#intrinsic-motivation
6 articles with this tag
The Overjustification Effect: Why Rewards Can Quietly Kill the Habits You Love
Adding external rewards to habits you already enjoy can destroy intrinsic motivation. Deci and Lepper's research reveals which habits to protect — and which rewards to avoid.
The Progress Principle: How Small Wins Build Unstoppable Momentum
Harvard's Teresa Amabile analyzed 12,000 diary entries and found that small, visible progress is the single greatest daily driver of motivation. Here's how to engineer it.
Values-Aligned Habits: How to Build Routines That Actually Feel Like You
Habits built on external pressure collapse. Habits rooted in your own values persist. Self-determination theory explains why — and how to design habits that feel authentic, not imposed.
The Goldilocks Rule: Why Just-Right Challenges Keep You Showing Up
The Goldilocks Rule explains why habits collapse when they're too easy or too hard — and how optimal challenge triggers the flow state that makes consistency effortless.
Implementation Intentions: The 'When-Then' Formula That Doubles Habit Follow-Through
Implementation intentions — specific if-then plans for when and where you'll act — have been shown in 94 studies to double habit follow-through. Here's the exact science and how to use it.
Self-Determination Theory: The Science of Motivation That Actually Lasts
Self-determination theory identifies three universal psychological needs behind lasting motivation — autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Here's what the 40 years of research means for your habits.