Everyone is Unique, and We All Have Different Motivations
Everyone is unique and we all have different motivations. We go to work every day to get a paycheck, but it is important for us to have goals other than earning money. What is our purpose and what matters to each of us is uniquely personal; however, there are some common trends.
Family
When all else fails, most of us can always turn to a member of our family for support. Some people have close knit families while others have complicated relationships with loved ones but when it matters most, we usually have at least one family member who will step up and help. Therefore, family is a huger motivator for most people. We work hard to support our families and they work hard to help us. When we have a tough time at work, the thought of retuning home to see the people we care about can get us through the worst days. We work to make our parents proud; we work to provide food for our children, we work to help keep shelter around our family, and we work to do our part for our household. Families are important because long after an individual passes away the family survives. Individuals live on through their descendants and a persons spirt lives on in the hearts of a younger generation. Family is one of the core reasons for living and working.
Self-Dignity
Money is important and none of us would work for free; however, people need to feel like they achieve things daily and work can provide this necessary function. Think to yourself, what would you do all day if you didn’t have to work? The thought sounds appealing at first, but after a few weeks or months it is hard to image not getting bored. We can only go to the gym, go out to lunch, go to a public program, or attend so many social gatherings before we would go crazy. People need a sense of purpose and direction, and work can provide this as well. Not all jobs are created equal and not everyone is meant to work in certain fields. There are countless jobs that need to be done that can help a person feel valuable. That is why you often see retired people getting part time jobs. These people want the satisfaction of a day’s work. For some that means being busy all the time and for others that might be working or volunteering. The only thing we know for sure is that sitting around the house doing nothing is not physically or mentally healthy. It is important to have goals and purpose and work can help provide this.
Validation
When talking about validation, it is important to note that is nice for others to approve of your choices, but it is not necessary. The reason validation mentioned is because self-approval is important. Almost any hiring manager would tell you that an ideal candidate is a driven and motivated. By nature, people want to be the best and people want to succeed. We like to win and being successful in a career path can fulfil this need. People like to be able to prove to themselves that they can rise to any challenge and succeed. An employee that does not feel challenged enough eventually leaves a job because they fee l like they can do more. We work for the feeling of accomplishment that we set the goal for. Once again, we must admit that everyone has different skills, capabilities, learning ceilings, and this is okay. We all need to set goals that work for ourselves and for our needs and there is no greater feeling then proving to yourself that you can do it, that you are good enough, and you deserve to be successful.
People are different and we are all motivated by different things. Work and life can be challenging but we can all be successful. Be proud of who you are, know what drives you, and do not be afraid to fail from time to time, everyone does. Remember to think about your purpose a little bit everyday and to set goals to help make yourself better. Be proud of your accomplishments and think about your family and support system in tough times. Do so and you can do remarkable things.