Have you ever experienced that powerful rush of motivation after creating your master life plan the night before?

You’re ready to make a change, turn your life around and achieve your goals.

But then morning comes, and that rush of motivation is nowhere to be found.

The alarm goes off, and you hit snooze—again and again.

It’s not that you’re lazy.

It’s not that procrastination is the issue.

The problem isn’t that you lack motivation either.

It’s that you’re missing the right kind of motivation.

Motivation is a key ingredient for success.

But here’s the thing: motivation doesn’t last.

The initial burst of energy fades quickly, leaving us in a cycle of daydreaming about our goals, procrastination and frustration.

What most people miss is tapping into the right type of motivation—the kind that isn’t fleeting.

In this newsletter, we’ll explore the five intrinsic motivators that can fuel you with endless drive.

I learned about these motivators from Steven Kotler’s book, The Art of Impossible, where he shows how these scientifically proven motivators can change how you approach your goals, projects and life.

By understanding the intrinsic motivators, you grow past the fleeting motivation and start building a sustainable fuel source that keeps you going.

You’ll learn how to recognise each motivator and how to tap into them so you can achieve your goals while breaking the start-stop cycle you’ve been trapped in.

I Didn’t Know What Motivated Me Anymore

I like to think I was a motivated child.

It wasn’t hard to get myself to do things.

Whether it was doing equations in my maths workbook, making lemonade or playing for hours.

The opposite is true.

If I wasn’t motivated to do something, I didn’t.

Whether it was eating, going to bed (on time) or anything else I didn’t want to do.

(I admit I was a pretty stubborn child).

It was clear that I knew what motivated and I knew how to tap into my motivation to get things done.

But somewhere along the way, I lost that ability.

I lost that internal connection with my motivation.

I didn’t know what motivated me and what didn’t.

But things still needed to get done.

And because of that, I made the external my motivation.

Things like:

• Recognition and praise

• My parent’s approval

• Awards and trophies

• Being liked by peers

• Money

Though these are strong forms of motivation, I couldn’t help but notice how unstable they were.

If I achieved my goals or lost interest in them, my motivation would drop.

This meant my actions dropped too and this affected my results.

Because of the low results, I’d set a goal and get motivated again and action would increase.

I’d achieve the goal (or lose interest) and the cycle repeated.

New goal → Increased motivation → Action Increases → Achieve reward/ Interest drops → Decreased motivation → Action decreases → Results decrease

This repeated itself and it led to inconsistent results in my work and personal life.

I knew I needed something different.

I needed to find motivation that wasn’t dependent on the external.

I needed to connect with that innate motivation I had as a child.

The Motivation Myth: Why We Keep Losing It

On my journey to making motivation more sustainable, I came across Steven Kotler’s The Art of Impossible.

One of the first concepts he breaks down is motivation —where it comes from, why it fails, and how to make it last.

Kotler explains that motivation is a type of fuel—both physical and psychological. From an evolutionary perspective, we are motivated by two things:

1. Survival—avoiding threats, escaping danger, and ensuring we stay alive.

2. Creation—using resources to build, innovate, and ultimately, pass on our genes.

For most of human history, these two forces were primarily physical. Finding food, escaping predators, building shelter—all of these demanded intense motivation.

But in today’s world, physical survival is no longer our primary concern. We’re not hunting for food or fighting off wild animals.

Instead, our motivation has shifted toward the psychological.

The Two Types of Psychological Drivers of Motivation

Kotler explains that scientists have categorised our psychological drivers of motivation into two:

1. Extrinsic motivation (external rewards)

2. Intrinsic motivation (internal drive)

Extrinsic Motivation: The Fleeting Kind

Extrinsic motivators are rewards outside of us:

• status,

• praise,

• money,

• recognition,

• and even sex.

These are common motivators and fairly powerful ones. Kotler explains:

Our brain treats them as fundamental survival tools. This explains why they are so powerful and how they hijack the brain’s motivation system.

But extrinsic motivators are temporary.

External rewards come and go and with it, so does our motivation.

Have you ever been insanely motivated while pursuing a goal, only to feel empty after achieving it? Like it didn’t fulfil the high you were expecting?

That’s because your brain craves the anticipation of a reward more than the achievement of the reward.

Neurochemically, dopamine spikes when we expect a reward—not when we receive it.

That’s why planning your dream life at 3 AM feels exhilarating, but when morning comes, the motivation is gone. It’s also why people feel empty after hitting a big goal—the reward didn’t bring lasting fulfilment.

If your motivation depends solely on external rewards, you’re setting yourself up for an endless cycle of highs and crashes.

And worse—extrinsic motivation relies on things outside your control.

• Praise fades.

• Status is fragile.

• Money comes and goes.

Once the reward is gone, so is your drive.

So, if extrinsic motivation isn’t the answer, what is?

Learning to tap into intrinsic motivation—a deeper, internal drive that doesn’t rely on outside validation or rewards.

“Extrinsic motivation gets you started, intrinsic motivation keeps you going.”

Intrinsic Motivation: The Source of Unlimited Motivation and Drive

The alternative?

Intrinsic motivation—the kind of drive that comes from within.

Kotler defines intrinsic motivation as:

When you’re intrinsically motivated, you don’t need an external reward.

• You read a book because you’re fascinated by the topic, not because you need to read it for a project.

• You work on your craft because the work itself is satisfying, not because you want validation.

• You bake bread because you love baking, not to get a loaf of bread.

• You listen to music because you enjoy it, not to finish a song.

Instead of the anticipation of a reward, you act because the process itself is fulfilling.

Intrinsic motivation is self-sustaining.

Intrinsic motivation isn’t dependent on external rewards that come and go.

It builds on itself, compounding over time and making hard work feel effortless.

Kotler says this is what makes elite performers different:

This is how you escape the highs and lows cycle of motivation.

So the question is: how do you tap into intrinsic motivation?

It starts by understanding the 5 intrinsic motivators and how to boost them.

The 5 Intrinsic Motivators

If you want to perform at your best and stay motivated, you need to tap into intrinsic motivators.

These are five key intrinsic motivators that drive peak performance and deep focus:

1. Curiosity: What You Explore

Curiosity is that itch to learn more about something—whether it’s a hobby, a project, or a topic you’re interested in. Curiosity keeps your mind engaged and excited.

When you’re curious, you’re not going through the motions. When you’re curious, learning feels like a game: you don’t want to know more — you need to know more.

Curiosity fuels deep engagement. Your brain releases dopamine, enhancing your focus and enjoyment as you discover new things.

How to boost your curiosity:

• Leverage learning: Make sure what you’re learning has real-world applications. Look for ways you can use what you’re learning in your life right now. When you see the positive results from the application of your knowledge, it strengthens your curiosity.

• Get immediate feedback: Actively seek out feedback from your work. Seeing the direct impact of your learning fuels your curiosity even more. If your work doesn’t provide opportunities for curiosity, it’s time to shake things up. Find ways to incorporate more learning into what you do.

2. Passion: What You Love

Passion refers to activities that you do for their own sake, not for any external reward. It’s when the line between work and play blurs, and you become fully absorbed in what you’re doing.

It’s the difference between having to do something and wanting to do it.

Passion for your work is a key trigger for entering flow, where you feel like what you’re doing is the most important thing in the world.

How to boost your passion:

• Dive deeper: How often do you immerse yourself in what you love, just for the sake of it? You did it because you wanted to. Not because of an obligation or deadline. Lean into the activities that bring you joy.

• Focus on your strengths: Ask yourself, “What am I naturally good at?” Working on your strengths makes tasks feel less like work and more like play. When you’re engaged in something you love, motivation becomes effortless.

3. Purpose: What You Impact

Purpose is what connects your work to a greater cause. It’s the belief that what you do matters and contributes to something bigger than yourself.

Purpose gives your work meaning, shifting your focus from external rewards like money to a deeper, more fulfilling reason for doing what you do.

When you know why you do what you do, motivation is automatic.

How to boost your purpose:

• Clarify your mission: Ask yourself, “What’s my bigger purpose in this world? How does my work contribute to that?” Writing out your life’s mission in a single sentence can help keep you focused on the bigger picture.

When you tie your work to a larger mission, motivation becomes unstoppable.

4. Autonomy: What You Choose

Autonomy is the feeling of being in control of your work. It’s about having the freedom to choose what, when, and how you work.

When you feel in control, your motivation increases. You’re no longer a pawn in someone else’s game—you’re the one making the moves.

Autonomy lets you work on your terms, making tasks feel like a choice instead of an obligation.

How to boost your autonomy:

• Take ownership: Ask yourself, “How much control do I have over what I’m doing?” If you feel like you’re being controlled, look for ways to gain more freedom in how you approach your work. Look for the WHAT, HOW, WHEN and WHY of things you can be in control of.

• Skill acquisition: Focus on acquiring the skills that will give you more independence in your career and life.

The more autonomy you have, the more motivated you’ll be to take ownership of your work.

5. Mastery: What You Improve On

Mastery is the desire to continuously improve. It’s the drive to be better today than you were yesterday, and it’s fueled by dopamine and endorphins as you progress.

Mastery is not about perfection. It’s about improvement and the process of acquiring new skills and pushing your boundaries. The more you improve, the more challenges you seek—and this challenge-skill balance is what creates a flow state.

How to boost your mastery:

• Identify areas for growth: Take time to reflect on what skills you want to develop. Start focusing on specific areas that will advance your long-term goals.

• Deliberate practice: Mastery isn’t accidental. It requires deliberate, focused practice.

When you keep mastering your skills, you’ll always feel a sense of progress—and that’s a powerful motivator.

When you look at all the intrinsic motivators, you can determine which is low and what needs to be boosted. This allows you to identify what you need to do differently to increase your motivation

You’ve discovered the drivers to long-lasting motivation—and now, the sky’s the limit.

With high intrinsic motivation, you become the ultimate high performer — no longer motivated by external rewards—you’ll be hooked on the work itself.

You’ve detached yourself from the chase for external rewards. You’re not focused on money, position, or applause.

You’re obsessed with mastery, purpose, and the work itself.

And because of that, you have endless drive.

Thank you for reading.

I hope you enjoyed it.

See you in the next one.

— Shana