The Power of Self-Motivation

Building motivation in children

Riya and Rashid are enjoying their school holidays. They have three school projects to complete. Rashid spends 2 hours every day working on his project and plays the rest of the day. Riya on the other hand keeps postponing it and panics on the last day.

Here, Rashid is self-motivated to work on his project on his own while Riya is not motivated enough. If Riya could find the purpose of doing these projects, she would feel motivated enough to complete them.

What would happen if self-motivation existed?

If Riya was motivated enough to complete her projects not only would she complete it in half the time but also feel happy at the end of it. Being self-motivated leads to better planning and increased productivity.

Isn’t it the same as self-reliance?

Self-reliance means being confident enough to do something alone. However, only when you are motivated enough to take up a task will you start working on it. Reliance helps you do something, but motivation helps you start it in the first place.

So, how can we build motivation in children?

1. Let them explore- Children are born curious. Let them explore their likes and likes. Your job is to introduce different things to them. Elimination and selection are up to the child. This helps a child understand what factors matter to them and what does not. For example, introduce them to chess, dance, and cooking. Let them choose what they like.

   

2. Give agency- Giving them choices is one thing, letting them select is another. Ask a child guiding questions to help them take control of things eventually. When a child starts taking responsibility on their own, they feel motivated enough to complete it in the best possible way. For example, ask a child to set their goals for the day instead of telling them what to do. Let them come up with action steps to achieve the goal too.

   

3. Let them fail- Yes! Letting children fail is a way of motivating them. Children will learn from their mistakes and feel motivated enough to keep trying. Your job is to encourage them instead of telling them the solution. For example, give a child a math sum and let their intuition come up with a solution. You can then propose a faster way of solving it.

   

4. Praise the process- Remember to celebrate effort and milestones. Doing this helps a child celebrate themselves and not just focus on the output. This motivates them as even if the outcome is not big, they will learn to enjoy the process. For example, ask a child to stack a pile of clothes. Even though the task is small, the child will learn to fold, arrange, and organize.

   

5. Reward- Teach a child to reward themselves. By this, I don’t mean buying something huge or going on a big trip. Help them find ways to take short happy breaks. For example, if they complete a task 5 minutes of jumping around or 5 minutes of puzzle time can give them joy. This will keep them going and prevents burnout.

   

6. Build a sense of purpose- Motivation comes naturally only when we believe in what we are doing. When a child finishes a task, ask them What did they learn from it? What would happen if they did not do it? This helps a child understand the significance of doing things on their own. If they don’t feel like doing something, they might ask these questions to themselves.

Remember, there is a difference between building self-motivation and being pushy. Let children take control and find what motivates them. Encourage children to “find their WHY” to build smart and hardworking adults in the future.