What drives you? How do you keep motivated?

Ateneo Professor on Entrepreneurship

Reposted from Inc by Jeoffrey James | July 15, 2013

How do you keep yourself on fire?  How do you keep motivated as the manager of a group, or as leader.  You get tired and frustrated.  There will  be  lot of restraining forces that will prevent you form achieving your goals?  What do you do?  Increase the driving force reduce the restraining force.?

The concern here is the fuel and the fire that drive you.  What drives you?

As you wake up in the morning, and that was my concern, how do I determine what I and my people should do?  Who would wake me up in morning to push me to work?  Who will nudge me?

How do you keep going?

1.  Act with a purpose  - It could be a low purpose (to provide food and shelter for family) or beyond you -  to provide jobs to many.  It could be love of country, love of God or the poor as the higher purpose.

    I remember when I was in final interview with VP for promotions in pharma (I was applying for drug rep) the interviewer was not happy that I only replied to the question, why do you want to work here

"I want to have a job  -  After you are hired you will get lazy"

"I want to be supervisor  - in three years you will become one; and lose interest and energy to work harder."

"I want to be a manager -  same;  when you are a manager, you will lose steam"

I answered in a way that will probably get him mad or answer his question - " Sir, I want to take your place".   End of questioning

2.  Be accountable for the results.  Blame no one.  No alibi or excuses.  Whatever happens is a result of your own effort or not because of someone else, or the environment.

3.  Just do it.  Do not wait for perfect information.  Avoid procrastinating.

4. Eat healthy foods that will fuel you during the day.

5.  Surround yourself with positive people