The word ‘motivation’ derives from the Latin word ‘movere,’ which means to move. Motivation suggests energy, purpose, vision, goal, target, mission drive, persistence, accomplishment, teamwork and satisfaction, which can be beneficial to individuals and organisations.

Motivation means having a strong inner drive to take action. Being motivated means knowing what you want to achieve and taking appropriate action towards achieving it, may it be goals, objectives, dreams or your passion.

There are several theories of motivation. It is useful to understand clearly some of these theories and their practical implications in our personal and business life. Knowing what motivates different people can help us to become better at our jobs and develop positive relationships at work and outside.

Job satisfaction

An indication of deteriorating conditions in an organisation is the low job satisfaction. In its more sinister forms, low job satisfaction is behind wildcat strikes, slowdowns, absences and employee turnover. It may also lead to slow productivity, grievances and disciplinary problems. On the other hand, high job satisfaction can lead to greater employee reaction connected to positive conditions, which are beneficial to the organisation.

High job satisfaction can be considered as the hallmark of a well-managed organisation and it is the result of effective behaviour management. It is the measure of the positive human climate in an organisation which can immensely contribute towards organisational success.

If a conducive environment is created to enhance employee satisfaction by giving due consideration to the main factors which contribute towards job satisfaction, supervisors and managers can contribute positively towards the growth of the employees and the success of the organisation.

Satisfaction and motivation

Although the words ‘satisfaction’ and ‘motivation’ are often used as synonymous - are actually quite different terms. The former refers totally to a physiological state, or to consensus of worker feelings and attitudes involving the job. It may or may not transform into performance.

Motivation is concerned, on the other hand, with the will to perform and it usually leads to the output. There are times where motivation can be very high at the same time that satisfaction can be low or even nonexistent. Nor is there any law that forbids high satisfaction from being enjoyed from the same worker who also has low motivation – a situation where contentment reigns so supreme as to weaken any will to perform at all, are not unknown in general, the two concepts do work in the same direction, at least in the long run. But all that can be said with certainty is that employees of successful organisations usually are both satisfied with their work and motivated.

Human beings can be put into one of four categories: (i) motivated and satisfied; (ii) motivated, but not satisfied; (iii) not motivated, but satisfied; and (iv) not motivated and not satisfied.

Four possible combinations are AC, AD, BC and BD (see diagram 1).

Be committed to become an AC. If you are an AD, you may be doing whatever you are doing well, but may not be satisfied. Then you have a choice. Learn to like what you are doing or do what you like to do. In this manner, you should be able to become an AC.

The objective of humans should be to be motivated and satisfied most of the time with whatever you are doing. If you can lead your life in a manner where you are most of the time motivated and satisfied, you can truly be successful!

But the issue is, most people are waiting for someone else to motivate them. This may or may not happen. Instead, the answer is to be self-motivated (motivate yourself). This is an area, which most people do not focus on. Instead, they are waiting for someone else to motivate them (e.g., President of the country, Prime Minister, Parliamentarians, company boss, spouse and friends). The skill should be not to depend on others to motivate you. If they motivate you, consider that as a bonus, but instead, you make a commitment from today to motivate yourself. In order to do this methodically, there are 21 proven methods of motivating yourself(see diagram 2).

First, pick seven of these and do your best to learn these methodically and put these into regular practice until each of these becomes habits (be able to do it automatically). A proven method of developing a habit is continuous practice for 21 days until it can be done without much effort. Then in 21 days, re-evaluate yourself and if you can consciously give yourself eight or nine points out of a scale of 10, that is great. If some point needs more practice, do it for a few more days and re-evaluate.

If you master all 21 techniques, you will undoubtedly be a self-motivated person. Number 11 of the 21 self-motivational techniques is ‘developing a positive attitude’. A methodical approach to developing a positive attitude is to build your knowledge on the following factors and develop skills to do it well.

Your attitude is simply your ‘point of view’, which can be positive or negative. There may be an influence for you to form an attitude. Most of the time, people are over-influenced by others. Instead, you make your decision appropriately and decide to take positive actions. If you take negative actions or positive actions, you are primarily affected. Then your family is affected, relations, friends, your community, and may even be the world.

There are three main reasons for a person to be negative. One of the main reasons is worrying (being over-anxious) about the past. This does not mean you should not think about the past. If something good has happened, you are welcome to think about it and make yourself happy. You can even think about something which went wrong and take appropriate action to do it better next time. The second area is worrying about the future. One must plan the future, but being fearful of the future is not the answer. Some people overthink of what may go wrong in the future and keep worrying. The third thing most people do is worrying about what others think, say and do.

If you can consciously get over these three areas, you can spend most of your time in a positive mood. However, it is not easy for most people to get rid of these three areas. So, the answer is not to focus on those three areas. Instead, consciously practise what is known as the ‘10 success qualities’. When you do these, you become mindful. These are simple tips, but ask yourself, are you consciously doing these? (see diagrams 3 and 4).

The above is a proven method of how you can be self-motivated and develop a positive attitude. Practise these areas consciously and you will be successful. If you consciously practise these on a regular basis for 21 days you can vastly improve each of these areas. Once you master all 10 of these areas you will see results and others will surely tell you that you are a person with a positive attitude.

If you are self-motivated and if you have a positive attitude you will have a better opportunity to have positive answers for the three most important questions which anyone will ask him or herself in the eve of his or her life