Motivation can be defined as the process by which a person’s efforts are energized, directed, and sustained towards attaining a goal. Motivation hinges on three key elements: energy, direction and persistence. The energy element is a measure of intensity, drive and vigor. Intensity refers to the dedication and hard-work that is put into the motivational process. Successful motivation is significantly dependent on how hard and the amount of energy an individual puts into achieving their goals. Motivated individuals put in effort and work hard, however, sometimes being motivated is just not enough. In spite of having high levels of effort, this does not always lead to favorable job performance unless the effort is channeled in a direction that benefits the organization. The quality and direction of motivational efforts should be well-channeled in order to achieve the goals. If you are motivating yourself, you need to clearly state your goals and rewards. Moreover, you should also believe in what you are trying to achieve. On the other hand, if you are trying to motivate your employees, you should direct your motivational efforts to trigger the right emotions, so you can make the entire process more effective and well-directed. Directed efforts and consistency towards organizational goals is the kind of effort managers want from employees. Finally, motivation captures a persistence dimension. If the persistence is long enough, along with the energy and right direction the goal will be achieved. During the motivation process, individuals have to be completely determined and committed to their objectives or goals. Constantly reminding themselves of why they set the goal in the first place is a good technique to stay devoted to the task. Managers must encourage employees to persist in putting forth effort to achieve organizational goals.

According to Abraham Maslow