usha manohar wrote:

Self motivation , goals and achievements can differ from person to person depending on the circumstances. I have an example to quote of someone I have known since a long time. This person , a post graduate in History , got a lecturers job in a private college after completing his BEd. He had absolutely no interest in either his job or improving himself except in the earnings. Naturally it showed in his quality of teaching and he was warned by the principal a couple of times , so also by his family to motivate himself and do his best in his job . Finally after sometimes  he himself quit his job. His family was furious with him but this also made him realise that he had  studied because of pressure form his father and taken up the job again because of  his father. Later, he started a business of his own which was discouraged by all because they felt he was wasting away his education. But , he succeeded and is now doing very well. So , self motivation works only when there is interest and also a willingness to motivate oneself ..Simply trying again and again does not serve any purpose if there is no real interest .

That's what I felt and said --"Self realization or knowing one self well is the key to stay self motivated". We all have experienced it in some ways in our lives