Master Your Motivation

Summary

If you want to accomplish what's important to you, discipline and willpower won't get you where you need to go. In this iconoclastic new book, Susan Fowler reveals compelling insights and actions to help you master and maintain your motivation.


Susan Fowler makes the bold claim that not all motivation is created equal. Too often, workplaces, schools, and home environments set us up for suboptimal motivation-undermining our independence, relationships, and competence. In order to achieve optimal motivation, Fowler asks us to consider three simple scientific truths to help us achieve our goals and flourish:
1. Autonomy: we all need to perceive we have control over what happens in our lives
2. Relatedness: we all need to care about others and feel cared about without ulterior motives
3. Competence: we all need to feel we can meet everyday challenges and learn and grow each day
It's time we awakened to this truth: People don't want to be bored or disengaged. People appreciate meaningful challenges. People want to contribute, feel fulfilled, and grow and learn every day. No matter what our situation-or age-our basic nature is the desire to thrive. People long to experience the competence that comes from growing and learning every day. And now, thanks to the most groundbreaking research in the history of motivation, we know how to promote thriving.