HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED? – THE LOCUS RULE

RESEARCH ON STUDENTS

Claudia M. Mueller, a Columbia University professor, conducted research in 1998. She gathered a big group of fifth graders and assigned them to work independently on a range of tasks. These were difficult puzzles, yet regardless of how well each youngster performed, he or she was told that they scored much above the bulk of the other students.

After that, half of the students were told they did well because they worked hard, while the other half were told they did well because they were clever and gifted. They were also given three types of puzzles to complete: simple, medium, and highly difficult.

RESULT OF THE RESEARCH

They discovered something fascinating: students who were told they did well because they were smart spent the majority of their time on simple tasks. They ended up spending almost no time on really difficult riddles, and I spent far less time overall trying to solve any of the puzzles. That indicated a loss of motivation.

To top it off, they responded no when asked if they enjoyed the test. On the other hand, students who were informed they did quite good because they worked very hard spent the majority of their time concentrating on the more difficult puzzles; they also ended up spending a lot more time overall attempting to solve any of the puzzles, resulting in a rise in motivation.

To top it off, they reported having a great time during the test.

WHAT IS THE LOCUS RULE?

The locus of control is a concept. which basically means how much you believe you have influence over your life. Children who were informed that they performed well because they were intelligent and gifted were taught to believe in an external locus of control. They were persuaded to believe that their achievement was due to unforeseen circumstances. Right? You have no say in whether you are born intelligent or not.

Children who were taught they did well because they worked really hard, on the other hand, started believing in an internal centre of control. They concluded that their success was due to their hard work and extra effort, rather than any other considerations.  They were able to excel at the riddles because of this. right? After all, you have complete control over the amount of work you put forth.

EFFECT OF THE LOCUS RULE

Studies on locus of control, such as this one, have indicated that having an internal locus of control is critical for staying motivated. You must think that you have self - control and that you are accountable for what comes to you if you want to be motivated all of the time.

Back when I was in charge of a sales team, I witnessed this firsthand. This was not a case of retail or automotive sales. This was traditional door-to-door selling, which has one of the greatest turnover rates, with most people just staying for a week. You must be a very motivated individual to be able to endure hundreds of rejections every day before someone even considers buying something from you.

When a new salesman on my team had their first bad day, I was able to develop a good eye for who would genuinely last and who I should spend more time and energy training by simply asking a simple question. They didn't sell anything that day. I'd ask him why he does not really think he sold anything today and see how he responds.  If they blame the weather, the fact that it's the weekend and no one likes to be bothered on weekends, or the fact that it was the neighbourhood, they're right.

I could tell they weren't going to last because they had an external control centre. They assumed they wouldn't be able to sell due to unforeseen circumstances. As a result, they spent less time knocking on doors, which is why they weren't making any sales. An external control centre has this disadvantage.

You stop working and trying when you feel that nothing you do matters. What good is it to try when the universe is conspiring against you? right?

So, how do we take control of our own destiny? so that we might begin to feel motivated. They discovered that the most effective way to do so is to solve problems in your own life and then take some time to appreciate the fact that it was your efforts that solved the problem.

UNDERSTAND WITH AN EXAMPLE

To assist you comprehend, I'll give you an example.  Assume you're someone who is concerned about their weight gain. So, you do work out at a local gym or at home.  Every day, you practise pushups, weightlifting, and other exercises.  You're conscious of what you eat and stick to a healthy eating plan. You began to notice changes in your physique after a few days of sticking to your daily routine.

CONCLUSION

When you notice an improvement, tell yourself that it's due of the changes you made and the effort you put in. That's why I'm able to sleep better now; it's only a matter of instilling the concept that you are in charge of your own destiny, that you have an internal locus of control, and you'll never struggle with motivation again.