Motivational System Theory

Motivational System Theory begins by emphasizing the need to understand that motivational processes operate in collaboration with other system components. In a nutshell, the effective pursuit of personal goals (aka human functioning) requires four essential elements:

1. The person must have the motivation needed to initiate and maintain goal pursuit until the desired outcome is attained.
2. The person must have the knowledge and skills needed to construct and execute actions that will produce the desired outcomes.
3. The person’s biological structure and functioning must be able to support the motivation and knowledge and skills elements required for successful goal pursuit.
4. The person’s environment must facilitate, or at least not excessively impede, progress toward the desired outcome.

Ford, Martin E.; Smith, Peyton R.. Motivating Self and Others (p. 122). Cambridge University Press. Kindle Edition.

Motivation is the organized patterning of the mind’s leadership and advising functions:

• personal goals (directive thoughts about desired and undesired potential future states)
• emotions (mechanisms that activate goal thoughts and energize and regulate goal pursuit)
• personal agency beliefs (thoughts about the anticipated consequences of pursuing a goal).

Ford, Martin E.; Smith, Peyton R.. Motivating Self and Others (p. 123). Cambridge University Press. Kindle Edition.

• There is also a free Assessment of Personal Goals  + Guide here https://apg.gmu.edu/