Examples of things that can motivate you to do anything (a job, a hobby, start a business, anything):
- Curiosity
- joy of learning about new things = joy of expansion & growth, and the joy & satisfcation of approaching Mastery (=intrinsic motivation?)
Examples:
- Richard Branson says: “These days, one of my goals is to keep challenging myself. I see life as one long university education, in place of the one I never had — every day I learn something new.”
- I found this passage about Bill Gates: “Growing up Bill Gates was genuinely interested in mucking around with technology. [...] So initially, at least, the technology itself motivated him.”
- joy of exploring new things = joy of expansion & growth (=intrinsic motivation?)
This could be exploring physical places and having physical experiences, or exploring ideas in the mental realm.
Examples: Richard Branson says: “I thrive on new challenges. I’m always excited about offering innovative solutions to common problems, even when it means that we’ll be breaking into new industries.” - joy of understanding things in a new way – aha moments = joy of expansion & growth (=intrinsic motivation?)
- satisfaction of meeting a set goal that you believe in, and seeing positive results from your efforts. (=extrinsic motivation?)
Warren Buffett sums up the satisfaction you can get from goals well when he advises: “Don’t just go for safe projects, take on the really tough problems.” Because solving big problems is a lot more satisfying than solving sure-thing safe little ones!
Wealth, success (in a chosen field or project), fame, fulfilling parental goal-oriented dreams or your own goal-oriented dreams are all such goals.
Why is this satisfying? Because you prove to yourself you can do stuff; you prove to yourself just how amazing you are and that feels good.
Examples of goals could be:
- A goal to do something to a level that makes you proud: Richard Branson says the best motivator is to be building a business you’re proud of. He says. “This has always been a motivator for me, from my Student magazine days, through to our latest start-ups today.”
- Steve Jobs said: ” the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. ”
- Bill Gates had a goal of putting a computer in every home on every desk.
- Goals that are inspired by seeing what other people around you have achieved.
Richard Branson says that by meeting other successful people it helps motivate him to do more. He said: “They accomplished so much in their respective fields that spending time with them made me think about what I might do in mine. Afterward, I was more motivated than ever to do the best possible job in my own business.” - satisfaction in receiving praise, admiration & appreciation (=extrinsic motivation)
Why is this satisfying? Because you it helps you connect with the truth of how great you truly are and that feels good.
- satisfaction in feeling you have something of value to give (advice, ideas, something uniquely yours creatively, etc)
Why is this satisfying? Because you it helps you connect with the truth of how great you truly are and that feels good. - satisfaction of feeling that you are doing something meaningful by taking part in Meaningful Activities.
This often involves being part of a larger story, in the service for the greater good.
Why is this satisfying? Because you it helps you connect with the truth of how great and powerful you truly are and that feels good.
Examples:
- Richard Branson says he is motivated by wanting to try “to take full advantage of my days and make the world a better place for our generation and generations to come, and that gives me more energy…. I’m deeply committed to initiatives that tackle global issues – from climate change, to the failed war on drugs, to abolishing the death penalty.”
- Elon Musk also is motivated by making the world a better place. He says: “I’m just trying to think about the future, and not be sad.”
- Mark Zuckerberg has said that for him facebook is meaningful becuase “For me and my colleagues, the most important thing is that we create an open information flow for people. ”
- Bill Gates does a lot of philanthropy work these days because he believes this is meaningful. He says: “Our foundation is teaming up with partners around the world to take on some tough challenges: extreme poverty and poor health in developing countries, and the failures of America’s education system. We focus on only a few issues because we think that’s the best way to have great impact, and we focus on these issues in particular because we think they are the biggest barriers that prevent people from making the most of their lives.” He does his work because he believes “we can help every person get the chance to live a healthy, productive life.”
- Many wealthy people who no longer have to be motivated by things like making money, do a lot of philanthropy work because they believe it is meaningful.
References:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/martinzwilling/2015/08/27/6-top-motivations-that-drive-the-best-entrepreneurs/#668dddfa26ff