Autonomous Motivation:

Autonomous motivation is taking action or engaging in activity we genuinely value, find personally meaningful, and feel like we have a say in what we do and how we behave. In contrast to controlled or extrinsic motivation (due to external factors like reward, punishment, need for others’ approval, with less personal control over actions), autonomous motivation is being motivated from within (intrinsic motivation) — a key concept in Self-Determination Theory (SDT). Those of us autonomously motivated tend to be more persistent, satisfied, and have higher wellbeing than those extrinsically motivated. It fosters relevance: a worker is more motivated to implement a new process if they feel it contributes to a successful outcome that’s important to them. In fact, extrinsic rewards can undermine intrinsic motivation. Research shows it to be the most positive form of motivation, like a musician practicing their instrument because of their love for music and a desire  to improve their skills, not just to impress others or make a lot of money.