Knowing Your Motivation Style

Knowing which of the 4 motivation styles seems to describe you can help you move forward. With this self-awareness, you can have a little more leverage in harnessing the conditions that will help you succeed. In reality, many of us have aspects of more than 1 style, and we can operate differently in different environments. Our motivation in a work setting or with relationships and hobbies may be different.

Upholder: Intrinsic motivation to uphold both internal commitments (goals one has made for oneself) and external commitments (deadlines for work, expectations of others), This individual does not need much prompting or force to take the necessary steps to get things done.

Questioner: Intrinsic motivation to uphold internal commitments but resistant, questioning of external demands (it has to make sense; there is resistance if the demands of the situation seem arbitrary).

Obliger: Will uphold external commitments to others readily but has trouble honoring the self, following through on commitments to oneself (this kind of person needs to be part of an exercise class or somewhere they are expected to be by others, or hire a personal trainer in order to follow through on fitness, for example).

Rebel: Has difficulty with upholding commitments or following through both for self and others (this kind of person usually has to have the space to get things done on their own time or be pressed by an unusually high external or internal demand; e.g., not stopping smoking until they are undergoing cancer treatment) .