A mosquito can be pretty motivated so why not us?

by Mervin Straughan
November 2021

'If you think you're too small to have an impact, go to bed with a mosquito in the room.'

We've the late Dame Anita Roddick, humanitarian, British businesswoman and founder of The Body Shop to thank for this quote which summarises our potential impact in life.

To have impact, goal setters need motivation and there are several drivers. For instance, in our careers, we might be driven by status, material rewards, power and influence, security or fulfilment.

Whichever aspect of our lives we explore, there are two types of motivation: external and internal.

External motivation comes from outside influences – people, events or situations. When a traffic light turns red, we stop. When a sink overflows, we turn off the tap. We've been prompted by an outside influence but the motivation is often temporary because, once the situation is addressed, we no longer give it any thought.

Internal motivation comes from a combination of our dedication, passion and commitment and is longer lasting. It’s either geared towards the avoidance of pain or the achievement of pleasure.

A pain avoider might recall a time they were late for a meeting and incurred the other person’s wrath or missed an important opportunity. Since then, they’ve resolved it won’t happen again.

Those of us who seek pleasure might enjoy tidying a garden shed because it gives us a clean space, a feeling of order. It's pleasurable to move freely and retrieve a garden rake in an instant.

Some of us couch our resolutions in pain avoidance terms but, the moment we move from pain and towards pleasure, the stimulus lessens and we risk sliding backwards.

Moving towards a pleasurable experience improves our chances of success because we think beyond pain and imagine how better life could be. If we say: 'I want to pay off the mortgage because I’m sick of feeling trapped' (pain avoidance) we reinforce feelings of being in debt but if we say: 'I want to become financially free' we imagine feeling liberated and the possibilities beyond paying it off.

Language reflects passion. It gives a clue as to whether we begrudgingly move towards our goal or willingly race towards it.