Yes, that title is correct. I meant to say “what” do you love and not “who” do you love. The reason I used that choice of words is because I am wondering what it is that you love enough that it actually motivates you to do better. Knowing what motivates you to succeed is the first step in actually accomplishing that success.
At this point in the post, it would seem appropriate for me to tell you what motivates me to succeed. I’m not going to do that though. It’s a little part embarrassment and a little part none of your business! That’s right, the only person who really needs to know what motivates you is you. Sure, you can share it if you want to, but it’s not necessary. As long as you know, you can move forward.
Discovering what motivates me wasn’t as easy as it sounds though. It took an exercise with two very smart women to help me admit to myself what it is that I want out of life and what will motivate me to get to that point. They had me imagine where I wanted to be in 5 or 10 years. What did I want my business environment to look like? What did I want my personal life to be like? Who were the people around me? How was I perceived in that environment?
Next, I had to determine what it would take to get to that ideal future I had imagined. What would motivate me to get to that place? Was it money? Power? Prestige? Helping the community? Spending less time working and more time with my family and friends? All of these things can be motivators…the key was to determine which of those would best motivate me.
This is where the tricky part came in. Obviously, some motivators are little bit more self-serving than others. Some could even be called downright selfish. Which is why I am keeping my motivators to myself and not sharing them with you. And which is why I suggest you do the same. As long as you know what will motivate you to become a success, then you can work toward achieving those motivational milestones.
For example, if money is my strongest motivator, then building my business and increasing my client base should be one of my primary goals. If building prestige in the community is one of my motivating factors, then becoming more involved in community organizations and donating my time to local non-profits should be on my list of things to do.
Bottom line – loving money is not a bad thing. Loving power and prestige is not a bad thing. Just make sure that if those are the things in your life that motivate you, be honest with yourself about it. It’s the only way you will succeed. And, along the way, if you can use the power, money and prestige you accumulate to help others, that’s just icing on the proverbial cake.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
