Channelling Elle Woods, IRL.

Photography: Type A Studios via MGM

Written by Vicky Novoselski

Self-motivation is a force that drives us to do things.

Thinking of self-motivation as a force, sounds like something outside of us that we can tap into like Wi-Fi.

Are you like me and finding yourself gearing up to do something but doing a million other things besides the task at hand. Procrastination right?

Well not necessarily according to Psychologist Abraham Maslow and his research on motivation. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, there are four consecutive needs that we need to meet before we are able to be self-motivated or what he refers to as Self-Actualisation – the desire to become the most one can be.

Here is a personal example of Maslow’s theory in work.

On my way to work, I think of the project I am going to work on and nail that day!  

So I’m at my desk, raring to go! Instead of jumping straight into it, I grab my work friends for a coffee. Clean my desk. Discuss my ideas for the project with my manager and then boom, start working on the project.

Coffee = Physiological needs,

Cleaning my desk = Safety needs,

Catching up with work friends = Love and belonging

Managers support = Esteem

Project executed = Self-actualisation / Self-Motivation.

I know my example is simple and I’m really lucky that now my lower hierarchy needs like physiological, safety, love and belonging and esteem are met most of the time.

But in the past this was not the case, like when I have had anxiety (safety), when I had pressure at home (love and belonging) and when I felt unfulfilled at work (esteem). During these times I wasn’t myself, I wasn’t happy and I definitely wasn’t motivated.

It’s important to remember that every day and every week is going to be different and your self-motivation is going to peak and fall depending on what is happening in your life and often it’s the expectations we place on ourselves that slow us down.

But, if I could give you a password to self-motivation Wi-Fi it would be:

*Be A Ye$_qUEeN*

An integral part of #YesQueenBehaviour is about being kind and honest with yourself. Use reflection to access if you are meeting your psychological, safety, love and esteem needs.

How is your health? Are you in a toxic relationship? Does your workplace empower you?

Some of the YQ Community have either experienced or witnessed workplace bullying, we need to realise and validate that these events will have a negative impact on things like motivation, health, sense of belonging and self-esteem.

When we begin to reflect on these needs we can tap into the ‘full bars’ of self-motivation.

But most importantly, know it is okay to not be okay.