Do You Know Your “WHY?”
Ever find yourself low on energy after completing a task at work? Or, have you ever been energized after a long day of working on a project you enjoy? The first scenario may be playing against your motivators, while the second complements your key motivators.
Growing up my mom would always say that you should do the task you least want to do first – get it out the way – so you can focus on the fun task you want to do. It’s simple and makes sense. You are going to feel less motivated on things you don’t like to do and more motivated, even energized, by doing the things you love.
Simon Sinek popularized the movement of understanding your “Why.” Very few people or companies can clearly articulate why they do what they do. This isn’t about running a profitable company—that’s a result. “Why” is all about your purpose. Why does your company exist? Why do you get out of bed in the morning? And why should anyone care?
To understand why we do what we do, we have to dive below the surface so we can illuminate and amplify a person’s motivating factors.
Motivators can be referred to as the aspects of life that you are passionate about, things that you perceive as important, or the thoughts that provide you with purpose and direction in life. Some people live their entire lives and are never asked to identify what truly drives them. You could work with a person for years and not be able to identify their true motivators. Why? Because our motivators are tucked away in a discrete part of our brain we have difficulty accessing.
Motivation is beneath the surface of observable behavior. When you understand what it is that motivates you, you understand your “Why.”
Many people feel stuck in their jobs because, I’m convinced, they’ve never stopped to ask why they’re doing what they’re doing. Typically, we hire based on skill-set and behaviors. Nine out of ten times our behaviors match up to the job. But you will find that people who have the right skill set and behaviors can still have job dissatisfaction if they are not tapped into what really motivates them. That is why 85% of people are dissatisfied with their job! When you understand what drives you, or what you find motivating, you will begin to understand your feelings towards other people and situations. You can then apply this newfound awareness to avoid potential conflict and achieve your goals.
DISC helps us observe differences with one another and communicate better. Meanwhile, our motivators provide insight into why we connect or not with tasks, other people, and ideas. They will expose why we do what they do, what gets us excited and up out of bed in the morning, and what keeps us engaged.
In this week’s podcast we’re going to take a look at how you can identify your “why” by understanding what the key motivators are for all of us and how tapping into our driving forces can lead to more job satisfaction. In a world that we wake up to every day feeling chaotic, unseen, and unsafe – I can’t think of any more important time than now to understand your purpose – your “Why” in life.
Keep Thriving!