Some people need a reward on the horizon, others are triggered by the fear of failure. And then there are those who are driven by pure passion. Which type are you?

Motivation is one of the most overused words in personal development – and one of the least understood. Everyone knows they need it. Few know where to look for it. And here’s where the problem arises: most advice about motivation assumes that we all function the same way. That all it takes is the right goal, the right reward, the right plan. But it’s like everyone has been given the same map to different cities.

The psychology of motivation distinguishes several basic types – and research has long shown that people are not just lazy or hardworking, but more importantly, differently set. Some people need a clear outcome and a visible reward to even get started. Another is kick-started by a sense of accountability to others – he might not do it for himself, but he would for a team or family. And a third group cannot be motivated by either goals or relationships: these people simply need to be absorbed in the topic – and then they can’t be stopped.

What is most interesting about the whole topic is the moment of self-discovery. When you first realize that your motivation problem is not weak willpower, but the wrong type of incentive. That you’ve been using tools all your life that are great – just not for you. And that the change is not to do more, but to do it differently. That’s a realization that can change quite a lot quite subtly.

That’s exactly what our test can tell you – and you might be surprised at exactly what your type names.