Example of motivation

For instance, In a retail work setting.

When you are at work and you see other people achieve their goal and are doing better than you because they are meeting their daily/weekly sales target. Then we come to your results and see that you haven't been meeting the minimum requirement. You see that other people are, it gives you that force to want to do better because you feel like you aren't meeting what you're supposed to. You look at your coworkers and decided that tomorrow you will step up your game.

That is a simple effort of motivation, analyzing what people are doing and realizing that you could do just the same by working a little harder and following the top sales leader.

Thats why retail sales setting usually have

Store Managers
^
Assistant Store Managers
^
Sales Manager
^
Sales Associate

Sales associate are usually motivated by the higher position people that can help motivate the staff by reminding the team what is expected, what the incentives are, and how to achieve the goals.
This usually triggers motivation in the team and individuals in the beginning of their shift.

You can be self motivated or motivated by someone else.

Abraham Maslow explains there is a type of life hierarchy by classifying people's priority and needs.
People wonder how can this theory be true?

He categorizes needs from lowest to highest. You must be able to satisfy the lower needs in order to achieve the higher needs.