet. [2] Wie entsteht Motivation? Die Motivation ergibt sich aus dem Zusammenspiel bewusster und unbewusster Faktoren wie der Intensität des Begehrens oder Bedürfnisses, des Anreizes bzw. des Belohnungswerts des Ziels und unseren eigenen Erwartungen und denen unseres Umfeldes. Diese Faktoren beeinflussen direkt unser Verhalten. [3] Um zu verstehen, was unsere Motivation beeinflusst, schauen wir uns die Selbstbestimmungstheorie und die verschiedenen Aspekte der Motivation genauer an. Falls du es noch nicht getan hast: Jetzt ist ein guter Zeitpunkt, um den Fragebogen zur Motivation bei der Arbeit auszufüllen. Es dauert keine fünf Minuten. So findest du heraus, was dich wirklich motiviert und was du tun kannst, um Hindernisse aus dem Weg zu räumen und dein volles Potential zu nutzen. "Motivation bei der Arbeit"-Test Self-Determination Theory Die Selbstbestimmungstheorie (Self-Determination Theory bzw. SDT; Ryan und Deci 2000) ist eine Metatheorie, die die psychologischen Faktoren definiert, die für optimale Motivation, Engagement und Wohlbefinden erforderlich sind. Sie befasst sich mit der Interaktion des Einzelnen mit dem sozialen und damit dem Arbeitsumfeld und hängt von diesem ab. SDT basiert auf der grundlegenden humanistischen Annahme, dass sich Individuen auf natürliche und aktive Weise an Wachstum und Selbstorganisation orientieren. In der SDT sind die psychologischen Grundbedürfnisse nach Kompetenz, Autonomie und Verbundenheit und ihre unverzichtbare Rolle für die selbstbestimmte Motivation, das Wohlbefinden, Glück und das Wachstum die zentralen Aspekte. Wir sind ständig in eine dynamische Interaktion mit der sozialen Welt involviert. Wir streben gleichzeitig nach unseren Bedürfnissen, sowie Befriedigung und reagieren dabei auf die Bedingungen der Umwelt, die dieses Bestreben entweder unterstützen oder vereiteln. Infolge dieses Zusammenspiels zwischen Mensch und Umwelt steigern sich Engagement, Neugier und Verbundenheit oder wir werden demotiviert, ineffektiv und distanziert. [7] Werfen wir einen Blick auf die drei Aspekte von SDT, mit denen sich unser Fragebogen konzentriert: Kompetenz - das Bedürfnis, nach effektiven Interaktionen mit der Umwelt Dieser Bedürfnis betrifft unsere Leistungen, Wissen und Fähigkeiten. Wir wollen unsere Kompetenz ausbauen und Aufgaben, die für uns wichtig sind, zunehmen besser beherrschen. Autonomie - das Bedürfnis, sich frei und selbstbestimmt zu fühlen und Bestätigung zu erfahren Wir wollen spüren, dass wir unser Schicksal selbst bestimmen. Wir brauchen zumindest eine gewisse Kontrolle über unser Leben. Vor allem müssen wir ein Gefühl von Freiheit und über unser Verhalten zu haben. Verbundenheit - das Bedürfnis nach sinnstiftender Nähe und Zugehörigkeit Wir müssen ein Gefühl der Zugehörigkeit, Freundschaft und Verbundenheit mit anderen haben. Die Zugehörigkeit schafft Nähe und Vertrauen. Jeder von uns braucht bis zu einem gewissen Grad andere Menschen.[7][8] Diese drei Faktoren haben großen Einfluss auf die Motivation bei der Arbeit. Wir können nun die verschiedenen Aspekte der Motivation durch die Linse unserer individuellen Antworten im Fragebogen zur Motivation bei der Arbeit betrachten. Verschiedene Aspekte der Motivation Es gibt mehrere Bereiche, in denen wir bei der Betrachtung von Motivation aufschlussreiche Unterscheidungen treffen können, z. B. negative und positive Motivation, extrinsische und intrinsische Motivationen und Bestrebungen, Autonome und kontrollierte Motivation. Sie alle werden von den oben genannten drei Schlüsselfaktoren der SDT (Kompetenz, Autonomie, Verbundenheit) beeinflusst.Im Fragebogen haben wir uns auf den Grad der Erfüllung dieser drei Faktoren konzentriert. Negative und positive Motivation Die zwei Pole sind Drohungen/Strafen (negativ) und Belohnungen/ Zufriedenheit/ Spaß an der Arbeit (positiv). Beide Pole können eine starke Mitarbeiter*innen-Motivation sein, doch das Wohlbefinden, die Selbstbestimmung und die Arbeitsfreude machen dich sehr viel glücklicher. Die beiden Pole hier sind Drohungen / Bestrafung (negative Motivation) versus positive Motivation, wie Belohnungen / Zufriedenheit / Spaß. Denk einen Moment an Situationen, in denen du positiv oder negativ motiviert warst. Beide Pole können sehr stark motivieren. Entsteht positive Eigenmotivation allerdings vor dem Hintergrund von Wohlbefinden, Selbstentwicklung und Glück ist sie viel befriedigender. Extrinsische und intrinsische Motivation „Die Beziehung zwischen intrinsischer und extrinsischer Motivation: Dinge tun, weil wir sie gerne tun [intrinsisch] oder etwas für eine angebotene Belohnung tun. [extrinsisch]“ [1] Beispiele für extrinsische Motivation sind Bewertungssysteme, Mitarbeiter*innen-Bewertungen, Auszeichnungen sowie der Respekt und die Bewunderung anderer. Im Gegensatz dazu entsteht die intrinsische Motivation aus uns selbst heraus. Sie kommt aus unseren persönlichen Werten, Interesse und unserem moralischen Verständnis. Extrinsisches und intrinsisches Streben Die Unterscheidung zwischen extrinsischem und intrinsischem Streben (Lebenszielen) ist der oben erwähnten Motivation ziemlich ähnlich. Bestrebungen sind langfristige Ziele, die unser Tun leiten, und sie lassen sich in zwei Kategorien einteilen: extrinsisches Streben wie Wohlstand, Ruhm und Attraktivität intrinsisches Streben wie Zugehörigkeit, persönliche Entwicklung, Fortbestand der Menschheit Es gab mehrere Studien zu diesem Thema, in denen intrinsische Ziele mit mehr Gesundheit, Wohlbefinden und Leistung verbunden sind. [5][6] Das Problem bei extrinsischen Motiven und Streben besteht darin, dass wir entscheidende Faktoren, die unsere Arbeitsleistung beeinflussen (wie z.B. Kreativität) nicht bewusst steuern können. Dan Ariely (Kognitive Psychologie (PhD) Business Administration (PhD)) erklärt dies am Beispiel eines größeren Bonus für eine bessere Leistung. Der Bonus ist ein extern-positiver Motivator, birgt aber auch Probleme: „Wenn ich Ihnen einen größeren Bonus zum Springen gebe, werden Sie öfter springen“, sagt Ariely. „Sie haben eine sehr gute Kontrolle über Ihre Beine. Wenn ich Ihnen mehr Geld gebe, werden Sie mehr Kraft in Ihre Beine übertragen, und deshalb werden Sie erfolgreicher sein. Wir haben nicht die gleiche Kontrolle über Gedächtnis, Kreativität und Konzentration. Sie können diese Soft Skills nicht ebenso bewusst steuern. Es ist kontraproduktiv und behindert Ihre Leistung stark." [1] Mitarbeiter*innen motivieren ist ein komplexes Gebiet. Selbst wenn ein extern-positiver Motivator wie ein Bonus uns zunächst positiv motiviert, ist er keine Garantie für eine bessere Performance. Es ist nicht überraschend, dass es mit einem negativen Motivator wie der Angst den Job zu verlieren, noch weniger funktioniert. Schauen wir uns die intrinsischen Motivation und Streben an. Die negativen Motivatoren, wie die Angst vor dem Scheitern oder das Gefühl der Unzulänglichkeit, sind es wert, im Interesse unserer persönlichen Entwicklung und Stressbewältigung angesprochen zu werden. Wenn wir von Angst getrieben handeln oder uns "nicht gut genug" fühlen, können wir härter arbeiten, aber auf lange Sicht ist dies nicht nachhaltig und hält uns von persönlichem Wachstum ab und davon, unser bestes Leben zu führen. Wie wir in der obigen Definition gelernt haben, bedeutet intrinsische Motivation, dass wir Dinge tun, weil wir sie gerne selbst tun. Intrinsisch-positive Motivation kommt von einem Ort der Stärke, Sicherheit und des (Selbst-/)Werts. Daher ist es die beste Form der Motivation, nicht nur in Bezug auf unsere Produktivität bei der Arbeit, sondern auch für unser allgemeines Wohlbefinden und unsere persönliche Entwicklung. Die intrinsische und extrinsische Motivation tauchen seltener in Extremformen auf. Zur Verdeutlichung hilft es jedoch, zuerst die beiden Pole zu betrachten. Das Meiste spielt sich im Bereich dazwischen ab. Eigenmotivation und kontrollierte Motivation Bei der Selbst- oder Eigenmotivation kommt der Antrieb aus internen Quellen und umfasst zudem die extrinsischen Motive der Personen, die einer Tätigkeit einen Wert zuschreiben und sich mit ihr identifizieren. Der Chart stellt diese Motivation in Grün dar. Die kontrollierte Motivation entsteht durch externe Regeln, sei es durch Belohnungen oder die Angst vor Strafen. Auf der anderen Seite ist introjektierte Regulierung die Motivation von „teilweise verinnerlichten Aktivitäten und Werten“ wie Scham vermeiden, der Wunsch nach Bestätigung und der Schutz des Egos. Menschen passen sich an ihre Umgebung und ihren Grad an Selbstbestimmung in verschiedensten Kontexten an und orientieren sich daran. Autonomie und das, was wir als autonome Entscheidungen und Selbstbestimmung wahrnehmen, spielen eine wichtige Rolle: Autonome Motivation: Alle drei Grundbedürfnisse - Kompetenz, Autonomie und Verbundenheit - werden erfüllt. Kontrollierte Motivation: Kompetenz und Verbundenheit sind einigermaßen zufrieden gestellt. Sie lassen jedoch keine Autonomie/Selbstbestimmung zu. Die intrinsische Motivation, der innere Antrieb, unterliegt internen und äußeren Einflüssen. Der Kontext - einschließlich externer Kräfte (z. B. Fristen), zwischenmenschlicher Klimazonen (z. B. Lob, Unterweisung, Betriebsklima) und interner Ereignisse (z. B. Ich-Beteiligung*, Gefühle) - beeinflusst die intrinsische Motivation in Abhängigkeit von dem Grad, in dem sie erfüllt werden. Hier können wir zwischen fünf verschiedenen Regulierungsstilen unterscheiden, die tief in den drei Schlüsselfaktoren Autonomie, Kompetenz und Verbundenheit verwurzelt sind, wobei Autonomie eine zentrale Rolle spielt. Während die Erfüllung dieser Bedürfnisse eine Quelle der Motivation ist, ist der Mangel daran eine Quelle von Stress, Unzufriedenheit und Frustration bei der Arbeit. Der "Motivation bei der Arbeit"-Test erfasst, inwieweit diese Grundbedürfnisse bei der Arbeit bei dir erfüllt werden, und ermittelt Bereiche, die angegangen und verbessert werden müssen. Teile dein Test Ergebnis und deine Erfahrung im happiness Forum Wie hoch war dein SDT-Test-Gesamtergebnis und wie passt es zu deiner Selbsteinschätzung? Wie sind die Ergebnisse bei den drei Hauptfaktoren? Bist du auf einem Gebiet besonders weit und brauchst dafür bei einem anderen etwas Nachhilfe? Welcher Bereich liegt dir am meisten – und warum ist das so? Welche Bereiche sollten verbessert werden und welche konkreten Maßnahmen könnten dabei helfen? Wie sehen deine nächsten Schritte aus? Photos by Stephen Leonardi, Thao Le Hoang, Ian Schneider Quellen *Gesamtheit der Motive, Gefühle und Einstellungen, mit denen ein Individuum seine eigene Rolle und seinen eigenen Status in Bezie­hung zu anderen setzt. http://www.wirtschaftslexikon24.com/e/ego-involvement/ego-involvement.htm (14/10/2020) [1] https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20120509-is-it-all-about-the-money (07/06/2020) [2] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-power-prime/201201/personal-growth-motivation-the-drive-change (12/06/2020) [3] http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/motivation.html (28/06/2020) [4] https://courses.edx.org/courses/course-v1:BerkeleyX+GG202x+1T2020/course/ (29/05/2020) [5] http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.90.1443&rep=rep1&type=pdf (29/05/2020) [6] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317690916_Self-Determination_Theory (22/05/2020) [7] https://positivepsychology.com/self-determination-theory/(28/06/2020) https://www.haufe-akademie.de/perspektiven/motivation/ (29/09/2020) https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivation (29/09/2020) https://wpgs.de/fachtexte/motivation/mitarbeitermotivation-messen/ (29/05/2020) Geschrieben von Tine Steiss Tine ist Teil des happiness.com Teams. Sie ist Künstlerin, Medieningenieurin, MBSR und Meditationslehrerin. Wenn sie nicht an neuen Ideen tüftelt, verwandelt sie ihre Dachterrasse in einen paradiesischen Garten. Erfahre mehr über Tine auf herrberta.art oder in der happiness Community.

Find trouble getting motivated or sticking to your goals? By using the SMART technique, you can focus harder says Dee Marques. And if you combine it with neuro-linguistic programming, all the better. Goal setting and achieving goals is an integral part of personal development and self-growth. But have you ever wondered why some people seem to accomplish virtually everything they set out to do, while others struggle? Some research studies have found that only eight percent of goal setters succeed, so is there any secret to being part of that eight percent? While there's no magic recipe to ensure you achieve your goals easily, being systematic and aligning all your resources are some of the most important things you can do. Read on to learn how to optimize the goal setting process using SMART criteria and NLP techniques side by side. The basics of SMART goals The idea behind SMART goal setting was first developed in the 1980s and was inspired by the writings of management consultant Peter Drucker, a well-known authority in the field of strategic management. SMART is an acronym that stands for: SPECIFIC One of the main reasons why many people fail to accomplish their goals is because they are too vague. Goals are usually formulated in general terms, such as “I want to be better at my job” (but at which aspects of your job exactly?), or “I want to be more patient” (in which situations?). SMART goals are broken down into small and defined “chunks” that are specific and concrete. MEASURABLE SMART goals aren't abstract ideas; they come with objective ways of determining both the final aim and the intermediate steps needed to achieve it. ACHIEVABLE Goals must be realistic. This does not mean you have to settle for mediocrity, but rather to start small and progressively increase the scope of your goals. RELEVANT SMART goals are in harmony with your circumstances and are compatible with the bigger picture in your life. TIME-BOUND This means goals must be set against a reasonable time frame. There is a right time for everything, and SMART goals are set in the right circumstances to avoid frustration and disappointment. Using SMART goals can help you hit life targets Using NLP with your SMART goals NLP or neuro-linguistic programming techniques can be easily used alongside SMART goals. Using them together can supercharge your ability to move forward with your objectives in a way that is sustainable, encouraging, and contributes to your overall happiness. Here are some questions to think about when defining SMART goals: Specific NLP relies on visualisation as a self-growth aid. Can you visualise your goal? Can you picture it involving all your senses and channels of perception? If not, your goals may be too vague or imprecise. Measurable How will you know you have reached your goal? How will it look and feel? What will you hear and see? Achievable Neuro-linguistic programming highlights the integration of parts. For goals to be doable, they must be aligned with your conscious and sub-conscious mind. Otherwise, you may end up sabotaging your goals without realising. Ask yourself: are all parts in agreement? Are there any parts saying 'you can't do it'? What is the intention of each part involved and can these intentions be reconciled? Relevant To ensure full compatibility between goals and circumstances, pay attention to how your mind handles information. In neuro-linguistic programming, cognitive biases are classified into deletions, distortions, and generalisations. Ask yourself whether you're ignoring important information, trying to make it fit with assumptions or preconceived ideas, or rushing into inaccurate generalisations. Time-bound Neuro-linguistic programming favours an outcome-oriented mindset where goals are set together with tangible ways of measuring and recording progress. Combine SMART goals with NLP for added effect Bringing SMART goals into action using NLP Time to be practical. Let's say you have decided to be physically active and improve your mind-body balance. Here's how a typical SMART NLP goal-setting model would look like: 1. Ensure your goal is specific Your initial goal will probably look like “I want to do more exercise”, but this isn't specific enough. What exactly is 'more' exercise? Does it entail exercising more often, with more intensity, or for longer periods of time? Let's say you want to exercise more frequently. How often, exactly? Once a day, twice a week, four times a week? As you can see, you need to dig deeper to make your goals specific. 2. Next, it's time to define measurable goals Saying you want to improve your fitness level is not specific and can hardly be measured. What aspect of fitness do you want to improve? Do you want to be able to lift weights, and if so, how much weight? Or do you want to be able to run a 5k race? Or, do you want to perfect some yoga positions, and if so, which ones? You will know your goal is specific and measurable enough when you can visualise yourself exercising. Where will you be? How will you feel? Can you hear music in the background as you work out? Do you smell the freshly cut grass as you go for your jog? How do these sensations come together to motivate you? 3. There are two parts to ensuring your goals are achievable First, they need to be realistic. You cannot expect to run five miles the first time you go for a jog, and you cannot expect to gracefully perform advanced yoga positions if you're new it. Secondly, you should anticipate roadblocks that may come up while you work towards your goal. What will you do when parts come up with objections? How will you handle parts of your consciousness saying, “I'm too tired to exercise today”? NLP sub-modalities can help resolve internal conflict by modifying the meaning of specific experiences. To re-interpret the feeling of tiredness, ask yourself where exactly do you feel it? Is it loud or muffled? Can you play with the 'volume'? Is it near or far? Can you increase the distance between the feeling and your body, pushing it away so you can see it getting smaller and fuzzier? The idea is that by changing your perception, you can alter the meaning of an experience and change your response so that you get closer to your goals. 4. NLP shows you how to access your most resourceful state to keep goals relevant Identify how you want to feel when you exercise (e.g. determined, positive, unstoppable), then think about a time when you experienced that feeling and step into that memory with all your senses. Recreate what you saw, felt, and heard, and mentally connect this sensory experience to a specific trigger (e.g. anytime you want to give up exercising, at the start of a session, when you feel too tired to exercise, etc.). Do this a few times until you automatically go into the resourceful state right when you need it. 5. Ensure your goal is time-bound Draw a timeline and visualise yourself above it, going from past to future, overcoming obstacles and seeing how they are left behind, giving way to feelings of empowerment and motivation that take you right to the finish line: your ultimate goal. Goal-setting techniques: how to make them stick? The SMART model is not meant to be a one-off. In fact, there's a variation of this goal setting model known as SMARTER, where E stands for Evaluate and R for Readjust. The idea is that the goal setting is an ongoing process that needs a constant assessment from a critical perspective. This is in line with the principle of excellence in NLP, through which you align your physical and emotional resources to stay focused on your goals. NLP also comes into play by helping you become more attuned to internal feedback, so you are always in touch with your most resourceful mental state. Next time you set a goal, make sure you familiarise yourself with the most powerful NLP techniques for happiness. This will go a long way helping you program your mind to be goal-oriented and to use a specific goal-setting model every time you need to achieve something. ● Images: colourbox.com happiness.com | The fine art of being: learn, practise, share Are you a happiness.com member yet? Sign up for free now to enjoy these benefits: ■ our happiness magazine with practical life tips and inspiration ■ share knowledge and help support others in our happiness forum ■ learn and self-develop with free online classes in our happiness Academy Goal setting | NLP | Motivation | Happiness | Learning | Success Written by Dee Marques A social sciences graduate with a keen interest in languages, communication, and personal development strategies. Dee loves exercising, being out in nature, and discovering warm and sunny places where she can escape the winter.

The first survey about general causes for Stress at Work was designed to give you a quick idea about the different aspects that play a role in our well-being in our jobs. This time we'll look specifically at motivation and the results of the Motivation at Work Questionnaire. What is motivation? Motivation can be defined as internal and external factors that stimulate desire and energy in us to be continually interested and committed to a job, role or subject, or to make an effort to attain a goal. Motivation is the most significant predictor of success. [...] the longer someone is in a career, the less important innate ability (i.e., intelligence) is, and the more important motivation becomes [...] high motivation will ensure total preparation which will, in turn, ensure maximum performance and results. [2] Motivation results from the interaction of both conscious and unconscious factors such as the intensity of desire or need, incentive or reward value of the goal, and expectations of the individual and his or her peers. These factors are the reasons we have for behaving a certain way. [3] To understand what influences our motivation, let's take a closer look at Self-Determination Theory and the different aspects of motivation. If you haven't done so yet, now is a good time to answer the motivation at work questionnaire. It takes less than five minutes, and you'll investigate what gives you real motivation at work and what issues to address that hinder you in reaching your full potential. Motivation at work questionnaire Self-Determination Theory Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Ryan and Deci 2000) is a metatheory defining the psychological factors required for optimal motivation, engagement and well-being, concerned with how the individual interacts with and depends on the social and therefore work environment. SDT is based on the fundamental humanistic assumption that individuals naturally and actively orient themselves toward growth and self-organisation. [7] In SDT the basic psychological needs of competence, autonomy and relatedness and their indispensable role in self-determined motivation, well-being, and growth are the central aspects. We are continuously involved in a dynamic interaction with the social world – at once striving for need, satisfaction, and also responding to the conditions of the environment that either support or thwart needs. As a consequence of this person-environment interplay, we become either engaged, curious, connected, and whole, or demotivated, ineffective, and detached. [7] Let's take a closer look at the above mentioned three aspects of SDT on which our questionnaire is focused: Competence - the need to feel effective in interactions with the environment This need concerns our achievements, knowledge and skills; we need to build our competence and develop mastery over tasks that are important to us. Autonomy - the need to feel free and self-directed, to experience personal endorsement We need to feel that we are the masters of our destiny and that we have at least some control over our lives; most importantly, we need to feel that we are in control of our behaviour. Relatedness - the need to feel meaningfully connected/connect closely with others We need to have a sense of belonging and connectedness with others; each of us needs other people to some degree. [7][8] These three factors influence our motivation. We can now look at the different aspects of motivation through the lens of our individual replies in the motivation at work questionnaire. Different aspects of motivation There are several areas where we can make insightful distinctions when looking at motivation such as negative and positive motivation, extrinsic and intrinsic motivation and aspirations, autonomous and controlled motivation. They are all influenced by the above mentioned three key factors of SDT. In the questionnaire, we focused on the level of fulfilment of those three factors. Negative motivation and positive motivation The two poles here are threats/punishment (negative motivation) versus positive motivation, such as rewards/satisfaction/joy. Take a moment to think about situations where you were motivated either positively or negatively. As you will see, both can be highly motivating, but from the perspective of well-being, self-development and happiness, positive motivation is much more satisfying. External/extrinsic motivation and Internal/ intrinsic motivation “The relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: doing things because you like doing them in their own right [intrinsic] or doing them because you want a reward that has been offered. [extrinsic]” [1] Examples of extrinsic motivation are grading systems, employee evaluations, awards, and the respect and admiration of others. Intrinsic motivation can be seen as living true to our core values, our interests, and our sense of morality. Extrinsic Aspirations and Intrinsic Aspirations The distinction between extrinsic and intrinsic aspirations (life goals) is quite similar to the motivation mentioned above. Aspirations are long-term goals which guide our activities, and they fall into two categories: extrinsic aspirations like wealth, fame and attractiveness, and intrinsic aspirations like affiliation, generativity and personal development. There have been several studies on this subject that intrinsic goals being associated with greater health, well being and performance. [5][6] The problem with external motivators and aspirations is that crucial factors that influence our performance at work like creativity can't be consciously controlled. Dan Ariely (Cognitive Psychology (PhD) Business Administration (PhD) ) explains it on the example of offering a bigger bonus for better performance. The bonus is an external-positive motivator, but still has its challenges: “If I gave you a bigger bonus to jump you would jump more times," says Ariely. "You have very good control over your legs, and if I give you more money you will transmit more power to them, and therefore you will be more successful. We don’t have the same control over memory, creativity and concentration. You can’t will yourself into a higher state of concentration and creativity. It’s counterproductive and hinders performance strongly.” [1] So, even if an external-positive motivator like a bonus is motivating in a sense that we get aroused and activated, it doesn't reliably result in better performance. It's not surprising that it will work even less with a negative motivator like the fear of losing your job. So, let's look at intrinsic motivators. The negative motivators, like fear of failure or a feeling of inadequacy, are worth being addressed for the sake of our personal development. If we act driven by anxiety or feeling "not good enough" it might make us work harder, but in the long run, this is not nourishing and holds us back from living our best life. As we learned in the definition above, intrinsic motivation means that we do things because we like doing them in their own right. Internal-positive motivation is coming from a place of strength, security and values. Therefore, it's the best form of motivation not only regarding our productivity at work but for our overall well-being and personal development. As so often things are not only the two extremes of – in our case extrinsic and intrinsic – but there's a whole range between those two poles at which we will look now in a more differentiated way. Autonomous motivation and Controlled motivation Autonomous motivation includes motivation that comes from internal sources and encompasses motivation from extrinsic sources for individuals who identify with an activity’s value and how it aligns with their sense of self. It is displayed in green in the chart. Controlled motivation is comprised of external regulation — a type of motivation where an individual acts out of the desire for external rewards or fear of punishment. On the other hand, introjected regulation is motivation from “partially internalised activities and values” such as avoiding shame, seeking approval, and protecting the ego. [8] People adapt and orient themselves to their environment and their degree of self-determination in general, across many different contexts. Autonomy and what we perceive as autonomous decisions play an important role: Autonomous motivation: all three basic needs – competence, autonomy and relatedness – are satisfied. Controlled motivation: competence and relatedness are somewhat satisfied, but autonomy is not. Both internal and environmental forces influence intrinsic motivation. The context – including external forces (e.g., deadlines), interpersonal climates (e.g., praise, instruction), and internal events (e.g., being ego-involved) – affects intrinsic motivation as a function of the degree to which they are fulfilled. Here we can divide between different five regulatory styles that are deeply rooted in the three key factors of autonomy, competence, and relatedness with autonomy playing a central role. While having these needs met is a source of motivation, the lack of them being met is a source of stress, dissatisfaction, lack of motivation and frustration at work. The survey captures the degree to which these basic needs are being met for you at work and to identify areas which need to be addressed and improved. Participate in the happiness forum What was your overall SDT score, and how does it relate to your self-evaluation? How are you doing in these three different areas? Did you identify an area that is well developed while another could use a boost? Which areas can you identify where you are doing well in your job and why? Which areas can be improved, and what specific measures could help with that? What are your next steps? Sources: [1] https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20120509-is-it-all-about-the-money (07/06/2020) [2] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-power-prime/201201/personal-growth-motivation-the-drive-change (12/06/2020) [3] http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/motivation.html (28/06/2020) [4] https://courses.edx.org/courses/course-v1:BerkeleyX+GG202x+1T2020/course/ (29/05/2020) [5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-determination_theory#Basic_needs_and_intrinsic_motivation (29/05/2020) [6] http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.90.1443&rep=rep1&type=pdf (29/05/2020) [7] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317690916_Self-Determination_Theory (22/05/2020) [8] https://positivepsychology.com/self-determination-theory/(28/06/2020) Photo by Stephen Leonardi, Thao Le Hoang, Ian Schneider on Unsplash Written by Tine Steiss Tine is an artist, meditator, media engineer, activist and MBSR teacher. If she's not reading or writing she's working on turning her city garden into an edible paradise. Find out more about Tine on herrberta.art.

Living our lives to the fullest begins with what's already here. These seven mindfulness tips from Dee Marques will help you to stay engaged and transform routine activities into satisfying snapshots of life. Have you ever felt that sometimes we simply go through our lives instead of living them to the fullest? Today it's common to live surrounded by distractions that make staying engaged hard, forcing us instead to continually move on to the next thing and overlook present experiences. Incorporating mindfulness through these mindfulness tips will help you to stay engaged throughout your day and enjoy the present moment. Indeed, staying mindful and finding pleasure and fulfillment in everyday things can make a considerable contribution to your overall happiness. Before exploring our tips, let's examine exactly what mindfulness is. The dictionary describes mindfulness as: “The state or quality of being mindful or aware of something” and “a technique in which one focuses one's full attention only on the present, experiencing thoughts, feelings, and sensations but not judging them.” With that in mind, here are seven tips for mindfulness to help you turn routine tasks into enriching daily activities. Read on if you’re ready to increase your awareness, boost your connection with own emotions, and improve your chances of staying engaged throughout the day. Mindfulness tips: 7 tips for staying engaged 1. Start-of-the-day ritual Cultivating enriching daily activities as soon as you start your day is crucial to your levels of engagement and well-being. Instead of waking up and getting on with your day on auto-pilot, why not create a ritual that increases your chances of staying engaged? After waking up, don't reach for your phone and scroll through social media. Instead, do some gentle stretching and notice your body getting ready for a new day. Acknowledge your gratefulness for a good night's rest that allows you to tackle whatever lies ahead. As you prepare your tea or coffee, take a minute to check in with yourself. Pay attention to physical sensations: is your body tense or relaxed? How are your energy levels? Are you hungry or thirsty? Mornings are also the perfect time to incorporate other mindfulness tips such as mindful eating or showering. Bend to mend: morning stretching is a great mindfulness tip 2. Mindful showering Talking of which! Showering is a peaceful way of starting or ending the day, as it allows you to gain an appreciation for your body and to be grateful for having the opportunity to look after yourself. As you stand under the water, do a “body scan” from head to toe and take note of any bodily sensations and your feelings. The warm water, the aroma of your favourite shower gel, and a gentle massage are treats to the senses that would be a pity to overlook. RELATED: Do mindfulness apps work? Taking note of these micro-moments can help you stay anchored in the present and counter the go-go-go mindset. In the shower, it's easier to realise when your mind wanders into the past or future. Use this mindfulness tip to realize when this happens while taking a shower and gently bring the mind back to the present moment. Shower power: stay engaged through mindful showering 3. Gratitude walks and walking meditation Having a busy life doesn't mean you can't enjoy the benefits of meditation. Simply walking and noticing all those things you have reasons to be grateful for is a way of staying engaged with the most meaningful aspects of your life. For example, you can notice your legs and feet taking you forward, a ray of sunshine helping support life all around you, or the different colours of objects or plants bringing variety and making life more interesting. “Mornings are the perfect time to incorporate mindfulness tips such as mindful eating or showering.” To practice walking meditation, find a space where you can walk undisturbed and start walking while focusing on each movement. Lifting a foot, putting it in front of the other, placing your feet on the ground, noticing how your body weight shifts as you walk, listening to your breathing, etc. This can help slow down your mind and sharpen your self-awareness. RELATED: How connecting with nature benefits our well-being As if that wasn't enough, walking itself is a beneficial physical activity that can help maintain a healthy weight and decrease stress. Moreover, some scientific studies have found that walking can strengthen the immune system and reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. And as you probably know, a healthy body feeds a healthy mind, and vice versa. 4. Mindful eating We all have to eat, but our busy schedules often make us rush through our meals leading to all sorts of ailments, from poor digestion to weight gain. To avoid this, practice mindful eating by engaging all your senses in a conscious exercise of appreciation. Try this mindfulness tip on eating a raisin: Take a raisin and hold it in your hands, imagining you’ve never seen one before. Use all your five senses to examine it. Look at its every detail: colors, structure, shiny or dull – can you see through it? Touch it with closed eyes. Try to hear if it makes a sound if you squeeze it. Smell it. See if it smells differently depending on which nostril you use. Chew it slowly, noticing its texture and flavour. Take note of the feelings and thoughts it generates. This technique is a mindfulness-based stress reduction MBSR exercise aimed at improving your ability to focus on present experiences, increase attention levels, and boost enjoyment. Eat and engage: this mindfulness tip focuses on food 5. Mindful driving The daily commute can be a source of frustration and anger, but using this mindfulness tip can turn this routine into one of those enriching daily activities that increase your awareness. Before you start the engine, take a few moments to breathe deeply and state your intention to drive mindfully. Ensure your car is a distraction-free environment – like a cocoon that protects you from the noise outside – so put your phone on silent and don’t switch the radio on. “Staying mindful and finding pleasure and fulfilment in everyday things can make a considerable contribution to your overall happiness.” While driving, there will be situations that cause anger or anxiety, but all you need to do is acknowledge your feelings: remember that you have a choice not to let those negative emotions take over. Stay engaged and drive paying attention to your surroundings. In fact, try to see the streets as if it was the first time you were driving along them, and take every interruption (traffic lights, traffic jams, etc.) as a chance to check in with your sensory perceptions. 6. Mindful appreciation Staying engaged in the present and savouring everything life has to offer is hard when our appreciation is weak. To fix this, find four or five things (or people) that make your life easier or better. These could be small details like having drinking water flow as you open the tap or having a blanket to keep you warm and cosy when it gets cold. Make a mental note of those things, or even better, write them down while you ask yourself: What benefits does this bring to my life? What is special or unique about this thing/person? How would life be without them? How did they come to be? Using this mindfulness tip to stop and think will improve your appreciation for simple (and not-so-simple) everyday things and give you more reasons to feel blessed. Watch your wash: be mindful, even when doing the dishes! © Colourbox.com 7. Staying engaged with technology Technology can be a constant source of distraction and interfere with mindful practices, so it’s important to set boundaries and know when and how to use it. Mindfulness, different meditation styles and happiness apps and podcasts with uplifting content show that technology and gadgets can be beneficial, but making mindful use of technology is also a matter of changing your habits. For example, instead of reaching for your smartphone to take a picture of your food as soon as a plate is put in front of you, take some time to look at the food. Observe how it is presented, think about how it satisfies you, and about how much work has been put into making it reach your table. Likewise, instead of rushing to check your inbox every time a mail notification pops up on your screen, take a deep breath, pause, check in with yourself, and decide if it's worth responding now or later. RELATED: Mindful people are happier due to clearer authenticity Like all other positive emotions, everyday engagement has to be cultivated. Trying to incorporate these seven tips on mindfulness into daily tasks will bring you a collection of memorable thoughts and moments that enrich your life and make it more pleasurable. And, ultimately, these enriching daily activities will allow you to live your life to the full and not just go through it. ● Main image: shutterstock/lolostock Written by Dee Marques A social sciences graduate with a keen interest in languages, communication, and personal development strategies. Dee loves exercising, being out in nature, and discovering warm and sunny places where she can escape the winter.

Sticking to a regular meditation practice isn't always easy. Dee Marques runs through five ways you can overcome common meditation roadblocks so you can become more consistent in your practice. Do you find it hard to stick to your meditation goals, despite knowing about the many benefits of meditation? That disconnection between knowing and doing is common, so if something is stopping you from sticking to the plan, follow these five strategies to help you develop a regular meditation practice. 1. Confront your fears A clash between thinking and doing sometimes hides a layer of fear. Common fears include self-doubt, fear of finding that meditation practice uncovers a negative self, and fearing that stillness of the mind will lead to stillness of action. All these fears are small acts of self-sabotage, which usually kick in whenever we are trying to go outside our comfort zone. To tackle this, you first need to accept that it’s all in your hands. It’s up to you to rewrite your own narrative, from a self-defeating one to an empowering one. To do this, identify the stories you're telling yourself about your apparent inability to meditate, and create a different story by actually putting it in writing. Set aside 10-15 minutes every day to do this, and don’t underestimate the power of “self-editing” your life narrative. Indeed, studies have shown how effective this is in reversing negative or pessimistic thoughts and inspiring positive actions, so don’t let fears take over. 2. Habit replacement If avoiding meditation has become a habit, you should take steps to replace it with a positive one. To do this, think about how the habit you want to change became ingrained in the first place. You probably took a series of small decisions that reinforced each other and that stuck with you because they provided some sort of benefit. For example, you may procrastinate meditation because you want to have more free time. The key is to build a new habit that offers the same benefits and motivates you to stick with it. What if meditation was your free time? What if meditation helped you manage your time better? Changing habits can help build a better meditation practice Next, find what triggers the bad habit. Do you postpone meditation when you get distracted by your phone, the TV, or other activities that are associated with free time? Write down each trigger and find a positive action to replace each one of them with. Habit replacement takes time and multiple tries, so be prepared to learn from failure. 3. Parts integration If you know the benefits of meditation but can’t get around to practice consistently, there may be a conflict of interest between your motivation and parts of your conscious or sub-conscious mind. This type of conflict takes time to uncover, but you can make the process easier by using a neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) technique known as 'parts integration', the objective of which is to help you find greater coherence between thoughts, values and actions. RELATED: Gratitude meditation: the top 5 benefits and how to practise it The principles of parts integration are similar to those used in therapies that aim to bring unity between different parts of the self, such as Gestalt, client-centered therapy, psychosynthesis, and analytical psychology. All these strategies can help resolve internal conflict by making us pay close attention to different parts of our conscious and sub-conscious selves. As conflict subsides, focus and motivation get stronger and you'll be able to achieve your meditation goals. Determine the conflicting parts in the behaviour you want to change (e.g. knowing it would be good to meditate is “the good part” and not doing it is “the bad part”). “Identify the stories you're telling yourself about your apparent inability to develop a meditation practice and create a different story by putting it in writing.” With your palms facing up, picture each part resting on each palm. Ask each part what their final intention is, and keep asking the question until you come across a positive intention. For example, “the bad part” may want you to be productive and achieve lots of things during the day. As you bring your hands together, imagine the parts’ intentions helping each other achieve your ultimate goal. Make sure you have a clear image of what this would look like. Picture this new image of a successful you taking over other parts of your body. Establish steps that will help you support the good intentions of the integrated parts. 4. Moving meditation Another common thing that gets in the way of regular meditation is feeling that this isn’t really for you. This is particularly common if you're a very energetic person who has trouble sitting still for more than a few minutes at the time, or if you get bored easily. When thinking about a meditation session, the first thing that usually comes to mind is someone sitting in the lotus position. But you don’t have to feel confined to this position as you can experiment with alternatives like walking, standing, or other forms of moving meditation. For example, you may want to try Qigong, a type of moving meditation that can help still your mind without sitting. There are dozens of Qigong movements, but you can get started with the exercise known as “Separating Heaven and Earth”. Move and meditate: your practice can be non-static Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and with your arms to the sides. Take a deep breath while you cross your arms over your chest. Exhale slowly and at the same time lift one arm while you lower the other (keep your arms slightly bent as you do this). Repeat while you alternate which arms goes up and down, for as long as you want your meditation session to last. RELATED: Personal meditation – 7 factors to consider when choosing a style If you're concerned that moving meditation may not be as effective as sitting meditation, you needn’t worry. In several studies, Qigong practitioners reported feeling lower anxiety and stress levels, just as you would expect from other forms of meditation. Moreover, some researchers suggest that the physical exercise involved in Qigong can reduce bone loss rate and could lead to lower blood pressure too. 5. Share accountability It's true that there’s strength in numbers, and you’re not alone in your struggle, since nobody becomes an expert meditator without confronting fears and bad habits. If you don’t feel strong enough to address these issues, finding someone who's in a similar situation can help if you both agree to hold each other accountable and keep unrealistic expectations in check. Accountability partnerships work by adding an extra layer of responsibility, motivation, mutual support, and creative brainstorming, which all work together to improve goal achievement. With time and practice, you can become your own accountability partner, or help others overcome obstacles to meditation. One last thought to take away with you is: “whatever problem you face setting up a regular meditation practice, you can learn from it and thrive.” ● Main image: Colourbox.com Written by Dee Marques A social sciences graduate with a keen interest in languages, communication, and personal development strategies. Dee loves exercising, being out in nature, and discovering warm and sunny places where she can escape the winter.

New research suggests that meaning in life or purpose is related to values and motivation. But do motivations of intimacy and friendship rate higher or lower than financial success? And do men and women have different values when it comes to meaning in life? According to three Polish researchers, the values that we all come to realise in life are drawn from our personal strivings and our own motivations. Their work suggests that as a result, people are able to attain a greater level of meaning in their lives, so long as they remain motivated. For some, this might seem an obvious proposition: being motivated by your values means that you'll achieve a greater sense of meaning in life. However, the hypothesis had not been fully tested until Zuzanna Siwek and her co-authors, Anna Oleszkowicz and Aleksandra Słowińska, first published their research paper into the subject in 2016. Values and motivation: established theories According to Siwek and her colleagues, their work – which was carried out on a sample of Polish university students – started out from the point of view of two commonly accepted theoretical ideas in psychology. The first was developed by Deci and Ryan, which is often referred to as self-determination theory (SDT). Their idea is that motivation in individuals addresses issues of competence, relatedness and autonomy. For psychologists, competence is the term used for our desire to control outcomes. Relatedness is best described as our innate desire to connect and care with others. Finally, autonomy is our desire to be the agents of control in our own lives. You can think of it as the ability to make decisions for ourselves. Both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation is dealt with under SDT. For most psychologists, motivation is not a single concept but something that changes, depending on the situation. What might motivate you at work might not be the same as at home, for example. Your path in life: finding meaning is key to staying motivated Since the 1970s, psychological studies have referred to intrinsic motivation as our natural desire to face new challenges and engage in play with things we are curious about. Conversely, extrinsic motivations are not innate. These are motivations that come from outside of our inner selves, such as rewards for performance or mere praise. To break it down greatly, SDT claims that people will grow and function optimally when competence, relatedness and autonomy are working in harmony. Competence is when we try to control the outcome of something and relatedness is how connected to others we are in our actions. Finally, autonomy describes the degree of agency we have over ourselves. “Being motivated by your values means that you will achieve a greater sense of meaning in life.” Siwek's other theoretical inspiration came from the so-called logotherapy that was first developed by the esteemed psychologist Victor Frankl. His theory is based on the reasonable assumption that human beings are motivated by their search for a sense of life purpose. According to Frankl, logotherapy is merely a word that represents the search for a purposeful meaning in life. RELATED: 11 science-backed truths about finding happiness By building on these theoretical ideas, the three Polish researchers were able to build a study that utilised Personal Striving Assessments (PSAs), a system developed by Robert Emmons, a Professor of Psychology based in the US. Her teams' findings used these theories to demonstrate that meaning in life is indeed closely related to motivation. It is also related, they found, to a number of other personal values that participants responded to in their assessments which were often manifested in their personal strivings in life. Life motivation and values: difference between the sexes The Polish psychologists had a good sample size for their study. No less than 353 students took part, 159 women and 194 men. Interestingly, the study's authors claimed that the meaning in life that men and women reported was important to them was different. Men, for example, were more likely to ascribe financial success as being important in life, an extrinsic motivation, whereas women were more likely to value relationships, both intimate ones and friendships, intrinsic motivations. All of the respondents in the study were under the age of 25 and enrolled in full-time education which, the authors freely admit, means that their research is not a reflection of society as a whole. • JOIN US! Learn more about human connection and psychology • The research paper reported that behaviour and strivings of intrinsically motivated individuals are, more often than not, directed toward their own interests, a significant new finding. As a result, it was found that people are more willing to engage in personal development as a result of their autonomous motivation. Indeed, Siwek et al. claim that such people are characterised by a greater vitality, improved creativity and better levels of happiness. Men and women have different life values and motivation Moreover, Siwek's team found that different values in personal strivings facilitated differing scores for meaning in life, according to their respondents' own assessments. Although personal motivations varied between men and women in the study, the relationship between them and meaning in life was consistent regardless of gender. RELATED: Money can't buy happiness (except when you spend it like this) Another extrinsic value, that of physical appearance, appeared to make no difference to meaning in life or to happiness, whichever group was being looked at. As such, it seems that happiness cannot be wrought from a sense of self-worth that is based on looks alone. Summing up, Siwek claimed that meaning in life is most directly associated with the intrinsic motivation of intimacy and friendship although extrinsic factors, such as reward motivation and financial success, also form direct correlations with a sense of life meaning. She went on to add that although these gender differences were notable, no explanation could yet be offered as to why they exist and that further research would be needed to offer one. ● Do you agree with the authors of the study? What motivates you in life? Share your comments below. Written by Guest Author We'e happy to publish articles by guest authors that will broaden the perspective and bring new insights. If you're interested in publishing an article here on happiness.com, please contact us.