Ive thought about this for years and wanted to open it up for you guys to get your input.
I believe there are two major motivations for taking action,
1. Any type of Stress , it could be a some sort of hunger, pain, fear, anxiety, worry, etc. It can be good stress or bad stress.
2. The Pursuit of prospect , and I dont mean this to be greed, or pride only, it can be any goal not motivated by stress, and yes the pursuit of prospect can be motivated by stress, so in that sense it would be stress motivated, and not count. In this sense, it has to be PURE meaning stress is not involved in any way. Maybe you want to do something nice for someone, try to grow and become a better person, reach a goal etc.
When we are motivated by stress, motivation ends when stress ends, and it puts us into a vicious cycle of acting only when we are stressed, and the absence of stress becomes our primary focus. Stress is typically the indication of a problem, so we become perpetual problem solvers or fire putter outters. I really dont like this mode of thinking.
When we are motivated by the pursuit of prospect in the absence of stress, it can be never ending. I know this will sound crazy, but I often feel deep sense of inadequacy in achieving the goals I have for myself. Its not stress in the sense that its something I HAVE to do, but more discomfort because I havent achieved it yet.
In any event, I have a hard time feeling satisfied with myself. In a way, I like it and I dont think I would want to change it…but I mean….I have a really hard time appreciating the goals I do accomplish because as soon as they are done, I am moving on to the next project. How can I feel satisfied without becoming complacent?
In your opinion, what motivates you in a positive way?
when one works for the "man" a positive reinforcement is pretty much the only motivator when your salary is over ~$50K. it is scientifically proven. "impressing" my wife and making her happy is what motivates me. and i dont mean i am her slave, but when i put a smile on her face, i am in heaven. She feels the same.
thanks for sharing! I love to hear why people do things!
I’m motivated by the people who surround me. As long as they smile and feel good from what I have done it is all worth it. A simple compliment of a job well done is such a motivator for me. This doesn’t just apply to photography. I feel this way in all that I do.
I get a great feeling of satisfaction when I help someone. So I guess what I am saying is, positive, good feelings coming from others is what motivates me.
Cash
Wow! The pursuit of contentment or satisfaction does become tricky when you are perfectionist. Setting goals too high is often my dilemma. The result? A) discontentment due to non-achievement B) procrastination due to subconsciously knowing that the goals are too high C) fear of not achieving goals–thus becoming complacent (stagnant, paralyzed). Yes! there is a very fine line in it all.
Hey, haven’t checked your blog in a while. Still looks good. Did you ever explain what you did that you were horribly terrified of? I believe someone just had a birthday? I hope that someone had a great day. Look for something in the mail from us shortly….
haha, the first thing that popped in my head was food, which can be true, free food, or a very well cooked meal is definitely a motivator…(I need to rewire my brain since that was the first thing that popped in my head before I balloon)…things that motivate me: deadlines and goals, good examples, knowing I will be held accountable, the Scriptures and seeing the hand of God in mine and others lives…
When I awake and before I go to sleep what motivates me to strive to be what I have choose is my kids. I want to show them how hard work pays off. I’m only a student but I love the art of Photography and I will strive to show that in each of my images. With that love that I can express to my children I can see that in my art. It sounds cliche but really its what drives me, everyday, and believe me its hard to get out to shoot when I want to, but when I do its worth it.
You know I really think that stress is the best motivator. For me right now I just had my 2nd premmie baby, this one at 24 weeks and I have to keep everything (or feel like I have to) for my family and my lil’ daughter at home. It’s amazing how we are wired to handle stress. For me I think stress is the main motivator in my life.