Wikipedia describes motivation as:
a theoretical construct, used to explain behavior. It is the scientific word used to represent the reasons for our actions, our desires, our needs, etc.
Like an old steam locomotive that requires a train driver to toss coal into its boiler, motivation is the very fuel that spurs us to action. It’s a bit illusive though. Motivation isn’t itself any specific thing. Everything we do in every minute of every day is motivated by something. And that something can be anything.
For the most part, we’re not concerned with motivation. We don’t usually question what makes us want to eat Cheerios vs. Raisin Bran in the morning or what makes us want to be Batman vs. Superman for Halloween. But when it comes to things that affect our greater well-being we become extremely interested in motivation and how to affect it.
