What Drives: Forces of Motivation at Work

The only way to do great works is to love what you do

Steve Jobs

When we think about labor, we usually think about motivation and payment as the same thing, but the reality is that we should probably add at least such kinds of things to it: meaning, creation, challenges, ownership, identity, pride, etc. Except of money, we are also driven by meaningful work, by others' ackowledgement, by the amount of effort we've put in: the harder the task is, the prouder we are. What really drives depends on our hierarchy of needs.

The significance of payment motivation depends on whether it gives means to live or to survive. In the latter case money is more than an important - it is crucial motivation. Each person has different standart of 'enough' which involves in his line of needs.

I'd like to cite a passage of post "What motivates you at work" from linkedin:

"Is money why you go to work? If your boss doubled your salary, would you work twice as hard? I didn't think so".

But I was much more interested in one of the comments to this post: 

"If your boss cut off 20% from your work, would you have the same paycheck? I didn't think so :)".

It is hard to escape the conclusion that money definitely exerts a considerable impact to our motivation at work. Thus there is the rub: this motivator is short-lived. There should be another sense that stays with you much longer.

When my husband was just beginning his career of C# Developer - it was more than 5 years ago - he got about $200 a month. Student's hierarchy of needs differed from the necessities of a family man's life :). Alexandr always says he is able to make money our family needs. One he is passionate about is personal and professional growth. He is motivated with his job because the opportunity of being he truly is, and the best he can be. Work, along with family, is his source of being, his path. My husband loves programming not only as his job, but also as his hobby. As the way of thinking. Frankly speaking, I'd be pleased to land him a job if I was an employer.

My profession, putting it middly, is not such financially rewarded one as my husband's. My best work experience is connected with English teacher's job at the lyceum. I was passionate about preparing an interesting material for my students and to see feedback interest in their eyes while working crossword puzzles, guessing riddles and playing linguistic games. 

My further jobs were associated with disrespect of my rights and mistreatment in terms of working hours and loads of work. For one, being a proofreader at the editorial office, I used to discharge responsibilities of layout designer, sales manager, messenger, organizer, bookkeeper and even a cleaner. Working hours were flexible only in terms of ordinary overtimes. Level of work done didn't have an impact on my salary. It was $250 a month, 3 years ago.

Honestly, appreciation and recognition for my efforts - that's just the thing that motivates me. The best bet is to make both dollars and sense :).

A Frenzy For Travelling

To move, to breath, to fly, to float, 

To gain all while you give, 

To roam the roads of lands remote, 

To travel is to live 

Hans Christian Andersen

Our passion for adventure is perhaps an essential core of our living spirit. There is a moment in everybody's life when we aren't satisfied in a world by ourselves and become bored with 'living in' and turn it into 'moving to' energy. Somebody feels certain relief in change. People feel some adrenaline rush in being off balance: losing sight of familiar comfort of home and friends. We have only essential things tending towards the eternal, - air, sky, our dreams and memories as a travel-bag. We loose ourselves, and next we find ourselves. We travel to open our eyes and hearts, to see the world, to know the world.

"You'll have to manage without pocket handkerchiefs, and many other
good things, Bilbo Baggins, before we reach our journey's end...
Home is now behind you. The world is ahead"
(Gandalf, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey")

The desire to move is characteristically human. Travelling is a form of self-education. It is a way to clear and broaden our mind, to enrich our life with new experiences. It gives us a filling of possibility, a new perspective of a new world. These experiences are not always pleasant, but the best things can come from the worst experiences. Many lessons learned on the road can be applied to everyday life too. 

We may come back and find out how belowed our starting point is, or see it with new eyes and extra colours. People enjoy the variety that the world has to offer. But though we pass and repass to find something beautiful, we should carry it with us. We see amazing sights, meet interesting people and learn a lot about ourselves.

As for me, what I like in travelling best of all is changing circumstances and acting in a haphazard way. The worst sides of travelling, in  my opinion, are disgusting toilets I sometimes have to use, comfortless beds and impolite fellow travellers. 

First and utmost, it really doesn't matter where we go or what our external circumstances are finally; it will always depend on our state of mind whether we experience happiness or not.