Master Your Motivation

If you want to accomplish what's important to you, discipline and willpower won't get you where you need to go. In this iconoclastic new book, Susan Fowler reveals compelling insights and actions to help you master and maintain your motivation.


Susan Fowler makes the bold claim that not all motivation is created equal. Too often, workplaces, schools, and home environments set us up for suboptimal motivation-undermining our independence, relationships, and competence. In order to achieve optimal motivation, Fowler asks us to consider three simple scientific truths to help us achieve our goals and flourish:
1. Autonomy: we all need to perceive we have control over what happens in our lives
2. Relatedness: we all need to care about others and feel cared about without ulterior motives
3. Competence: we all need to feel we can meet everyday challenges and learn and grow each day
It's time we awakened to this truth: People don't want to be bored or disengaged. People appreciate meaningful challenges. People want to contribute, feel fulfilled, and grow and learn every day. No matter what our situation-or age-our basic nature is the desire to thrive. People long to experience the competence that comes from growing and learning every day. And now, thanks to the most groundbreaking research in the history of motivation, we know how to promote thriving.

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Dedication
• Foreword
• Introduction: Why Motivation Science Matters
• Part One: The Truth about Motivation
• Part Two: Motivation Is a Skill
• Part Three: What’s Stopping You?
• Afterword
• Notes
• Resources
• Acknowledgments
• Index
• About the Author

“Truly great performers in every field have mastered their motivation. Now we finally understand the magic-and the science-behind how they've done it. More importantly, Master Your Motivation is the first book to teach a revolutionary idea: motivation is a skill you can use to achieve your goals-and sustain high performance.”
-John Calipari, Hall of Fame basketball coach, University of Kentucky

“I have no doubt that the powerful ideas in Master Your Motivation will change your perspective about motivation. But what I love about this book is how Susan's storytelling brings the skill of motivation to life with relevant examples you can begin using today.”
-Tracie Lorber, Director of People and Culture, Peet's Coffee

“Master Your Motivation teaches you how creating choice, connection, and competence leads to the optimal motivation you need not only to be more productive but also to lead a happier and more peaceful life.”
-Brian Tracy, bestselling author of Eat That Frog!

“Master Your Motivation teaches each of us that when it comes to motivation, the quality of our motivation matters-and that through the skill of motivation, we can shift our motivation anytime we choose! Our tribe flourishes when every member of the tribe thrives through optimal motivation.”
-Garry Ridge, President and CEO, WD-40 Company, and coauthor of Helping People Win at Work

“I've performed at the Oscars several times and toured the world with artists such as Justin Timberlake. But Master Your Motivation emphasizes that even as a professional dancer, the real reason I practice every day isn't for those big moments alone. I was energized by remembering to reflect on my life credo: why walk, when you can dance? Now I can apply that important insight to everything I do!”
-Ava Bernstine, professional dancer and choreographer

“In Susan's last book, Why Motivating People Doesn't Work . . . and What Does, I keyed in on debunking the myth ‘It's not personal; it's just business.' As a business owner, ‘If it's business, it's personal' because my work and personal life are both guided by the same values. Now, Master your Motivation gives me the practical skills and tools to guide everything I do. Continuously evolving through mindfulness is keeping my passion alive!”
-Lynn Hutton, business owner and CFO, InnovaSystems International, LLC

“Master Your Motivation is a wake-up call about the nature of motivation. The techniques Susan offers in this groundbreaking book work-I have personally seen people's motivation transformed, allowing them to be more productive and personally fulfilled in their endeavors. She blazes a trail that leads to a new understanding of motivation that everyone can follow, myself included.”
-Tom Hood, Deputy Director, Field Sales Leadership Development, Bayer

“I loved Susan's last book, Why Motivating People Doesn't Work . . . and What Does. Our leaders use it to guide their one-to-one goal sessions-which improved our employee work passion scores dramatically. Master Your Motivation brings Susan's groundbreaking model to everyone, along with the skills and tools to apply to both personal and professional goals on a regular basis.”
-Chris Wollerman, CEO, Inspire Software

“Master Your Motivation teaches all of us, no matter our role, that we can apply the skill of motivation to thrive. But what resonates most for me is the science behind why a strong sense of personal purpose and an investment in deeper relationships are such powerful tools for achieving our goals.”
-Cheryl Bachelder, former CEO, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc., and author of Dare to Serve