What motivates you in life?

This question is in my mind as I have been thinking about the motivation of the athletes at the Olympics.  This is a big question and some people do not know the answer.

What would you say motivates you?  What makes you jump out of bed and makes you feel satisfied at the end of the day?  What gives you a sense of purpose?  Would you say you have drive to get things accomplished?  Or do you feel that you lack motivation?

“Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly.” Stephen R. Covey

It is often a question asked at an interview.  According to Lynn Taylor, an Australian workplace expert “This is a common interview inquiry that can easily catch you off guard.  Why? Because it’s so broad that the way in which you respond speaks volumes about you on so many levels — including your personality, ambitions, skills, enthusiasm, expectations, and how you generally think, just to name just a few.”

But it is not just about work.  What motivates you in your personal life?   Sometimes we do not have the time to reflect and realise what we are doing with our lives.  We need to make time to think about what we enjoy doing and also what we hate doing.  If we hate doing something, we should try to avoid it.

Some questions to ask when you are reflecting on your life:
What’s currently in your life that you would like not to be there any more?
What’s not in your life that you would like to have?
How much do you want your life to change?  Enough to take some targeted action?
If you are committed to change you’ll find a way even if there doesn’t seem to be one.
“There’s always a way, if you’re committed.” Tony Robbins

I start the day with a list of tasks I need to do and I know there are some I am totally unmotivated to do.  They are usually still there at the end of the day.  A good method would be to get rid of these jobs sooner rather than later as this will set you up with a day of only enjoyable tasks.

Psychology Today reports:  The great psychologist David McLelland identified things that motivate us: the need for achievement, the need for affiliation and the need for power. These are the great – largely unconscious – drivers which shape the course of our personal and working lives.

Achievement – something accomplished, the desire for recognition and success, something that has been done through effort

Affiliation – connecting, networking, becoming part of a group

Power – the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behaviour of others or the course of events, the ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way.

The life coach Audrey Marlene says the following are things that can motivate us:

Ambition
Money
Independence – to feel in charge of your own life
Security- job security, financial security, peace of mind
Status/Power/Prestige
Self-esteem/The good feeling you get after getting the task done
Opportunity to improve, to grow and become more capable.
Recognition and respect from others after a job well done.
Making a difference/the feeling you get inside
You are competitive/you have to feel that you are gaining ground and winning every time.
You have a point to prove

What gives you a sense of achievement?  What motivates you?  Do you have a zest and passion for life?  Do you set yourself big or small goals?

Image credit – www.motivateplay.com