It would seem that the main thing is to really want. The stronger the impulse to action, the higher the activity and the better the result. But this is not so: the best results are achieved at a certain level of motivation, by no means the highest.
Weak motivation is not enough for success, excessive motivation is harmful. It generates unnecessary excitement and fussiness. Motivation management is a skill that will benefit in any endeavor, whether it is learning foreign languages, losing weight, or running your own business.
It would seem that the main thing is to really want. The stronger the impulse to action, the higher the activity and the better the result. But it is not. American psychologists Robert Yerkes and John Dodson (Robert Yerkes, John Dodson) proved that the best results are achieved with a certain level of motivation, not the highest. This pattern was established in the course of a simple experiment*. Its participants were offered puzzles, for the successful solution of which a monetary reward was supposed. The amount of the prize gradually increased: at first, for each solution, the subject was paid a small coin (which represented almost no material interest), then the reward reached an impressive amount, which was extremely tempting to receive. It turned out that for a purely symbolic gain, the participants in the experiment worked poorly and their results were low. As the reward increased, the enthusiasm grew and the results improved accordingly. However, at a certain moment, when the winnings reached a considerable value, the enthusiasm turned into a rush, and the results of operations began to decline. From that moment on, the higher the reward became, the less the real opportunity to receive it turned out to be: all thoughts were focused on the coveted amount, which made it difficult to solve problems.
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- What motivates you to move forward?
The main conclusions from the Yerkes-Dodson law that can help achieve goals: – High motivation is not a guarantee of high results. On the contrary, to start with the zeal of a fanatic means to reduce the chances of success. For any activity there is an optimal balance of motivation, it is important to try to observe it. The more difficult the task to be solved, the lower our level of optimal motivation. It is worth considering this when you are considering whether to take on a new business.
* R. Yerkes, J. Dodson «The relation of strength of stimulus to rapidity of habit-formation». Comp. Neurol. Psychol. 1908, № 18, p. 459-482