"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it." -Lou Holtz. This inspiring quote is a perfect reminder of where success and hard work can get you. Motivation is a thing of sorts that really boil down to the individual person. Depending on your experiences, beliefs, struggles, and accomplishments, you will either respond better to positive or negative experiences. So, how do you determine what works best for you?
Say you grew up in a small, religious household, with strict rules and regulations. Your parents may have used harsher, or more negative punishments to correct you as a child. This could cause you to feel familiar with this form of discipline, and possibly have you carry it out with you in the world. It is not a bad reinforcement to have. In fact, it might cause you to think more cold and factual about real life decisions, which will most likely cause you to move up to work ladder in life.
Another scenario could be that you were very coddled and cared to as a child. Maybe your parents were your safety net, and they handled their punishments and consequences more loosely. This is not necessarily bad either if the nursing was not too severe and prominent. When you grow up and move out into the world, you would most likely respond well to positive reinforcement, because you are not used to negative, or even slightly controlled, punishment(s). This person would more than likely be enormously giving and empathetic for others. They might choose a job that involves helping (or just being around) many other people.
Recent years of research has determined that the best one out of the two, might in fact, be both! This is because too much of one or the other could cause a person to act extreme in their responses and actions. For example, if you are constantly being negatively punished as a child, you could become cold, depressed, or even apathetic. On the other hand, being too catered to and not having enough rules in place could cause one to be immature and have to sense of direction. It could also cause this person to be disorganized and not time-efficient. The best thing to do for yourself, or a child, is to create a healthy balance of the two.
