Could it be that we’ve lost sight of what motivates us? Are we perhaps missing something that is right under our noses?
Well, I can tell you what won’t motivate you… Fear and anxiety won’t. Even the fear that you’ll end up on a park bench somewhere won’t motivate you. The carrot and stick approach – reward or punishment – won’t get you cracking either. In fact, research has found that; rewards only work for narrow, focused tasks where instant results can be seen. Which explains why it’s ineffective for long term goals.
So often our fear, anger and anxiety are linked to things that are out of our control. We fixate on how our lives will be impacted if our fears are realized, instead of soberly considering the probability of it happening. If we did, we’ll discover the likelihood is negligible and we’re being driven by a much deeper void. The only thing fear accomplishes is crippling us into inaction. Take the teeth and claws out of your fear tiger. Focus on possibilities and opportunities, and not the impact of imaginary worse case scenarios. Instead of focusing on “What’s the worst that could happen?”, ask yourself, “What’s the BEST that could happen?”
Here are the three things that will get you motivated.
1. Autonomy
2. Development
3. Purpose
Let’s break it down. ‘Autonomy’ is defined as “the capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision” or to be self-governing. From an HR (Human Resources) perspective, it denotes a high level of discretion granted to an employee in his or her work. This stimulates creativity, taking ownership and being solution driven to get the job done. When autonomy is replaced by procedures, policies and processes, that are misaligned with operational realities, the result is high inertia by disengaged employees who have mastered the art of flying under the radar. Their focus becomes managing perceptions and trying to impress people instead of getting the job done. It’s like being asked to kick-box with your hands and feet tied. You get the picture.
Now let’s look at ‘Development’ as an intrinsic motivator. Your ability to improve, make progress, learn and grow as you cultivate your skills is a huge motivator. It’s so obvious that we miss it. It answers the questions “Can I do this?” and “Will it work?” If your answer is “I don’t know” then your motivation for development kicks in and says “Well, let’s try”. You may fail. So what? Try another way, ask for advice and try again. It is impossible to meet the demands of reality if we can’t push through the ceilings of failure.
Lastly, we get to the most powerful intrinsic motivator of all. Your Purpose. The stuff you want to do, should tie in with your purpose. The knowledge that you’re serving something bigger than yourself. Knowing that you matter. Knowing you make a difference and one day people will miss you because you made their world a better place.
Here is the sobering reality (and I’m only saying this because I’m on your side) your dream job doesn’t exist, and you will never feel like doing what you need to do. Let me explain – You will be facing obstacles, opposition, failure and conflict regardless of the industry you’re in. What is important is that you know who you are and what your purpose is. That you get up again after you’ve taken shots, even if you don’t feel like it. Your feelings don’t get the final say on whether you’re going to be successful or not. We show up, and we get the job done regardless. Our purpose extends way beyond the title on a business card or acquiring more things.
Here are four questions I would love to see your responses to, either in the comments below or, in a direct message.
1. What do you do?
2. Why do you do what you do?
3. Are you growing and developing in it?
4. Do you care about the people you’re doing it for?
Remember to follow SoJI so that you can catch our next article; “Flip the Traffic Light” coming soon.
