Can you answer the question, ?what really motivates me??
I have studied the topic of motivation for years and I love discovering what drives people to move forward in life.? Some are motivated by money, many strive for more free time and others seek to be a universal leader.
A few years ago, I kept telling myself that I needed ?a purpose?.? My husband said he and the kids were my purpose (and added that I was doing a good job!) ?That was very sweet of him, but my kids were teenagers and becoming more and more independent.? The roles of mother, homemaker, taxi driver, cook and cleaner were no longer enough for me.? But why did I feel like this?? What was this ?drive? for more meaning in my life?
I found the answer whilst reading ?The Achieving Society? by David McClelland.? Through his cognitive theory he highlights that for some people the thought of accomplishing tasks and advancing in their role is enough to make them jump out of bed in the morning, keen to tick off the next goal and get promotion.? For others the feeling of authority, making an impact and gaining status is all it takes to get them up and running and for others like me their driver is affiliation.? Which means the need to interact with people, to share, to promote teamwork and to be kind.
In the past I worked in Direct Sales. ?Some people can?t understand why anyone would be attracted to this industry, but I loved it.? As a team leader, I enjoyed being part of a group with a united purpose and being able to offer women an opportunity to get back into the workplace, without a stern interview, a bachelor?s degree or having to travel to the city.? I thrived on helping each of them build their confidence and watching them achieve more for themselves and their families.? My boss knew that my main driver was affiliation because I was more interested in the people than the profit.? I was more driven by team work than team sales.? My goals were more about staff retention than financial turn-over. ?I enjoyed it so much because I was motivated by my internal driver.
Most of us have at some point ended up doing something that we didn?t desire or enjoy because we allowed external influences to sway our decision.? We make these choices then wonder why we feel unfulfilled.? It really pays to understand your internal and external motivators so you can move into an area where you will thrive and have a positive effect on those around you.
Anne runs a monthly Women?s Empowerment Meetup on the Northern Beaches. And offers a FREE 20mins Clarity Call for anyone interested in finding out more about Life Coaching. She has written a book How To Take Back Control of Your Life Now! And produced an online course How To Reignite Your Spark! As well as having blogs and magazine articles published around her expertise as a Women?s Empowerment Coach. To find out more you can visit her website. https://annemckeown.com/