Motivation is one of those words that can be readily thrown around.

We hear people talk about ‘Monday motivation’ because that is often seen as a tough day to get going. We hear about motivation for fitness or our lack thereof. We hear about motivation to eat well and live well. If you’re like me, you’ve found yourself searching for motivational quotes to give a boost in the right direction and inspire you to keep going. This idea of motivation is so prevalent in our world and so relevant to us as humans. We need it to keep us going through the ins and outs of life.

Margett and Woolfolk, in their text Psychological Education, describe motivation as an internal state that awakens, guides and sustains behaviour (Margetts and Woolfolk, 2019).

Motivation can be viewed through several theories, but one that truly stands out to me is the social cognitive theory of expectancy and value. It describes motivation as two forces coming together that create productivity. Force number one, is that the person believes they have the capabilities of achieving a certain goal, and force number two is that they place value on the goal. If either of these forces are missing, then there is no motivation (Margetts and Woolfolk, 2019). The questions we ask ourselves subconsciously are ‘If I try hard enough, can I succeed? And ‘If I succeed, is the outcome rewarding and of value to me?’. For example, if I believe I have a good chance of making the team in soccer and if making the team is important to me, then my motivation will be strong. If either force is missing, then my motivation will be zero.

So, if this is a formula for motivation and therefore productivity and success, then how can we help our young people enter this space?

Here are some of my ideas:

Find out what they value
Help them set realistic achievable goals
Encourage them and make it known you believe in them.

Here are some of my favourite motivational quotes:

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there” — Theodore Roosevelt
“The key to success is to focus on goals, not obstacles” — Unknown
“Its going to be hard, but hard does not mean impossible.” — Unknown

And finally;

“…but with God, all things are possible.” — Matthew 19:26

Without motivation, the ability to move forward and progress is hindered, so I would encourage you to find your source of motivation and focus on the two forces required in order to be your best and achieve all you can.

Francis Pascal — Acting Primary Coordinator