The 5 Habits of Maximum Motivation eBook

This is the reason I wrote my latest ebook, The 5 Habits of Maximum Motivation. If you’ve kept up with my blog you know I focus on the science of motivation both in life and work. Because of this, I get many questions related to personal motivation or how to motivate employees. The most popular … Read more

How Money Motivates

It’s been a popular stance, over the past decade, to say that money hinders intrinsic motivation on the job.   This belief is based on popular thought and teachings that started in the mid-1970’s based on the research of Edward Deci and Richard Ryan. The ideas has gained more momentum over the past few years … Read more

Extrinsic Motivation Doesn’t Exist

Quick Question: Is the money you pursue in your job or business an extrinsic motivator? Yes or No? Most people say yes to this question. It’s easy for us to think working for money is an extrinsically motivated activity because it is behavior motivated by an external reward. I have a different perspective. The idea … Read more

The 4 Dichotomies of Motivation

Motivation is fascinating yet maddening at the same time. Just when we think we got the concept nailed down, we think about another circumstance or scenario that doesn’t quite fit a framework we are trying to use.   This occurs because motivation, and human behavior for that matter, is very dynamic. Often more dynamic than we think. We’d all love to … Read more

The 5 Inhibitors of Motivation

Reality shows have captured the minds and hearts of TV watchers for many years now. We are all intrigued by getting an inside view of what people think during difficult experiences and how people respond, both good and bad, to the adversities of the game.   Every person on the show has motivation to achieve or win. What’s interesting to me … Read more

The Dark Side of Goals

Goals are great and they are certainly a scientifically proven method for achieving the outcomes we have in mind.  But while goals help us focus on our desired achievements, they can easily become the very thing that keeps us from being truly successful in life. Don’t see me as a pessimist — I’m far from … Read more

The Anatomy of a Motivational Speech

Would you like to be able to communicate like a polished, highly-paid professional speaker? Imagine the impact you can make if you were able to engage and inspire any group of people with your ability to speak and persuade like a pro. While the style of motivational speakers vary, there are 4 components of every … Read more

The Spirituality-Motivation Link

In my post The 16 Drivers of Meaning and Motivation I outlined the desires that activate people’s internal energy and behavior. According to Dr. Steven Reiss, and his research with thousands of people around the world, these drivers are basic to every human and are associated deeply with our sense of value and meaning. You … Read more

Lessons from Zig Ziglar

 “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”  – Zig Ziglar A legend passed away Wednesday in Dallas, Texas. Zig Ziglar, a widely popular motivational speaker, died at the age of 86. While many were teaching and speaking on subjects like sales, management, and … Read more