Non-coercive motivation is a motivation system that doesn't rely on forcing yourself, pressuring yourself, shaming or guilting (I explain more of what it means here).

Would most people benefit from being less coercive to themselves?

I sort of want to start answering straw versions of the question, because I think that they do answer real fears that people have when they hear about non-coercion and have the immediate reaction "You want me to just drop everything and do what I feel like!?"

Should you drop everything and focus on non-coercion?

So the first answer to the question as it is posed is "Of course not!" Goals are highly contextual. If you're the president of the United States, I think the goal of running the country is probably more valuable then processing non-coercion. Similarly, if you're living paycheck to paycheck at a grueling job you hate, it's probably not a good thing to try to mess with your fundamental motivation systems, it could very well lead to negative consequences if you don't find a new positive/stable motivation system.

Should you focus on non-coercion if you have enough slack to do so?

Now let's answer a less straw version of the question. Let's say a person has lots of slack and there won't be any immediate negative consequences to themselves or others. In that case, do I think it would be beneficial to switch to non-coercive motivation? It depends. Firstly, what do you care about? If it's mostly just about feeling good and having a good state (I often call this an enlightenment orientation) then yes, I do think this would be a good use of your time.

If instead, you mostly care about achievement/saving the world (I often call this a heaven orientation), then you have to look at at your current productivity. If you're already highly productive, it takes a significant investment to switch your strategy for little or no gain.Elon Musk should not focus on non-coercion. On the other hand, if you are a frequent procrastinator, or find you have wildly oscillating motivation, non-coercive motivation could be a highly effective strategy to make you more productive.

Now what if what mostly care about is shaping yourself and becoming your version of the ideal (I sometimes call this an actualization orientation). In that case, it's going to depend quite a bit on your vision of your ideal self. In some cases it will be worth it, others not...

Non-Coercive Motivation