The Secrets of 'Intrinsic Motivation' and 'Extrinsic Motivation' to Unlock 'Motivation'
Hello everyone, it's Yoshi, the Flipper President!
“I can't seem to flip the switch on my motivation...”
“I just don't feel like doing anything today...”
“I have goals, but I just can't keep going...”
Everyone feels this way sometimes, don't they?
Having been involved in sports for over 20 years as both an athlete and a coach, I have hit this wall many times myself.
In fact, this is 'normal'.
There is no one who can maintain 100% motivation all the time.
That goes for athletes, coaches, and top-tier professionals alike.
Today, let's talk about how to deal with those 'waves of motivation' from the perspectives of both an athlete and a coach.
The Two Forms of Motivation
The first thing you need to know is that motivation can be broadly divided into two types.
① Intrinsic Motivation
This is the state of 'doing it because I want to.'
For example...
・Practicing because it is purely fun
・Taking initiative because you want to get better
・Getting absorbed because mastering new skills is interesting
・Working hard because you want to break your own records
⇒ In this case, you don't need anyone to tell you to do it; motivation arises naturally. Just like food tastes good when you are hungry, the activity itself is enjoyable.
② Extrinsic Motivation
This is the state of 'getting motivated by external stimuli.'
For example...
・Training because your coach told you to
・Practicing because you don't want to lose to a rival
・Working hard because there is a reward
・Making an effort because your parents or teachers expect it
⇒In this case, the goal is not the activity itself, but what you get from it. To use an analogy, it's like taking medicine that doesn't taste good just to get healthy.
“Wait? Isn't ② the bad one...?”
Did you think that?
It is true that when considering long-term growth, intrinsic motivation is more desirable. However, extrinsic motivation actually plays an important role as well.
I realized this fact myself when I was practicing alone in Kagoshima during my university and graduate school days.
“An environment where you are forced to do things is actually a luxury...”
In an environment where no one is around, you have to decide everything and do everything yourself. Only then did I realize how grateful I should be for an environment where someone pushes you from the outside.
Please check out my experience from that time here...👇
Techniques to Elicit Intrinsic Motivation
So, how do you draw out an athlete's feeling of 'I want to do it!’?
You have goals, but your motivation just doesn't last. You give in to temptation, you slack off on practice, and then you feel frustrated with yourself and end up hating it even more... I think many athletes truly fall into this negative cycle.
Actually, I went through a period like that myself. What's more, as a result of genetic analysis, I found out I was a carrier of a gene that makes it hard to sustain motivation... (laughs)
But this is a natural thing that happens to everyone. There is no need to force yourself to correct it.
Instead, what I practice is in-depth goal-setting interviews.
The point here is not to impose a goal by saying, 'Aim for this.' This is the very essence of coaching: to draw out and delve into the self, goals, and dreams that the other person truly believes in.
For example, an interview with a certain athlete.
At first, the goal was vague, like 'I sort of want to aim for the top.' But when you carefully dig deeper from there...
'Actually, I want to set a Japanese record to become an athlete who can compete on the world stage.'
'Like the athlete I admire, I want to be a person of character, not just someone with records.'
'I want to get results and repay the people who support me.'
These kinds of honest feelings emerge.
What is important here is not to impose.
Goals must always come from the person themselves. The coach's role is to focus on drawing out and organizing those honest feelings.
Then, we re-examine the gap between that goal and the current situation, and break it down into concrete steps.
If you organize it properly, you can make them realize that their 'current self' and 'desired self' are actually connected on a continuous path.
Confirming this with the athlete and creating a path is the first step toward increasing intrinsic motivation.
Strategic use of extrinsic motivation
So, when do you use extrinsic motivation?
Actually, 90% of my coaching focuses on intrinsic motivation. However, I do intentionally use extrinsic motivation for the remaining 10%.
It is particularly effective in the following two situations.
① Establishing habits at the start of working toward a goal
The 'first step' when starting something new sometimes requires a push from the outside.
② Overcoming weaknesses in athletes with high intrinsic motivation
Even highly self-motivated athletes tend to avoid areas they are weak in. In such cases, external stimulation is also effective.
However, this is different from forcing an athlete who 'has no motivation'.
Rather, it is
a supplementary tool for situations where you think, 'I have the motivation, but I can't take the first step,'
or 'I have a goal, but I'm about to give in to temptation.'
Dealing with the waves of motivation
Human emotions are like waves.
It is natural for motivation to rise and fall.
The important thing is to manage those waves well.
When the wave is high,
maintain that momentum as much as possible
connect it to a concrete challenge
see it as a chance to build good habits
When the wave is low,
do not panic unnecessarily
do not try to force it up
do what you can little by little until the next wave comes
And above all, accept that 'being low is normal.'
With that in mind, there are things I am conscious of as a coach.
'How long can I sustain a high wave?'
'How much can I lift up a low wave?'
This is where a coach's skill is put to the test.
But what about when there is no wave at all?
In that case, I do not try to force a wave to happen. If there is no genuine 'desire to do it' within the athlete, that is something that must be accepted.
Practical points you can start tomorrow
Finally, I will share some concrete actions.
What a coach can do
Conducting regular goal-setting interviews
Improving questioning skills to draw out a player's 'true feelings'
Utilizing extrinsic motivation at the appropriate timing
Differentiating approaches based on the state of the 'wave'
What players can do
Write down the gap between goals and the current situation
Accumulate small successful experiences
A mindset to transform 'being forced to do' into 'taking ownership'
Record motivation waves and learn the patterns
Also, one piece of advice from me.
Do not seek perfection from the start.
It is okay to be a quitter; the important thing is to start.
And when you take that first step, please make the most of the support around you. That is by no means 'being spoiled'.
Rather, the courage to accept that support should become the driving force for your next step.
If you have a coach or a companion, that alone is a huge advantage. Don't waste such a blessed environment; let's make good use of the people who can help pull you through the waves!
With that said, thank you for reading this far this time as well.
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See you next time!
Bye for now
Fin Swimming Specialist
Flippers President Yoshihide Sekino
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