The W, W, H of Motivation
Motivation can be needy. It wants this and that--and a little bit of the other
thing--before it will kick into gear. Understandable, I suppose, given the large return
on your investment.
Though the demands may be many, they aren't hard to satisfy. The checklist below will
give you three of those requirements, among the most important. Follow their advice and
you'll be well on your way to waking up your drive both on and off the job.
1. Know what you need to do. Motivation is like a group of sixth-grade archery
students--it needs a direction. Without a clear target, it quickly dissipates. How long
could you get revved up when you don't know where you're going?
Tip: Clarify your objectives at work or ask your manager to spell them out.
2. Know why it has to be done. Reasons are the heartbeat of drive. If I don't give you a
good enough reason to work, you're not going to put much effort into the task. But if
you know why you're doing something, if you know how it fits into the bigger picture,
your motivation has a reason to live. Your work will mean something.
Tip: Figure out why you're doing what you're doing or ask your manager for the answer.
3. Know how to do it. People don't enjoy doing things poorly or wrong. Who would? Even
if you know what to do and why to do it, your work motivation can still suffer if you
don't know how to do it well.
Tip: If you don't know precisely how something should be done, learn on your own or ask
those who know.
Know what, why, and how, and your motivation will have a reason to come to life.
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