Intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation in business

The Science of Success: Using the Right Motivation to Smash Your VA Goals

Setting goals for your Virtual Assistant business is easy. You identify something you want, and you tell yourself you will make it happen. But for most, the momentum fizzles out within weeks. Why? Because they are missing the two essential engines of achievement: desire and motivation.

Desire is the spark. It is the urge to have that end result, whether it is a fully booked roster or a three day work week. But motivation is the fuel that actually pushes you forward when the initial excitement fades. To reach your goals effectively, you must understand the difference between the two types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic.

How Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation Differ

Extrinsic motivation is driven by outside factors. It is about doing something to gain a reward or avoid a negative consequence. In your VA business, this might look like hitting a deadline specifically to avoid losing a client or entering business awards to gain industry recognition.

Intrinsic motivation comes from within. It is about doing a task because you find it personally rewarding or exciting. This is the feeling you get when you are deep in the “flow” of a project you actually love, or when you spend time learning a new skill simply because you find it fascinating.

While both forms work, using the wrong one in the wrong scenario can actually kill your productivity.

Choosing Your Motivating Force

If you do not pick the right tool for the job, you will end up demotivated and bored.

Extrinsic motivation is a powerhouse when you need to tackle a task you are not initially interested in. If you hate bookkeeping, an external reward, like a treat once the accounts are done; can provide the necessary push. It is also excellent for reinforcing high standards of performance when you are working with associates or a team.

Intrinsic motivation is the gold standard. When you genuinely enjoy the work, you feel a natural sense of satisfaction. The best way to fuel this is through praise and positive feedback. Be careful, though: if you start giving heavy external rewards for a task someone already loves doing, you can actually decrease their natural motivation.

Why You Need Both

You cannot rely on just one. If you have zero interest in a task (like your business admin), start with extrinsic motivation to get the ball rolling. Once you begin to see the results and feel the satisfaction of a job well done, your intrinsic motivation will often take over.

The best reward for enjoying your work is hearing how it positively impacts your life, your business, and your clients.

What is driving you forward today? Have you been trying to force yourself to do tasks using the wrong kind of motivation? Understanding this shift is a key part of the mindset work we do in the VA Momentum Course and the VA Membership. Stop fighting your natural motivations and start using it to your advantage.