The Psychology of Self-Motivation

In his self-motivation talk, Scott Geller explores how we can inspire and empower ourselves to go beyond the call of duty.

Geller begins by asking three simple questions: Can we do it? Will it work? And finally, is it worth it? Answering "yes" to all three questions indicates that we feel competent, a quality which is likely to lead to higher self-motivation.

Geller follows the question of competency with another C-word: choice. Those who feel like they have more autonomy will become more self-motivated. When we work for a pleasant consequence, we are more likely to feel as though we are working towards something. On the other hand, when we are working to avoid a negative consequence, we are more likely to feel controlled and limited. Geller encourages us to be mindful of the choices and opportunity we have available to us, ultimately becoming "success-seekers" rather than "failure-avoiders."

Finally, Geller concludes his speech by advising us to foster our sense of community. We grow up in an independence culture, but we need to move towards one of interdependence. Geller suggests we can learn from each other, and more importantly, help each other feel self-motivated, if we have the humility to accept feedback and the courage to speak up.