Motivation: A Key Ingredient For "Success"

“Why” are you doing… what you do? What’s your motivation?

Earlier this year in a Better Business Bureau survey, it was reported that 84% of America’s workforce was either “unhappy” or dissatisfied with their job or career.

In like manner, there was another interesting job report that had been released by Salary.com several months earlier. In which it was reported that the average American worker admitted to squandering 1.7 hours per day… not including lunch and scheduled break time.

When you consider that these workers had spent an average of 8.5 hours in the workplace each day… this means that 20% of their time on the job was literally “wasted”!

This is a very powerful statement which attests to a clear lack of personal “motivation” in the American workplace.

The Top 5 Time Wasting Activities were:

05.6% Performing personal errands on company time.
06.5% Making personal phone calls and text messages.
17.0% Conducting personal business.
20.3% Socializing with co-workers.
34.7% Personal “internet” use.

It is imperative that we appropriately correlate that time squandered, equates directly to “productivity” lost. It is also critically important to comprehend that our level of personal motivation is actually an outward expression, of the “attitudes” we are channeling internally.

How Would You Answer The Following Questions?

“What” or “who” is motivating you?

Just how many of the thoughts and attitudes that you have toward your company, boss, co-workers, customers, family or friends… are actually your “own”?

Are you truly accepting the responsibility of “owning” your attitudes, feelings and resultant behaviors for the life and career that you have chosen?

To be driven my real motivation… there must be real expectation, of a real “result”!

What is it that you are expecting to happen?
What is it that you really want?
Are these expectations realistic?

So, what is it that you can absolutely commit yourself to 100%? Is it what you are currently doing?

“Success” is defined as the continuous achievement of your own predetermined goals. Success is then quantified by your purpose, your actions and your attitudes. It is also necessary to comprehend that your ability to succeed will be directly impacted by the relationships and associations that you forge, both professionally and personally.

Are your relationships providing the critical support and encouragement that you want and need in order to truly succeed? Is anyone consistently supporting you 100%? Who is fanning your flame for success? Who is cheering you on to the finish line of achieving your goals and heart’s desires? Is anyone at all? Are the people that you expected to provide real support and encouragement actually “coming through for you?”

The harsh reality is that the principle that applies to being “happy”, also applies to motivation. It’s not someone else’s responsibility to “motivate” you… it’s you own responsibility to motivate yourself.

Just like the development of your talents, abilities and potential… motivation comes forth from “inside-out”. It’s the burning passion from within that sparks you to take action and pursue that which is of true and genuine importance to you, and you alone.

The critical action that is required to “motivate” yourself to success… is a two step process:

Find the one pursuit which is “worthy” of investing yourself totally in, and then commit your time, energy and available resources to achieve it.

Get what ever help that you need to develop a “fail-safe” plan, along with real support and encouragement from a source that you can absolutely count on.

Lastly, don’t overlook the importance of helping someone else to do the same.

Copyright © 2008 Thomas H. Swank, DBC. All Rights Reserved.