Some people run on caffeine. Others run on compliments. Me? I run on a healthy mix of \u201cthis is deeply fulfilling\u201d and \u201cthey\u2019re paying me for this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Welcome to the wild world of motivation. Whether you’re here to better understand your learners or secretly decode your own “why am I even doing this?” moments, you\u2019re in good company. Let\u2019s break it down.<\/p>\n
![\"Illustration](\"https:\/\/veethompson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/sayhellovee_httpss.mj_.runua5NWOotR-U_httpss.mj_.runEcZ7V9hn1UQ_bdeb5bd2-b95f-434a-9114-8e0b72d5678a_3.png\")
Illustration of a workstation with a computer, books, and a plant (Midjourney, 2025).<\/p><\/div>\n
First Things First: What Is Motivation?<\/h2>\n
Motivation<\/strong> is that little voice inside whispering, \u201cGo on, click that button,\u201d or \u201cYou\u2019ve got this, open the Canva file.\u201d It\u2019s what gets us to do\u2026well, anything. From tackling a course module to taking a jog just to prove we still can.<\/p>\nThere are two main types at play:<\/p>\n
\n- Intrinsic<\/strong>: You do it because it feels good. Like dancing in your kitchen or reading for the sheer joy of it.<\/li>\n
- Extrinsic<\/strong>: You do it for something outside of yourself like praise, money, or avoiding a stern Slack message from your manager.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
And here\u2019s the truth: most of us are driven by a little bit of both. It\u2019s not either\/or, it\u2019s more like a recipe. The magic is in the mix.<\/p>\n
Extrinsic Motivation<\/h3>\n
Extrinsic motivation is what kicks in when:<\/p>\n
\n- You finish mandatory eLearning so your boss stops nudging you.<\/li>\n
- You submit a school project because you really don\u2019t want that \u201cincomplete.\u201d<\/li>\n
- You log in to a job that doesn\u2019t light you up, but the paycheck does.<\/li>\n
- You post on LinkedIn not because you want to, but because you should<\/em> (hi, algorithm).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
In all these examples, the motivator is external. You\u2019re not in it for the thrill of the task, you\u2019re in it for the reward (or to avoid a consequence).<\/p>\n
Intrinsic Motivation<\/h3>\n
This one\u2019s the warm, fuzzy kind. The \u201cI could do this forever\u201d feeling. It\u2019s when the doing is the reward. Think:<\/p>\n
\n- Recording a podcast because you love sharing ideas.<\/li>\n
- Going on a walk just to clear your head.<\/li>\n
- Reading fiction for the vibes, not the r\u00e9sum\u00e9.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Intrinsic motivation is personal, sustainable, and powerful. It doesn\u2019t need applause or an incentive. It just is<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\nSo, Which One Wins?<\/h3>\n
Neither. That\u2019s the twist. Both are useful. And honestly? Most of us bounce between the two all the time.<\/p>\n
Like when you\u2019re learning something new. Maybe you want to learn (intrinsic<\/strong>), but the fact that you get a shiny certificate at the end (extrinsic<\/strong>) doesn\u2019t hurt.<\/p>\nThe key is not choosing one; It\u2019s knowing when to lean into which.<\/p>\n
![\"Illustration](\"https:\/\/veethompson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/sayhellovee_Professional_illustration_of_a_man_happy_with_hea_82f7404e-8436-40cb-864f-491427e56c51_1.png\")
Illustration of a person with headphones sitting in front of their computer screen (Midjourney, 2025).<\/p><\/div>\n
Watch Out for the Overjustification Effect<\/h2>\n
If you\u2019re already intrinsically motivated, too much<\/em><\/strong> external reward can backfire. Suddenly, the thing you loved<\/em> <\/strong>feels like work.<\/p>\nLet\u2019s say you\u2019re painting for fun. Then someone offers you money. Then more money. And now you\u2019re buried in commissions and wondering, \u201cDo I even like this anymore?\u201d This is the overjustification effect<\/strong>. It\u2019s real. It\u2019s sneaky. And it can turn passion into pressure if you\u2019re not careful.<\/p>\nDesigning Learning That Motivates<\/h2>\n
If you\u2019re in the learning biz (hey, fellow IDs), your job isn\u2019t just to share content, it\u2019s to make people want<\/em> <\/strong>to engage with it. That means designing with both intrinsic<\/strong> and extrinsic<\/strong> motivation in mind. Here\u2019s how to do it like a pro:<\/p>\n1. Pose a Challenge with an Uncertain Outcome<\/h3>\n
People love a good puzzle, especially one that makes them feel smart at the finish line.<\/p>\n
\n- Why it works:<\/strong> It taps into curiosity and creates a sense of accomplishment when the learner pushes through uncertainty.<\/li>\n
- Example:<\/strong> Instead of telling sales reps exactly how to handle a tough client call, drop them into a branching scenario with a few unknowns and let them make the decisions. Their outcome (and confidence) will be based on their critical thinking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
2. Spark Curiosity<\/h3>\n
Make your learners lean in and think, \u201cWait, what happens next?\u201d<\/em> or \u201cI didn\u2019t know that!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n- Why it works:<\/strong> Curiosity is a gateway to intrinsic motivation. People naturally want to fill in the blanks.<\/li>\n
- Example:<\/strong> Open your module with a surprising stat, myth-busting question, or real-world \u201cdid you know?\u201d moment. Like: \u201c85% of workplace learning is forgotten within 30 days\u2026 unless you do this one thing.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
3. Encourage Collaboration<\/h3>\n
We\u2019re social creatures, even in a Zoom breakout room.<\/p>\n
\n- Why it works:<\/strong> Helping others, learning together, and getting feedback fuels a sense of belonging and purpose.<\/li>\n
- Example:<\/strong> In a leadership course, include group challenges where learners must brainstorm solutions together in a shared doc or Miro board. Bonus: this builds soft skills while reinforcing the content.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
4. Offer Light Competition<\/h3>\n
Gamify, but don\u2019t glorify the leaderboard.<\/p>\n
\n- Why it works:<\/strong> For some learners, a little competition gets the dopamine flowing. Just keep it low-stakes and inclusive.<\/li>\n
- Example:<\/strong> Add quiz streaks or friendly team-based scoreboards. Or use badges that reward improvement over perfection<\/strong><\/em>. (Nobody needs to relive middle school gym class.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
5. Praise Effort and Progress<\/h3>\n
Recognition is free, and powerful when it feels genuine.<\/p>\n
\n- Why it works:<\/strong> A well-placed compliment reinforces intrinsic motivation and gives learners a reason to keep going.<\/li>\n
- Example:<\/strong> Use micro-feedback in your eLearning: \u201cNice work! That\u2019s a tricky concept, and you nailed it.\u201d Or add a digital \u201cmilestone tracker\u201d that lights up as they hit key goals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Bonus: Motivation in Action<\/h2>\n
Let\u2019s say you\u2019re designing an onboarding module for new hires at a healthcare nonprofit. Here\u2019s how to put this all into practice:<\/p>\n
\n- Start with a real-world case challenge<\/strong>: \u201cYour team needs to organize a community health fair with limited budget and time. What\u2019s your plan?\u201d<\/li>\n
- Drop in a surprising stat<\/strong>: \u201c1 in 4 patients in your county avoid care due to language barriers.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Make it collaborative<\/strong>: Let learners choose a peer partner and compare action plans.<\/li>\n
- Add a competitive twist<\/strong>: Which team can design the most accessible event plan?<\/li>\n
- End with meaningful praise<\/strong>: \u201cYou just mapped out an event that could impact hundreds of lives. That\u2019s no small thing.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n
Motivation is messy. Beautiful. Human. And essential, whether you’re designing a course, running a business, or simply trying to finish that one lingering task on your to-do list.<\/p>\n
So, the next time you build a learning experience, launch a new project, or drag yourself through your inbox, pause and ask: \u201cAm I doing this because I love it, because it\u2019s rewarding or maybe a little bit of both?\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nThat\u2019s where the magic is.<\/p>\n
And if you\u2019re curious how this applies to your own content or want help making your learning solutions more motivating, you know where to find me<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Some people run on caffeine. Others run on compliments. Me? I run on a healthy mix of \u201cthis is deeply fulfilling\u201d and \u201cthey\u2019re paying me for this.\u201d Welcome to the wild world of motivation. Whether you’re here to better understand your learners or secretly decode your own “why am I even doing this?” moments, you\u2019re […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4999,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-instructional-design"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.veethompson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4996","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.veethompson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.veethompson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.veethompson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.veethompson.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4996"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.veethompson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4996\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5829,"href":"https:\/\/www.veethompson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4996\/revisions\/5829"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.veethompson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4999"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.veethompson.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.veethompson.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.veethompson.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}