In reality, you will feel different degrees of motivation about
different learning options. You certainly do not go round calculat-
ing this mathematically; nor should you. But, if you are serious
about becoming a competent learner, you may find this formula
useful. It may at least help you to explain why you are feeling moti-
vated or not. The formula also gives you a way of working out the
relevance of the learning to your particular life stage.
Or, to put another way, it determines the WIIFM factor, the
“What’s in it for me?” element. This is Charles Handy’s “proper
selfishness” in the quotation at the start of this chapter.
Apply the motivation formula to something that you are thinking of learning. What does it tell
you about your motivation? Use the chart below to help you do this:
Readiness + Value + Probability + Impact = Motivation
Put ticks or a rating out of ten under each of the first four headings and then see how many
ticks or how close your number is to 40 in the last box.
Motivation and the mind
So far, I have looked at some of the important theories of motiva-
tion and tried to provide the context in which learning activity
takes place. Let’s recap on what you know so far about how the
mind works in this area.
You have learned about the mind’s natural tendency to
explore and to make connections and patterns. You have seen why
it performs less well when it is under undue stress. You are aware
that diet, health, and the amount of sleep you have had all affect
your motivation and ability to sustain learning. You have learned
about the importance of being emotionally ready, primed to accept
new data, and about the mind’s tendency to interpret events dif-
ferently, depending on whether you are optimistic or motivated.
While much of this is common sense, the importance of biolog-
ical and psychological factors in learning is too often underestimated.
Switching On Your Mind 63
