Human motivation is a complex subject which has been the focus of many different theories over the years.
The reason for this interest is obvious – motivation is one of the greatest keys to success and has a tangible dollar-and-cent value to business organizations the world over.
Motivation is the fuel of success, and in just the same way as everyone has their own unique fingerprint and DNA, every individual on the planet is hardwired with specific motivational preferences. Understand this and you have the key to motivate yourself and others.
There are four laws of motivation:
Law 1 – Everyone is motivated in different ways
- There is no single thing which everyone finds motivational. Rather, when you have a team of people, every single team member will respond to forms of motivation differently and uniquely.
Law 2 – Individuals have a distinct, unique motivational type
- When it comes to motivation, everyone is hardwired differently.
- Our inherent motivational DNA determines what we find motivational and what won’t work.
- The quality of our life and accomplishments requires that we each figure out how to energize ourselves and then those we are responsible for.
Law 3 – What motivates one person can de-motivate another
- As a result of the fact we all have unique motivational DNA, it stands to reason we all respond differently to various ways and means of motivation.
- What some can find highly energizing others treat with a yawn. Therefore, the way we approach motivating others needs to be personalized rather than generic.
Law 4 – No one motivational type is “better” than any other
- In just the same way as there is no real “best” blood type, no motivational type is inherently better than any other.
- There is no “best” motivational DNA to have. High achievers can have any type of motivational DNA.
- What’s important is receiving the right kind of motivational inputs for your type-specific motivational DNA. These four laws help explain why motivation is so difficult to pin down.
There are no simple “ten steps” which apply universally. Instead, everyone has a unique achievement pattern which can be termed their “Motivational DNA”. In just the same way as physical DNA determines your physical attributes, your motivational DNA will dictate how you are best motivated. What motivates you will not necessarily work for someone else. And since the quality of your life will be largely determined by your level of motivation, this is well worth understanding and using to best effect.
Inspired by
Tamara Lowe