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With our busy schedules, finding the energy or brain capacity to be motivated and learn something new can be challenging. To find out how we can better motivate ourselves for the benefit of our personal development, we reached out to mindset psychologist Dr. Rebekah Wanic.

But before we dive into the expert's recommendations, we first have to understand how motivation works in order to harness it.

"Motivation is the drive state fueled by internal or external factors that compel us to take action," explained Dr. Wanic.

When we are internally driven to do something, meaning that a specific activity is so exciting and interesting, we don't need additional stimuli to perform it, it's called intrinsic motivation. It comes from our inner desire to accomplish a goal.

We could also be encouraged to perform something by external factors, like having a reward (a sweet) after achieving something (reading a chapter of a book). This is called extrinsic motivation, which over time can turn into internal motivation, if used in moderation, of course.

Neither type of motivation is better than the other—they both play a crucial role in the learning process.

"Motivation is crucial for learning because it determines the level of engagement, persistence, and effort put into a task," explained Dr. Wanic.

"The more motivated, the more likely people are to continue to put in effort, even when they face challenges. It helps learners push through when energy wanes, stay consistent and practice regularly, and can even increase enjoyment of the learning process."

However, our motivation can be fragile and susceptible to many factors that can hinder it. "There are many factors that can reduce motivation, including lack of perceived interest in the material, lack of confidence in one's ability to accomplish the task, and feeling time constraints," said Dr. Wanic.

"Additionally, one's mindset has an important impact—if you view challenge as an important part of learning and growth, you will be more likely to be motivated and see pushing through as a valuable behavior in achieving your long-term goals," she noted. "If you view challenge as something that prevents you from getting what you want, then your motivation will be hindered."