Running head: THE POWER OF MOTIVATION

The Power of Motivation

Exploratory Analysis
Sarah Abel
LDS Business College

ENG 101 Sections 01 & 02

Brother Gagon
June 28, 2015

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2
the Power of Motivation

I will be exploring how motivation interacts with the mental health of different groups
and how it affects their career choices and performance. Through scriptural anecdotes and the
research of psychologists, I will be proving the correlations between motivation and the chemical
imbalances in the brain that can hinder progress, such as burnout syndrome, procrastination,
perfectionism, and workaholism. I will also dissect how each interacts with a persons psyche,
and their relation to each other. By finding these connections, I hope to be able to evaluate my
own life, as well as shed a little more light on the importance of the role that motivation plays in
a persons growth and development.
The first step in measuring the impacts of motivation is to identify what can halt the
process. There are four key problems that can arise, and each feeds off of the others, leading to
similar consequences and branching off into similar mental illnesses, such as Generalized
Anxiety Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The first problem is burnout syndrome.
Characterized by a combination of three factors; emotional exhaustion, reduced personal
accomplishment, and depersonalization (Buunk 2010), burnout has serious consequences, and
can lead to sleep disorders, depression, and suicide (Pagnin 2013).
Many studies have been done to understand and predict burnout patterns. One such study
was conducted on med students. They found that those whose career motivation was tied to
personal experiences of illness or deaths of family members were more likely to become
emotionally exhausted and were at a much higher risk for burnout syndrome. (Pagnin 2013) As
burnout continues, motivation begins to disappear, and depression can settle in. Another example
is a study that focused on burnout patterns in nurses. Their study identified the three contributing
factors to burnout, and focused on a proposed fourth factor, social comparison. It was found that

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those who derived motivation through downward comparisons, by compar[ing] themselves with
colleagues who are perceived to perform in a less competent and adequate way than they
themselves do (Buunk 2010), were more likely to experience the harmful effects of burnout
syndrome.
The second problem is procrastination. In a study done by psychologists Sheila
Brownlow and Renee D. Reasinger, they explored intrinsic, extrinsic, and academic motivation,
as well as the negative impact that procrastination can have on each one. There are many myths
surrounding this topic. The first is the belief that academic and chronic procrastination are the
same. This is untrue because while research has often focused on related and concomitant
personality traits of both chronic and academic procrastination, non-chronic or situation-driven
procrastination may be a function of task-related motivation. (Brownlow 2000) Because of this,
academic procrastination is situation-specific, while chronic procrastination is ongoing.
Another myth is that procrastination is a healthy motivator. This is also untrue, as
procrastinators have difficulty self-regulating, and need external motivation (Brownlow 2000).
Brownlow and Reasinger warn that it can [lead] to scholastic problems (i.e., bad grades), and
stress-related physical ailments (Brownlow 2000) While it may seem like an effective tactic,
procrastination is a slippery slope. It is a very difficult habit to break out of because people,
especially students, become very dependent on it. Procrastination shows up in all aspects of a
persons life, especially academically and professionally. This is why it is so important to break
out of the habit, because work environments expect deadlines to be met.
The third problem is perfectionism. Procrastination and perfectionism are closely related
to each other, because one can cause the other. In Brownlow and Reasingers research, they
found that perfectionism was a strong predictor of academic procrastinationdetailing how the

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tendency to compulsively overdo something perfectly is related to the propensity to put off
starting an endeavor (Brownlow 2000). Perfectionism is a debilitating anxiety disorder, and can
twist motivation, as the compulsive need to do something perfect ultimately leads to a selffulfilling prophecy of unfulfilled expectations of oneself. This, in turn, can discourage a person
from completing a task due to the fear of failure and a lack of ability. Criticism can also motivate
someone to not do something. Perfectionists view all criticism, constructive and otherwise, as a
critique on them as a person and feel as if theyve failed.
The last problem is workaholism. There have been studies done on what causes it, and
through a study in Sweden, theyve found that the three-factor model of workaholism that had
been proposed could be narrowed down into a two-factor model, Drive and Enjoyment of
Work. There are different definitions for this phenomena, but the general consensus is that a
workaholic puts more time and effort into their job than is required, and that it is their attitude
and not the amount of physical time spent that contributes to this problem. A person affected by
perfectionism or O.C.D. is more likely to become a workaholic, as their compulsive need for
perfection and order can make them more susceptible.
Through these four problems, we can see that motivation can be hindered through a
variety of ways and reasons. This is evidenced by the frequency with which these problems can
arise, and the intensity of their effects. The next step, then, is to determine how to overcome and
push through these barriers. One such way is to turn to the scriptures. In order to strengthen
ourselves through motivation, we must first see how the Book of Mormon defines it. There are
several key examples, but a well-known story that was a favorite primary song of mine is the
story of Nephis journey to get the plates. And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father:
I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no

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commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may
accomplish the thing which he commandeth them. (1 Nephi 3:7, English Standard Version)
Nephi is motivated by faith that God will prepare a way for him, to the point that he doesnt fear
failure or the threat of attack.
Another strong example is the story of Esther, who was motivated by the fear of her
people being killed for their religion, and went to the King to reason with him, even though she
knew she might die. Her motivations ran parallel to Nephis because each knew that death was a
possibility, but they had faith that God would protect them. In a conversation with Mordecai,
Esther orders him to gather everyone together to fast, and states: so will I go in unto the king,
which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. (Esther 4:16, English Standard
Version) Her exceeding faith and motivation to help her people is an excellent example of
spiritual motivation, as is Nephis proclamation to follow Gods commandment to get the plates.
Therefore, as evidenced in the scriptures, spiritual motivation is just as strong as the
above mentioned extrinsic, intrinsic, and academic motivations. In this same vein, the
motivations tied to professional life are similar to those found in the spiritual aspect. Tying this to
professional life, we can ascertain that the same types of principles need to be applied. In order
to work towards stronger motivation in the workplace, we must first implement the spiritual
motivations found in the scriptures, as they will be a guiding force towards development of our
character. By taking these principles and putting them in the workplace, we will be able to do
things that would not be possible without spiritual motivation as a driving force.
In conclusion, motivation is hindered by many different mental disorders, and their
effects can be dangerous and serious. It can also be twisted by anxiety, stress, and compulsive
behaviors. Healthy motivation can be hard to grasp because of damaging behaviors and habits,

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such as procrastination and perfectionism. However, through application of spiritual motivations

derived from the scriptures, it can be obtained and utilized in the both personal and professional
environments.

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References

Andreassen, C. S., Ursin, H., & Eriksen, H. R. (2007). The relationship between strong
motivation to work, "workaholism", and health. Psychology & Health, 22(5), 615-629.
doi:10.1080/14768320600941814

Brownlow, S., & Reasinger, R. D. (2000). Putting off Until Tomorrow What is Better Done
Today: Academic Procrastination as a Function of Motivation toward College Work.
Journal of Social Behavior & Personality, 15(5), 15-34.

Buunk, A. P., Zurriaga, R., & Pero, J. M. (2010). Social comparison as a predictor of changes in
burnout among nurses. Anxiety, Stress & Coping, 23(2), 181-194.
doi:10.1080/10615800902971521

Pagnin, D., De Queiroz, V., Oliveira Filho, M. D., Gonzalez, N. A., Salgado, A. T., Oliveira, B.
E., & ... Melo, R. S. (2013). Burnout and career choice motivation in medical students.
Medical Teacher, 35(5), 388-394. doi:10.3109/0142159X.2013.769673

Rasmussen, K. R., Yamawaki, N., Moses, J., Powell, L., & Bastian, B. (2013). The relationships
between perfectionism, religious motivation, and mental health utilization among latterday saint students. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 16(6), 612-616.
doi:10.1080/13674676.2012.706273

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Smith, J. (1981) 1 Nephi. In The Book of Mormon: An account written by the hand of Mormon
upon plates taken from the plates of Nephi (p. 6). Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.