So I’ve always kinda wondered to myself, what are people’s motivation for business? This thought is always running through my head as I head to educational seminars, networking events, purchasing an item from a store, or just working on my own business. Heck, it even shows up on Social Media as I’m easily surrounded by entrepreneurs left and right.
Each person is doing what they’re doing for a reason. What was their initial motivation? Does it fulfill their purpose? How did they come across their current path? And is their current path fulfilling?
What Path Are You Taking? What is Your Motivation for Business?
Understanding the psychology of the mind and what makes people tick has always been something that just came naturally to me. Maybe that’s why I graduated college as a Psychology and Social Behavior Major. It was this passion and joy that stemmed from figuring out my own life that led me to what I do today, which is helping others create the lives that they’ve always desired.
I remember back when I started my first company shortly after coming out of college.
Back then, my motivation for business was money.
Plain and simple. I wanted to retire by the age of 30 and quite frankly, it didn’t really matter how that happened. I was willing to work myself to death and do whatever it took to do so in order to reach my goals. The thing is, looking back at it now, that was totally the wrong mentality to begin with.
The concept of enjoying what I did, following my heart, discovering my passion, and serving people through my love and joy for others was a concept that was foreign. It was non-existent. I can’t blame myself though. I was young, inexperienced, and I wanted to take on the world any way that I could. It wasn’t until after getting beat up over time, not having the balance between my personal/professional life, and crying at night that things began to change. Yes, I found myself crying because I was in a business that owned me and NOT the other way around. Quite frankly, I was stuck. I was working 60-70 work weeks, running around like a mad man, and always stressed out.
Finally something changed. I reached my tipping point and I realized that my life had to change. I transitioned out of my business, and did some MAJOR self discovery. I studied and got mentored by some coaches who I will be forever thankful. They changed my life and gave me hope. More importantly, they changed my perspective on life and how I would choose to live it from this point on.
From that point on, I made the decision that my motivation for business would be based on my passion and my purpose.
Whatever it was that I was going to do, I was going to do it because it was either a hobby of mine or I just frickin’ loved to do it!
How is something like that even measurable? Easy. These were 3 easy metrics that I used to answer that question:
- When I wake up in the morning, am I dragging my feet to get up or am I excited to start my work?
- Even late into the night, am I still as energized as I was in the morning when doing the work?
- When doing the work, does the time fly by? Is it enjoyable? Do hours pass by without me even knowing?
- BONUS: Lastly, what am I always thinking about? Does the concept relate to something from my business? If so, then BINGO.
Through that process, I quickly realized what my motivation for business was. It was to serve others and to make sure that they didn’t have to go through the same type of pain that I had to go through. More importantly, I wanted to make sure that these people who were experiencing this pain had a way out, a way to create the type of lifestyle that they desired that was fueled by their passion and purpose.
I wanted to put the control back into their lives instead of allowing their circumstances to dictate their lives. It was for this simple reason that I chose to create my current business, to serve others and improve the quality of their lives. This is my motivation for business.
What is your motivation for the thing that you do? Are you doing what you love? Did you have an “AHAH” moment?
