Why do you do the things you do? Why did you go to University? Why are you working for that particular company? Why did you skip University? Why did you get married? Why did you marry your spouse? Why are you single? Why are you doing that particular job? Why do you drive that particular car?
Is it because somebody expects it from you? Is it because you believe it is the right thing to do? Is it because you feel you have no choice? Is it because you want to be praised and admired? Or do you do it, simply because everyone else is doing it?
The questions may seem trivial at first but later you will see how important it is. It’s importance lies in the fact that being honest with yourself will help you identify the following:
who you are, where you are, what you want, where you want to be. If you are where you want to be, and if not, what you need to do to get there.
But before I continue let’s first look at what I mean when I talk of motivation. Motivation is normally used in two different senses.
We may talk of motivation as a reason for doing something, referring to the reason behind why you do what you do. For example why you attended school or College. The answer may be, because you want to be educated, so that you can get a job or it may be because your parents expects it from you.
We may also talk of motivation or the lack of it, in relation to having a particular drive to succeed in a particular area. For example, if you are attending college or University, not because you want it but because of your parents, you may not be motivated enough. Hence you may not do what is required to pass and as a consequence may fail or drop out altogether.
You see. Our inner motivation determines how much we put into something and is directly related to the results we get, be it success or failure.
Say for example you have a job, which you don’t enjoy. It is obvious that you will not put in as much into that job compared to, if you enjoyed it.
For a company which is profit driven, this represents a problem because if you are not motivated enough you may not meet their performance objectives. This may result in you not being promoted, being demoted or simply being retrenched.
Big Corporations spent millions annually on motivational speakers, in an effort to motivate their workers, and improve their bottom line. Why are workers not as motivated as they should be? It is because billions of people in the world are in jobs they don’t enjoy.
This fact was vividly illustrated by a recent survey, which found that more that more than 80% of all working adults in North America don’t enjoy what they do for a living. This figure should increase to about 90% for the rest of the world, considering that North America leads the world in terms of entrepreneurial activity.
Let us take another example. Say for example you are in an relationship, in which you don’t want to be. Lets say you’re having problems and your partner decides you both need counseling.
These problems are unlikely to be resolved by therapies which aim to restore the relationship, if that is not what you both want. As a result you may not be motivated enough to do what is necessary to save it.
I’m not immune from asking myself these questions. I often find myself having to admit that I’m doing things for the wrong reasons.
I remember doing things for people, and being quite happy doing it. However I discovered that I became unhappy when people didn’t show any appreciation for what I did. This actually caused me to sit and think, why I am doing the things I did? Was it to receive a Thank you, or did I do it because I have a desire to do good and help others?
If you do it because you want to do good, it shouldn’t bother you whether someone says, thank you or not. This reminds me of what is written in the Bible. If you only do good to those who are good you are not doing anything special, because everyone wants to return a favor or good deed.
But do good, even to those who are not good or have no way of paying you back. If you do that you will have a reward in heaven.
The following is a sign that you are doing things for the wrong reasons.
If you do something for someone and the person doesn’t say thank you or does something you don’t like. Do you regret doing it?
So what does one do? Ask yourself these questions and be honest with the answers. Depending on what the answers are, take action.
One of the keys to success and for that matter happiness, is being honest with yourself, To do what you Want and Are Good at and to Do it well.
Leonard J. Roos is the author of How to Unlock the
awesome power of the Universe. All of Leonard’s writings are
based on his own experiences. Visit http://www.successnow.info/
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