What Rewards Will You Get Out of Activism?

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The Activist for Activists. Author of Make a Difference with Mental Health Activism and The Happy Activist: Journey the 5-Step Activism Path to Focus Your Passion and Change the World. Teacher, Psychologist, Environmental Activist, Animal Lover.

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What Rewards Will You Get Out of Activism?

Does it sound selfish to ask about rewards from activism? When I ask this question in my workshops, people agree that it seems selfish.

Well, it’s not. This post will tell you why. Here you will explore personal motivation; the “what’s in it for me” aspect of your work. Learn how successful activists meet their needs while helping their cause.

Activism Motivation

Activism is difficult and unrewarding at times, but your passion for your cause will get you through the tough times. That is why self-motivation matters. Your needs fuel your passion. Experiencing those needs and fulfilling them is perfectly fine.

Personal motivations for activism include:

Translating values into positive change
Getting satisfaction from the activism work itself
Enjoying working with others
Feeling capable and learning

What motivates you?

Translating values into positive change.

In my activism path, you get clear about your values and passions for making change. The opportunity to translate those values and passions into activism work will motivate you. Activists often value helping those who don’t have the same privilege. Other activists focus on different issues, such as on a passion for young girls to grow up believing they are as worthy as young boys.

New activist Rona examined the question of “What makes you gut-wrenchingly angry?” and found her activism passion in women’s health care. She values health care as a right, not a privilege. Racial inequality in access disturbs her: women get different medical care depending on their neighborhood. So, she feels strongly motivated when she lobbies for equal access to best practices across hospitals.

Getting satisfaction from the activism work itself

Feeling satisfaction from work itself is a powerful motivator. It is lovely to be needed. Sometimes the activism work is exciting. And sometimes escaping your life and working for others feels right.

People motivated by the work itself are likely to work hard and push themselves to support a cause. Motivation from inside rather than from an outside source, such as a paycheck, is stronger and lasts longer.

Joshua, a long-time political activist, found his motivation for canvassing flagging. It got harder to get himself out there to knock on doors. So, he stepped back and reflected on whether the cause was still right for him. His conclusion: getting his candidates elected was still quite motivating, but the work was not. Rather than knocking on doors, Joshua switched to fundraising and felt more energetic than ever for his cause.

[You may be interested in How To Fix Your Mixed-Up Motivation.]

Enjoying working with others

We have a built-in need to socialize. Activism and volunteering with friends or family can be motivating, even if you are working on their cause rather than yours.

Amanda hasn’t started working on her activism path, so she is unsure about the cause she is passionate about. But she knows she is loves working with her best friend Kathy. Kathy advocates for reducing the stigma of mental illness. She tells her story of mental illness and how the stigma made her afraid to seek help. Amanda is proud of Kathy for stepping out to tell her story, and she enjoys being with her. So, she chose movement support as her activism method. She acts as Kathy’s right-hand person, scheduling, organizing, and traveling with her. They have an excellent time for an important cause.

Serving others builds a rewarding connection between people, even without the bonus of making a change in the world. This type of sociability is a blessing to yourself and others; it can make even the most difficult tasks feel sacred.

Feeling capable and learning

Feeling capable motivates you. And if you achieve your goals for activism, you will experience increased self-esteem. The skills you bring to activism, when used to make change, will motivate you to continue to do more.

Jeffrey is a high school student who wants better gun control in his community. He doesn’t have the same developed skill-set as adult activists, but he wants to get started working on the issue. By joining a group of gun-control activists, he learns new skills. That way, he will better understand where his activism path will take him in the future.

It’s not selfish to want rewards from your activism

Research supports that we should include our needs in our activism. Long-term, successful volunteers focus on the things they receive from their efforts. They build motivation into their work.

Getting out in the world and making change happen is challenging. Take advice from seasoned activists and make sure it brings you joy along the way.

What Rewards Will You Get Out of Activism?

What Rewards Will You Get Out of Activism?