What Motivates You

What Motivates You - By Suzette Walker

For some, the question of what motivates you can be difficult to answer. However, your main motivation lies in your own background and experiences. You must look back on your past events, whether it be in the work place or at home, to find where your motivation to succeed comes from. For most people, the answer is simply ‘money’, but the truth is really something much more substantial and this is your true motivation. Simply put, money would not be the answer but what money can permit you to do can be. Donald Trump once said, “Money was never a big motivation for me, except as a way to keep score. The real excitement is playing the game.” In other words, money is too general of a motivator -- what is it that money enables you to do that you would want it so much? Is it that you need the money to become independent from an employer or debt free. Money would also give you the ability to enjoy your leisure time without feeling unproductive. In this instance, the enjoyment of leisure time would be your true motivation.

To find your true motivator, make a list of your most exciting accomplishments. Think about the times when you felt energized at work or when you looked forward to going to work. Scan your resume and look for key words or phrases that made that job enjoyable. Was it the ability to lead a group of people into accomplishing a difficult task? Were you enlivened by the accomplishments that you created or the skills that enabled you to manage a large group? Maybe it was not the attainment of reaching the goal that exhilarated you as much as the recognition you received from your boss or others that was your true motivator. Also include tasks that you have achieved since working from home in your list. Think about projects that you have completed that excited you or that you tackled with exuberance.

Once you have a list of your most motivating experiences, take a look at it and circle key words or phrases that appear more than once. This will help you identify a clear pattern of what motivated you. Sometimes it can be as simple as having accomplished a goal accurately and in a timely manner. Other times it can be as complex as the prestige that you were awarded by others once the task was completed. Either way, it will give you a stronger sense of what motivates you right now.