Growth Motivation:

Growth motivation, often linked to growth mindset, is the drive to step outside of our comfort zone and embrace new experiences and develop ourselves, It’s the belief that we can develop ability and intelligence through effort, learning, and experience. Those of us with a growth mindset embrace challenges, use mistakes as learning opportunities, and persevere in the face of setbacks (also see fixed mindset). In contrast to defense motivation (protecting ourselves from perceived threats), growth motivation strives to overcome challenges and pursue personal goals toward self-actualization (also see Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs). Understanding we encompass both types of motivation can help us make more conscious choices about our actions and goals. Benefits are increased resilience, perseverance, and ability to adapt to change, enhanced self-awareness and self-compassion, and a stronger motivation to learn, grow, and improve overall wellbeing and life satisfaction. Being highly motivated includes:

• Pursuing new knowledge and skills by setting challenging yet attainable goals.
• Embracing Challenges and setbacks as opportunities for learning and growth. 
• Seeking feedback and constructive criticism to improve performance and skills. 
• Persistence in effort and determination, even in the face of setbacks. 
• Striving for self-improvement and self-actualization to reach our full potential. 
• Practicing self-care and stress management, including surrounding ourselves with supportive and encouraging individuals
• Celebrating our efforts at fostering a growth mindset and making progress