I have sometimes questioned what sparks motivation. By that I mean what gets me up in the morning and what keeps me going through the day?
Back when I ‘worked’ for a living, some forty years ago (the last real job I worked at) I had a boss that felt that employees worked best when they were pushed - in a mean way. Fear and anger in his mind were great motivators. I hated working there and quit at the first timely opportunity so I guess it didn't work effectively on me. Later, when I had a chance to hire our first employees I strongly felt people were best motivated if I led by example and did my best to foster friendship and loyalty. I’ve always expected the very best from them and felt this was a great motivator. They always met or exceeded my expectations.
Friendly but fierce competition is a wonderful motivator for me. It is not so much about who wins but rather about how high we can raise the bar in the process. It is all about learning and of course having as much fun as possible along the way.
Pressure to meet my obligations and pay our bills certainly pushes me forward on projects. Deadlines can be extremely motivating at times. If I have promised something I do my very best to deliver on my commitment or preferably exceed it by a bunch.
Enjoyment of certain tasks motivates me in a big way. In fact, I'll often save these fun tasks as a reward to myself for finishing something I don't enjoy nearly as much.
Setting goals is a big motivator. Long term, large goals are critical. But small, daily or hourly goals are just as important. I am always asking myself what do I want to do in the next hour… before lunch, by quitting time? I also find that when I realize these goals just a little early, if I push on, a whole lot more can be accomplished in the remaining time - even if it is just a few minutes. When I do set a goal I like to immediately get to work. Getting the jump on a project and finishing far ahead of schedule sure beats having to burn the midnight oil at the end.
Then there are the things I am passionate about. They certainly motivate me in a big way. Just about all of the projects we tackle in our shop fall into this category. Getting up in the morning is pretty easy for these jobs. The money part isn't the most important thing and isn’t a big motivator (although we charge well for our work and enjoy bringing the pay check home). We purposely design all of our projects in a vague way and then plus them constantly all the way through. This allows us to be wildly creative every single day and keeps a big grin on my face.
To keep motivated, especially on a big project, we need to celebrate the victories and progress we make daily - even if the amount accomplished is small or less than expected. On many projects we do it by taking a few minutes at the end of each day and mocking up the pieces as they will be when finished. Its a way of celebrating progress. Milestones are celebrated with a treat and an ice cold CocaCola.
I am certainly motivated by the possibility that the work will be published in some way, even on this blog. The necessary standard is high and the bar is continually raised. National or international competitions (back to the competition thing) figure into this same equation.
Knowing my peers in the industry are constantly watching and taking an interest in my work is certainly a motivator. At times it is very intimidating to know they are expecting ever more from me. At the same time, constructive criticism or praise from this group also means the most for they understand what it takes to do this type of thing. They speak from experience. The folks with the dirty hands and paint splotches on their clothes talk with the most authority.
My biggest motivator is to simply do better than I did yesterday. I know what the standard is - I know what I did yesterday. Doing something better and a little differently than what came before keeps things fresh and interesting. It challenges me daily for it is brand new territory - a little bit scary, the water a little bit deeper , the distance a little further than I've experienced before. Often, although I am confident I can somehow pull it off, I am not at all sure how until I sit down to do the task. This is when I am most challenged and also when I am the happiest - the most motivated.
I believe motivation can certainly be influenced by those around us. Having the unwavering support of those who love us is a big motivator. Even so, most of the time it is something we consciously create inside ourselves. We have to decide to be motivated. We have to purposely make decisions that allow us to be motivated. When all the things that would undo this motivation surround us (and certainly they do in my life too) we have to constantly make purposeful choices to keep it going.
Doing something we love sure beats actually working for a living.
