What’s Your Driver?

Patterns of behaviour can help understand what motivational techniques to use. But first, do you know what drives you?

A lot of people believe that they know what drives them and motivate them, but quite often they are way off base, and are often surprised to learn so. Right now you may be thinking to yourself that of course you know what drives you! After all… you are the one who knows you best, and you know what you want, right?

But let’s look at behaviour patterns and drivers in a little more detail. People are ultimately driven by their core values and beliefs. Many of these are developed in early childhood. Some of these beliefs are fundamental to a person’s character, but the person themselves may not even be aware that they have them. Sound confusing? It isn’t really, when you consider that many aspects of a person are formed before they are even old enough to go to school, from a time most adults retain little memory of.

For example, many people have erroneous beliefs about money. Despite, perhaps, wanting to be wealthy, a person may have a deep seated belief that having too much money is ethically wrong. Take a look at your own belief systems and ask yourself how you really feel about money.

Meditate on the image of yourself as a wealthy person, surrounded by all the things you think you want in life (luxury cars, big house, plenty of nice clothes etc) for a few minutes and see how you actually feel deep inside yourself. A lot of people who undertake this exercise discover that when they picture themselves with a lot of money they feel guilty, or afraid. Maybe they feel that if they have lots of money it means someone else will have to miss out? Or they may fear that if they make lots of money, something bad will happen to them as a result (as if there is some karmic balance that must be kept). Perhaps they’ve been told stories of rich people who lived miserable lives, or who lost people they loved. I think we’ve all heard stories of miserable millionaires and people who lived in blissful poverty!

To understand what drives you, you have to be fully aware of where you have come from, and what beliefs and values you developed on the way. Look at your parents and other family members, perhaps their attitudes to you and your career aspirations may give you some idea of the values they may have subconsciously implanted into you as a young child. Once you understand your basic beliefs, you can work towards changing them.

For this reason, what motivates person A won’t necessarily work for person B. A person who desires respect from friends and colleagues may be motivated more by a promotion that gives them greater responsibility or rank than they would be by a pay rise that keeps them in the same position. Other people care little about rank, rather need to feel they are helping others or making a valuable contribution to society.

In conclusion, by analysing your own values, you can reach a greater understanding of what drives you in life. Once you understand that, you will be further on the road to greater personal achievement and happiness.

Be Sociable, Share!

•