What really motivates you?
How to harness your motivation, and stop dicking around
Welcome, colleague!
Thanks so much for taking a punt on this newsletter, and making me feel less alone in the strange world of self-employment.
This first month of Out Of Office is a ‘Get Focused’ special, with topics including time management 101, and the ‘whys, hows, and huhs?’ of outsourcing work. So keep an eye out for those every Monday morning!
This week, we’re kicking off with motivation - arguably the central ingredient for a focused mind. (After all, it’s much easier to plough through even the dullest task if you have a sense of purpose.)
There are actually five different personality types when it comes to what fires you up, according to Sophie Bennett, author of Find Your Flame. A former sportswoman, Sophie is now a motivation expert, coach and speaker – and she’s seen it all when it comes to professional drive.
The key to motivation, according to Sophie, is to start by considering your passions and interests, to work out which of the following factors makes your heart happy.
And once you know what motivates you, you’ll understand where things might be going wrong if you’re having an off-week.
Which of the five types of motivation fits you?
1. Flow motivation. Love getting lost in a task? Ever look up from an engaging piece of work or tricky problem to see that hours have gone by? Or, perhaps you love using your body to complete physical tasks? Sounds like you’re motivated by a sense of flow. In a nutshell, this means your enthusiasm mostly comes from inside yourself. “Examples of flow motivated people can often be found working on software programmes, or competing in sports,” says Sophie.
2. Inclusion motivation. Are you at the centre of every network? Do you seek out people on their own at parties and bringing them into the conversation? Inclusion motivation is all about caring and being energised by others. “It tends to be a common source of motivation for women in particular,” says Sophie. It won’t surprise you that most people in the charity sector fit neatly into this category.
3. Results motivation. Competitive to the core? Not too bothered about enjoying the process of work, as long as it earns you the big bucks or wins awards? You, my friend, have your eyes on the prize, and might be the head of your own big company (and a fiend at Monopoly).
4. Expression motivation. Are you driven by your emotions? Artistic, creative or passionate about seeing the beauty in the world? Expression motivation is about exploring the human condition, and tends to appeal to artists, writers, advertisers and other creators.
5. Discovery motivation. Are you always asking questions? Want to know everything from how things work to what makes people tick? Keen to solve problems? Discovery motivated types are driven by curiosity and innovation – meaning many scientists, researchers and journalists fall into this category (although for the record – not this journalist, I am an inclusion/expression crossbreed).
SIDE NOTE: You might, like me, recognise a mixture of more than one of these types in your behaviour – that’s completely normal. “In some ways we have a mixture of all of these within us, but there tends to be a more dominant one,” says Sophie.
The main thing to identify is which of the ‘pitfalls’ below is currently causing you hang-ups with work, and to address it accordingly.
Now that you know which type, or types, apply to you, there are certain ways to harness your strengths and work past your potential pitfalls.
1. Flow
Upsides: If you’re flow motivated you’re often very focused and might be enthusiastic about becoming an expert in your field. You’re keen to pursue excellence, and strive to be the best you can be, in a skill that interests you.
Pitfalls: If Monica Geller taught us anything (other than to avoid holiday hairdos) it’s that being a perfectionist can be a double-edged sword. And when working alone, you might not have anyone to tell you ‘that’s good enough, you can stop now’.
How to make it work: Be aware of your ability to nit-pick, and try to get comfortable with the idea that sometimes ‘good’ is enough. Being self-employed means you’ll no doubt have a diverse range of tasks to do and it’s unlikely you’ll excel in them all. Perhaps you could consider outsourcing the least interesting elements of your work, to enable you to find a flow state with the tasks you most enjoy. (Stay tuned for an issue on that very topic!)
2. Inclusion
Upsides: People-skills are crucial to building up a successful business of just about any kind. If you work within a network, or employ/contract other people, you’re sure to be a delight to work with, as well as getting the best out of others.
Pitfalls: The flipside of worrying about everyone else is, of course, a tendency to people-please. You might be tempted to make compromises on what you really want in order to make others happy.
How to make it work: If you’re currently working entirely solo, harness your enthusiasm for groups by joining a local networking group (there’s a useful list of them here), meeting up with other self-employed folk for a (socially distanced) coffee, or joining the Out of Office Facebook page. If your work already involves other people, just be aware of your tendency to please others – don’t make snap decisions on phone calls or meetings, take some time alone to work out what really works for you first.
3. Results
Upsides: Your killer instinct means you’re bound to succeed if you have a specific goal in mind. You’re also the rarest category (you go, Glen Coco!) and likely to make a great leader if you want to expand your business.
Pitfalls: Well… that whole killer instinct thing might mean a tendency to trample other people in your race to the top.
How to make it work: Try to be aware of rubbing contacts up the wrong way – you might need to collaborate on some level again. Check that your end goal is actually fulfilling too – it’s easy to strive for the top, only to reach it and feel a sense of anti-climax. For that reason as well, force yourself to take time away from your desk, enjoying other interests – don’t let tunnel vision leave you without a social life or hobbies. (Although I appreciate that in 2020 that’s even more of a challenge.)
4. Expression
Upsides: The world would be very dull without creative types, and you’re fantastic at making yourself (and others) understood.
Pitfalls: I’m not sure how to say this…but is it possible you’re oversensitive? Equally you might find other people’s feelings rub off on you, bringing you down or perhaps irritating you (especially those of result-driven folk!)
How to make it work: If the moods of other people can have an impact on your productivity, try to schedule any meetings or hang-outs later in the day, when you’ll have done the bulk of your to-do list already. Have faith in what you’re doing and try not to worry about other people’s opinions too much – unless they are offering constructive advice. Reach out to other self-employed creative types, who will not only understand your highs and lows, but may be able to inspire you further.
5. Discovery
Upsides: When you’re driven by curiosity rather than a need for greatness, true innovation can follow. Being interested in the world and keen to come up with solutions is a great mind-set for entrepreneurs – Steve Jobs and Sheryl Sandberg are both examples of discovery types who have excelled.
Pitfalls: While the pursuit of knowledge is undoubtedly a good thing, it’s possible that sometimes you find yourself stuck in the research stage, and lose focus when it comes to the results.
How to make it work: Spend some time on a regular basis looking at the bigger picture when it comes to your work (LOADS more content to help with this on the horizon - I’ve got you). Break down your time so you know how much time you can spend on research, and how much needs to be dedicated to creating and promoting your finished product. Keep a visual reminder – a list or chart – on your wall to help you remember the purpose of each phase as you work through it.
HELP! My field of work doesn’t match my motivation!
While most people are naturally drawn to professions and roles that match their motivation style, it’s possible to find a jarring combination, which could be a reason for a lack of focus. “It’s about frequency – if you spend more time feeling down than you do feeling optimistic about your work, it could be a sign that something needs to change,” says Sophie.
If you frequently struggle to see the point in your current work, it might be worth examining what you do in your free time for clues about your motivational drivers (eg if you watch a tonne of films, it’s probably expression; if you take a lot of online classes, you might be discovery; while runners might either be flow or results-driven, depending on how competitive you are!)
Is it normal to lack motivation?
Yes. Of course it is. Even Lizzo has days when she’d rather wear shapeless Disney pyjamas and have a nap. “Motivation comes in wave patterns. When you feel it ebbing, just refocus on what you want from your life, and don’t beat yourself up,” says Sophie.
When you’re self-employed, as you no doubt know already, there are likely to be areas of work – particularly when you’re starting out – that you don’t enjoy. You might love making a product, but hate marketing it; love writing but weep on invoicing days; or love the ‘big picture’ planning while finding the day-to-day a grind.
For tasks you hate that have to be done, you might need to use a bit of self-bribery. If possible, use one of the perks of freelance life (flexibility) to give yourself a treat after completing a tricky task. Personally, I’m a big fan of a mid-afternoon bath with a stack of trashy magazines and a Magnum.
Finally, tell yourself that – when finances allow – you’ll find a way to delegate or outsource some of these tasks (a topic I’ll be covering in depth later this month). Sometimes knowing it’s not forever makes a big difference.
Make sure to read part two of my Get Focused series in next week’s newsletter - time management 101 for your most productive week ever.
So… which type of motivation did you feel the most strongly? Let me know on the OOO Facebook page
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