Motivation Explained
Recently my friend John (again) took out his ipad and started drawing and writing. And I (again) started taking notes. This time, he explained motivation…the range of motivation we either enjoy or are cursed by (He credits Ken Blanchard for coming up with this). Here’s the range, from bottom to top…..
• Guiltless lethargy – “I don’t do it and I don’t care” – The bottom rung.
• External reward – “I do it because I get rewarded for it.” Paycheck, praise, or recognition…all from ‘outside’.
• Expectation – “I do it because I don’t want the hassle or guilt or shame of NOT doing it.” Motivated to avoid negative consequences imposed from ‘outside’.
• Alignment – “I do it because I’m good at it.” What I do aligns with my interests, skills and abilities.
• Purpose – “I do it because it matters.” Whether it’s a service to the world, community, church or family, it’s meeting a need and contributing beyond myself.
• Inherent joy – “I do it because it’s who I am.” Because it matters, it helps others and I’m good at it. I love doing it. It flows out of me. It’s not just selfish joy…I want to bring others in.
Think about a task you’re on the hook for. Which of these describes the “why” you do it….or don’t?
Bigger picture, think about your job. Which of these describes your motivation?
I know a few people who operate out of inherent joy. Andy Stanley is one. He knows what he’s good at, what he was put here for. He guards himself from being drawn away from that thing he does, and he pours into younger ones who want to do what he does.
Amy Howard is another. She’s an interior designer who’s designed furniture for the Clintons, Elton John, Bono and others. She’s passionate about furniture. She sees really good furniture pieces thrown away by the thousands, just because the finish is dilapidated. She’s inspiring people to rescue these pieces, recycle them, restore them and then redecorate with them. She asks “Isn’t that what God does with us? He rescues us, recycles, restores, and then redecorates His Kingdom with us as we become ‘new creations in Christ’”.
The bottom three categories seem to stand independently. Certain tasks we do for the ‘carrot’, others to avoid the ‘stick’. And yes, some we don’t care about and just won’t do (Neglect, delegate or outsource).
The top three categories seem to be cumulative. Who knows which comes first? If doing something gives me inherent joy, I’ll probably get pretty good at it. If I’m good at something, I’ll likely to find joy in doing it. And if it’s purposeful…if it truly helps people, eureka! Can’t get enough!
To operate in the top half of the range, we need three things. To know what we’re good at, to have a heart for people, and to recognize what gives us true joy. Roll those things together and we’re motivated for life.
Question: Are you motivated? Will you start this year with a brutally honest self-assessment of your motivation level? And will you start to move toward work that you’re good at, helps others, and gives you joy? Tell us here.
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Responses (6)
Have enjoyed your e-mails. With mentoring, I enjoy, I love to help others and I am and have been told that I am good at it. Working with our pastor on mentoring at our church. Your website will help give me some ideas and to have a more organized approach as we move forward. Hope to retire in the next few years and do mentoring as a full time ministry.
One comment on radical metoring, another group to help are retirees. My wife and I know a number of retirees who do nothing – I did my time in the church and now drive their wives crazy by doing nothing. Their relationships suffer because they focused on the kids and not their relatoinship with each other. Dale Hansen
Is it too syrupy to suggest I do stuff as a higher sub-set of “Inherent Joy”? I think I work to make Jesus smile. Well that doesn’t exactly capture it. I mentor other’s because of the gratitude I have for what Jesus has done for me. And besides it’s just plain fun to do.
Gary
Thanks Gary…I agree about the joy of mentoring. Also the gratitude motivation is at my core. Be careful with “making Jesus smile”. He’s smiling because of who you are in Him, not your performance. You know that…I just couldn’t resist reminding myself…and you. Regi
Thanks for your comment and your commitment to mentoring, Dale.
“All the ways of a man are clean in their own eyes, but the Lord weighs the motives”. Isn’t it great that our God loves us and smiles, even when our motives are mixed. He doesn’t discount our Kingdom motives just because they’re accompanied by a little ego, or pride, or desire for affirmation. Not that those things are good….just that He knows we’re human, sinful and imperfect. Thanks for your comment Gary.
Motivation for doing what I do is a mixture of reasons: I do care; I am energized by gratitude; I am cognizant of God’s justice/consequences; I do it because God gifted me and opened the doors to do it; I do it because it matters to God that I love others; I do it because I enjoy seeing God at work; and the bottom line: I do what I do because I am trying to be sensitive to do God’s will (Matthew 7:21-23) work in His power (Galatians 6:7-8) for His glory (John 15:8) and store up treasure in heaven (II Peter 1:10-11). And when I fail, I recognize that I am a work in progress (Phil. 1:6) and greatly in need of God’s mercy and grace (Hebrews 4:14-16).