mo·ti·va·tion 
(mō′tə-vāshən)
(mō′tə-vāshən)n.
1.
a. The act or process of motivating: the coach's effective motivation of her players.
b. The state of being motivated; having a desire or willingness to act: students with a high level of motivation.
2. Something that motivates; an inducement, reason, or goal: “If your primary motivation in life is to be moral, you don't become an artist” (Mary Gordon).
mo′ti·vation·al adj.
mo′ti·vation·al·ly adv.