Why We Do What We Do

Motivation — it isn't just a question of what gets us out of bed each morning, makes us work harder on some days than others, helps us quit our jobs or rewrite our lives so we may follow our hearts; from money to passion, our motives influence how and why we solve problems, the morals we apply to our work and our personal lives, and every decision — large or small — we make along the way.

Dan explores how we each approach this question of what drives us and how it affects our lives and our work, through anecdotes from friends, colleagues, historical figures, and personal experience, reminding us of the importance of challenging our motives, and ourselves, to get the best out of life.

Transcript

1. Why We Do What We Do Reasons to be Creative Brighton 2013
2. Motivation: Reasons to wake up each morning.
3. What motivates us?
4. · Money? · Career? · Passion? · Expectations?
5. Why does this matter?
6. Our motives influence how and why we solve problems.
7. The motivation behind any action or decision is its greatest influence.
8. Does your passion and attention to detail remain the same on a project you are no longer interested in?
9. Our motives affect everything we do.
10. Money or Passion?
11. Money
12. Sometimes, we just have to pay the rent.
13. Jobs taken just for the money rarely work out.
14. We don’t feel fulfilled.
15. Why? Because money is a generic motivator.
16. Working on something we don’t believe in is much harder than something we can connect with emotionally.
17. This is why it’s worth fighting for projects you care about.
18. Passion
19. “Follow your heart.”
20. What does that really mean?
21. How do we know what we’re passionate about?
22. The best (and easiest) way to find out is to try.
25. This works for organisations, too.
26. Business Priorities Profit Customers/Product/Quality 1. 2.
27. If your decisions are motivated by money, quality will be sacrificed at crossroads between the two.
28. Some of the most successful companies in the world ignore this traditional approach.
29. 
31. These companies acknowledge the need to increase profit and pay shareholders —they just treat profit as a byproduct.
32. Money is like air: it’s not optional. Businesses — and people — need money in order to live, to breathe.
33. Passionate Priorities Customers/Product/Quality Profit 1. 2.
34. Challenge your path or it will challenge you.
35. A Ballerina’s Tale
36. This is the story of a girl who had to lose her passion in order to find it.
37. This is the story of a girl who had to lose her passion in order to find it.
38. Age 5 19
39. Ballet is a harsh environment.
40. 14 years of following her passion.
41. For the next 6 years, she walked the traditional path:
42. University: International Economics + International Business Management
43. Work: High-paying management position for 2 years.
44. Life: Engaged to a handsome, responsible man with a good job.
45. But…
46. She wasn’t happy.
47. She took a leap.
48. Quit her job, auditioned for a ballet company, and called off her wedding 4 weeks before walking down the isle.
49. Now: She is a professional ballerina, performing world-wide.
50. And…
51. She’s happy.
53. Where are you going?
54. It’s important to know who you are, first.
55. Keirsey / Meyers-Briggs
56. These tests are a starting point.
57. INFP (Idealist Healer)
58. Look at what you’ve enjoyed most in your life so far.
59. Make a list of everything you look forward to doing.
60. It doesn’t matter what goes on this list— it isn’t for anyone else to see; it’s just for you.
61. Read the list out loud. Which things make you feel the best?
62. Find a Mentor
63. Taking a leap is hard.
64. Mentor: Someone who has made a similar leap to the one you are making.
65. Asking for help is not weakness.
66. A mentor will remind you — when you need it most — that you're not crazy.
67. Why do you do what you do?
68. Are you doing what you really want to be doing?
69. Are you where you want to be?
70. Have you taken a big leap lately?* *or even at all?
71. Life isn’t a rehearsal: It’s a live show, one night only, so take risks while you have the stage.
72. ⁂ Reasons to be Creative Brighton 2013 @danrubin danrubin.is/friendly