What motivates you to succeed in life?

Motivation is the key to success. So what motivates you to succeed in life? For some people, their motivation is fame. Others, it may be money. Still others may have a more lofty goal of helping people or doing good for the world. Whatever motivates you to succeed, it’s important to be aware of what your motivations are in order to understand what will motivate you most in the future.
When it comes to professional motivation, there are 8 main motivations that we will call “career anchors”:

1. To become a specialist

Motivation is related to the thought that we can only do what we are best at. This kind of motivation is related to our skills and knowledge, not only technical knowledge or professional knowledge but also our soft skills such as communication and self-confidence as well as knowledge about our field of specialization or work area. Motivation for being a specialist is expressed by those who work hard to have the best possible training and experience in their field so they can excel.
What is the benefit of succeeding in this type of motivation? First, it makes you more successful in your professional career. Second, it makes you feel great about your knowledge and skills. Third, it gives you an advantage over others in your profession because you have the best training available.
This motivation is related to the idea of ​​identity. A novice who wants to become a specialist must develop skills that are specific to certain areas. The person, who identified his area of expertise is therefore more likely to succeed in this area.
It is important not to be caught up in the world of extraneous objectives such as “becoming an expert in this or that”. From what you have experienced and experienced so far, it’s appropriate to pursue a particular new field. This is where you satisfy your personal needs and the need to advance professionally. It’s important to renew yourself, but the field must be appropriate for you.

2. To become a leader

Leaders are those who do the right thing at the right time, those who can combine their knowledge, professionalism, intelligence and determination with others to achieve challenging goals. Leaders represent progress in society and are therefore respected by others.
Although it’s great to follow a role model, it’s most important for you to look for new ways of expressing yourself. One of your goals is to become an admired and respected leader in your field of specialization or in another field altogether. In this way, senior people will look to you as a role model that they can follow when they want to make their own careers.

3. To be independent, to have autonomy

This type of motivation is related to the exercise of personal freedom. Some people don’t need to be a leader, they don’t want to be a leader, but they need space and freedom in their lives. Being an independent and autonomous person is one of the greatest challenges you will ever face. We may not need leaders or specialists in our lives, but we do require autonomy. You must find your own way to exercise your personal freedom. And that’s one of the greatest sources of energy for you as well as for others.

4. Find a stable and secure job

The need for stability and security is not as great anymore. Today, there are many ways to achieve this. For example, you can achieve stability and security by being an entrepreneur or finding a stable position in a large company. You can have the best of both worlds, but it takes much more effort to be an entrepreneur or find a secure position at the top of the company than it does to follow someone else’s path. The key is to find what you want, whether it’s a safe job or to work for yourself.
In any case, this kind of motivation is related to our need for security and stability.

5. Create your own company, develop innovations

In order to be creative, you must make money. If you want to create your own business and make money from it, you must pass through a learning process: you must study your target market, research competitors, analyze the market and design the best products for the target market. In this way the company is created step by step and brings profits down the road. Becoming an entrepreneur is one of the most difficult challenges of all careers because it requires maturity, hard work and perseverance. However, if you are determined to become an entrepreneur in any field, then this type of motivation will be very rewarding.
What is the benefit of succeeding in this type of motivation? First, you will be able to create a business for yourself. Second, you can develop innovative products that meet consumer demand. Third, you can provide jobs for other people who will have the opportunity to grow professionally through your company.

6. Serve others, commit to a cause

Some people are motivated by kindness and altruism toward others. You may believe that your commitment to others is not related to your professional life at all, but in fact it is quite relevant because it makes people like you and trust you more than others who are only motivated by themselves. Your commitment to helping others will be an advantage in your professional life.
Some may say that a person’s motivation for serving others is their passion for that cause. In this way, the commitment to a cause becomes a source of inspiration and an added value when you look for professional goals.
If you have chosen this kind of motivation, then try to find a cause that is consistent with your interests and skills. For example, if your interests are computers and engineering, then you can work with charities related to computer science.
This type of motivation always brings value to society as well as personal satisfaction and fulfillment.
What is the benefit of succeeding in this type of motivation? First, it helps people in need. Second, it brings satisfaction in helping others succeed and achieve their goals. Third, it gives you the opportunity to accomplish some work that is not related to your profession.

7. Take on challenges, win competitions

This motivation involves competition with others, which is something that always takes place in the corporate world. Some people are motivated by challenges, but others are not. Challenges can be related to winning a competition, competing with peers, beating the company’s sales record or any other type of challenge. This type of motivation reflects our personal need for achievement. If you have this kind of motivation then you must begin to see the challenges and competitions that surround you in your daily work as opportunities for growth and development.
What is the benefit of succeeding in this type of motivation? First, it makes you feel recognized in your professional career. Second, it makes you feel more confident in your abilities and skills. Third, it means that you are on the right path to success.

8. Have a good quality of life

Some people are motivated by their health. They do not work for money alone, but because of the benefits that come from good health and life itself. If you have chosen this type of motivation, then you need to make healthy choices for yourself. This means not drinking more than five alcoholic drinks per day, not taking prescription medication without a doctor’s advice and eating a healthy diet. It also means engaging in regular physical activities such as walking or running so you can reduce your stress level and be physically fit.
What is the benefit of succeeding in this type of motivation? In your career you will maintain good overall health while at the same time achieving your goals. This can be an advantage over other people who are not as healthy.

Conclusion

If you have carefully analyzed each of the eight motivations explained in this article, you have taken the first step to understanding your professional motivation. This will allow you to develop your strengths and make your best effort toward succeeding in your career.
We are not saying that you have to have only one type of motivation. In fact, many people have more than one motivation, but it is good for you to know which one is most important for you and gives you greater satisfaction in life.