Self-Determination in Action

Marcus Walton

Alright folks, welcome back to Ascend Altitude Sessions. I’m Marcus, and as always, I’m joined by Elias—ready to dig into the roots of what really drives us as humans. Today, we’re unpacking Self-Determination Theory, or SDT. If you’ve been with us for a few episodes, you know we’ve been circling around this idea that motivation isn’t just about willpower or external rewards—but about a kind of energy that comes from deep within. SDT gives us a firm framework for that.

Elias Carter

It’s great to be here and to be a part of this discussion, Marcus. SDT really shifts us from seeing people as just reacting to carrots and sticks—Skinner-style, right—to seeing us as growth-driven, active agents. The heart of it is three basic needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. These needs aren’t learned, they’re in-born—kind of like craving water when you’re thirsty, but for the psyche. So, autonomy is about being the author of your actions, not just drifting along; competence is that sense you get when you’re mastering a challenge; and relatedness is all about connection, feeling like you belong or matter to a group or even just one other person.

Marcus Walton

Yeah, for me, the clearest real-world example is, well, mountain ultra running. I probably talk about it too much, but hear me out: Planning my training satisfies my need for competence—figuring out nutrition, elevation profiles, what gear works. But if I was forced on some plan I didn’t believe in, my motivation tanks. The autonomy part is picking my own route, adjusting my goals, owning every blunder and breakthrough. And what keeps it all moving are those local running groups—people to share failures and successes with. That’s relatedness in action. If any one of those needs is missing, it’s just not sustainable. The race feels like a slog instead of something I look forward to—even with all the suffering.

Elias Carter

I love that you brought in suffering, Marcus—because so much of SDT is about whether we feel pushed or pulled. And it’s more nuanced than just “intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation.” That old binary, it’s kinda misleading. SDT maps it out as a continuum—amu—amoti... what do they call it again—oh right, amotivation on one end, where you just don’t care, all the way through external rewards, guilt-driven efforts, to truly autonomous pursuit. The six mini-theories in SDT break these out. There’s Cognitive Evaluation Theory—that’s about how feedback and rewards mess with motivation. Organismic Integration Theory shows how you can internalize a task you don’t love by connecting it to values. Causality Orientations Theory, now there’s a mouthful, talks about how some folks just naturally lean more toward autonomy, while others might seek control—or even feel helpless and impersonal about choices altogether. And then, we’ve got Basic Psychological Needs Theory—the classic trio we just talked about—Goal Contents Theory, which sorts goals into intrinsic or extrinsic, and finally, Relationships Motivation Theory, zooming in specifically on relatedness in relationships.

Marcus Walton

That’s dense, but it totally matters. Each mini-theory gives us a different lens for why we want what we want—or don’t. And the practical upshot is: it’s not enough to just chase goals—we’ve gotta make sure we’re feeding those three needs along the way. Otherwise it’s like running on empty. I guess that’s a bad analogy—I mean, I literally run on empty sometimes, but you know what I mean.

Elias Carter

And the idea that these needs—autonomy, competence, relatedness—aren’t just personal quirks, but actually the fuel for engagement and healthy motivation? That takes us straight into learning and work. Let’s start with education: there’s this program called IMPACT at Purdue University in Indiana in the States, where they redesigned university courses around SDT principles. Instead of forcing rote memorization, they started supporting students’ autonomy by giving choices, connecting lessons to future goals, even making space for real relationships in the classroom. The result? Students not only felt more engaged and like they belonged, but actual failure rates dropped. That’s not just theory—that’s numbers on the board. And now other Universities such as Monash and Melbourne University in Australia are following suit and offering some courses in a similar fashion.

Marcus Walton

I’ve seen something similar in workplace studies. When leadership focuses on autonomy—so, you give employees choice, support their sense of competence with good feedback, and create a culture of respect and belonging—you get these wild jumps in retention and drops in burnout. 58% higher retention, actually, and 83% less burnout. If you think about all the money companies pour into external perks or pressure tactics—when, really, the answer is lurking in the way you support your team as human beings—I mean, it’s almost too simple.

Elias Carter

And it bleeds into how even small communities work. When I was a kid, I took over as president of my high school’s meditation club. We were struggling—nobody showed up on time, everyone felt awkward. I didn’t have a clue what ‘SDT’ was, but my grandmother—she was all about creating a safe space. I started asking, “What do you all want out of this? Should we run our own sessions? Pair up and share?” Suddenly, people showed up early, volunteered ideas, and the club started winning recognition in the county. Looking back, I see it was all about giving people ownership, a sense of getting better at something, and real, heartfelt belonging. That’s SDT in action, whether anyone knew the name for it or not.

Marcus Walton

It’s funny—you see that story under the surface in so many places. And not just education or my running groups. Sports coaching, business, even health care—there’s a tidal wave of data showing if you create an environment where these three needs are met, people stick around, get more resilient, and avoid burnout. If you impose too much control—even with the best intentions—motivation goes off a cliff. That even popped up in last episode, where we talked about willpower and how people just crumble if all you give them is external pressure with no inner buy-in.

Elias Carter

Right, and just to bring some nuance—sometimes, even the best SDT interventions stall out. That big education meta-analysis found autonomy and competence were powerfully improved by SDT-based teaching—but relatedness, that sense of real peer connection, is a bit harder to boost. It’s a reminder that environment matters, but there’s always more work to do on helping folks feel they truly belong.

Marcus Walton

So this takes us to the next level—how do you make a goal not just achievable, but truly worth sticking with? Enter the Self-Concordance Model. This framework piggybacks off SDT, but zooms in on whether your goals line up with your actual interests and values. If they do—if the goal is truly yours, what the research calls “self-concordant”—you’re more likely to feel ownership, put in consistent effort, and—crucially—experience well-being when you arrive. If not, it’s like hiking a mountain for someone else’s Instagram post; you’ll run out of steam, even if you make it to the top.

Elias Carter

That’s so on point. And it’s why two people can set the same goal, like running a marathon or learning a language, but only one finds it meaningful enough to push through setbacks. The Self-Concordance Model shows the actual striving—not just the achievement—is what delivers well-being, because it satisfies those needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness along the way. That’s why people stuck in “should” goals, or chasing stuff for social approval or external rewards, often feel empty afterwards, even if they technically succeed.

Marcus Walton

There’s a reason other frameworks—like Goal Setting Theory, or Expectancy-Value Theory—miss the mark a bit. They focus more on the mechanics of goal setting, like making it specific, or believing you can do it. And, those are definitely important. But without asking, "Is this really my goal? Does it light me up in some way?"—we’re missing the whole point of sustainable motivation. Internalization, quality of motivation—SDT and Self-Concordance Model, that’s where the differentiator really is.

Elias Carter

So, the big questions for all of us are: How often are our goals truly our own? And how do we weave these three needs—autonomy, competence, relatedness—into everyday routines? Personally, I keep coming back to reflection rituals—daily journaling, like my grandmother taught me. For Marcus, it’s trail running, building systems around mastery and community. And for listeners, maybe it’s gardening, music, creating a supportive crew at work—whatever brings real interest and meaning.

Marcus Walton

And if you take one thing from today, it’s this: Don’t just chase the nearest shiny goal. Take a beat, ask yourself whose dream it is. Then, find ways to build autonomy, skill, and support into the process. That’s what leads to sustainable growth—not just another tick mark on your to-do list.

Elias Carter

Alright, that’s our cue to wrap up. We'll revisit this in future and, we’ll go even deeper into the practical tools for aligning your daily life with these principles, and maybe see how setbacks fit in. Marcus, always good to hear your metaphors and mileage reports.

Marcus Walton

And Elias, your stories always get me thinking sideways. Alright, Ascend Altitude Sessions listeners, thanks for joining us—keep building, reflecting, and, well, running your own race. See you next time, Elias.

Elias Carter

Take care, Marcus. And goodbye to all our listeners—go find your self-determined trail this week.