Life Life Strategies Inspiration & Motivation Understanding the Difference Between Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation Can Help You Develop Healthier Habits Learn the secrets to staying motivated—even when no one's watching. By Lisa Milbrand Lisa Milbrand Lisa Milbrand has more than 20 years of experience as a lifestyle writer and editor, writing thousands of articles on topics that help people live better and healthier lives for Real Simple, Parents, and dozens of other top publications. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 22, 2023 Fact checked by Haley Mades Fact checked by Haley Mades Haley is a Wisconsin-based creative freelancer and recent graduate. She has worked as an editor, fact checker, and copywriter for various digital and print publications. Her most recent position was in academic publishing as a publicity and marketing assistant for the University of Wisconsin Press Our Fact-Checking Process Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Getty Images Motivation is sometimes hard to come by, whether you need the get-up-and-go to actually get out of bed and tackle a morning workout before work or you're simply trying to get your spring cleaning done before the season is over. But during especially hard times in your life, you may find that your motivation has completely disappeared. If your lack of motivation is putting you at risk of losing your job—or just losing the battle of the laundry pile—here's how you can harness the two different kinds of motivation (extrinsic and intrinsic motivation) to meet your goals. 01 of 02 What are intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation? The simple way to think about the difference between intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation is to consider the motive that gets you moving. "People feel intrinsically motivated when they're doing something just because it's interesting for its own sake," says Paul Silvia, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and author of Exploring the Psychology of Interest. "They find it interesting, enjoyable and meaningful." If you're intrinsically motivated, it's super easy for you to keep going, even in the face of obstacles. "When you feel intrinsically motivated, you don't have procrastination or perfectionism, and while you're doing it, it's very absorbing and very interesting," Silvia says. Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, comes from a different place—whether you're clocking time at the gym in an effort to stay healthy or completing a work project to make your boss happy (and earn that paycheck). "Sometimes they're just doing it for a reward—quite a lot of work falls into this category," Silvia says. "They're doing it out of a sense of duty or obligation. It's not something they really want to do, but something they feel [they] ought to do." While it may seem like intrinsic motivation is best, there are plenty of situations where extrinsic motivation can be more desirable. "A lot of good stuff happens when people are extrinsically motivated," Silvia says. And in fact, there are times when passion shouldn't be in the driver's seat. "If you think of your accountant, do you want the accountant that's driven by a sober sense of duty or do you want the one that accounting is so cranked up and inspired, and seeking that 'accountant high?'" RELATED: Motivational Quotes 02 of 02 Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation tips If you're finding extrinsic motivators in short supply, there are tricks you can use to create a little intrinsic motivation or help find new extrinsic motivations to keep you moving. 1. Harness the three pillars of motivation. Psychologists point to three different aspects that can make us more likely to complete a task and meet a goal. "People are more intrinsically motivated when what they're working on helps them build their skills and talents, connects them to other people, and they have freedom and flexibility in how they do it," Silvia says. "Those three sources of motivation help people feel more grabbed by their goals." See if you can reframe a task to align with one or more of those pillars and increase the intrinsic motivation for completing it. For instance, going for a run can help you connect with other runners when you share your route on social media or go running with a friend. 2. Set a deadline. A set-in-stone deadline can help get you motivated to get things done. "Keep it simple and focus on the end," Silvia says. "The goal is to get something done and do it well and do it on time." 3. Create a great reward. Most people respond to a treat of some sort, so set one up. For instance, make it "fun Friday" if you complete your tasks, suggests Annette Nunez, PhD, a licensed psychotherapist in Denver, Colorado. "Fun Fridays reduce anxiety and depression by giving you a mental break from day to day routines and giving you something to look forward to at the end of the week," Dr. Nunez says. "Set goals for yourself during the week—like taking a walk every day, getting your work done, taking a daily shower—and if you accomplish your goal then celebrate with a Fun Friday filled with activities that bring joy to your life, from binge watching a show on Netflix, going on a hike, ordering in from your favorite restaurant, to having Zoom happy hour or coffee with your friends, to ending the workday early." 4. Make a game out of it. Adding an element of fun and competition could help you stay motivated and keep going. "People can gamify something boring," Silvia says. "It's motivating to see that they're getting better and better at it. For instance, lifting weights is a drudgery, but it's really easy to count reps and count pounds, and keep pushing to set personal records." RELATED: How to Start Working Out Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit