Don’t worry, I am going to be rich than them, he told his wife. I overheard this conversation between a couple and I thought within myself, what is the reason behind the man’s motive to be rich.
Was this motive for success right or wrong, I asked myself. Everyone has different drives for success. In his blog on To have a more successful life…, Joshua Kennon wrote, “Almost every action someone takes is driven by an underlying motivation. This can be social rank, reputation, envy, power, love of work, self- preservation, service, security, escape ,fear, thrill,or a host of other alternatives. To understand the world, it is important you develop the ability to recognize the motivation that drives a person.”
For instance, we are often advised not to start a business based on profit alone but based on a genuine passion for whatever products or services we offer. The reality of this is, most business don’t make their first millions on their first year of operation but takes times, maybe like five years,ten years or more depending on the planning, financial backing and genuine passion of the entrepreneur towards the products or services offered.
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Our motives affect our decision making, starting with the right motives helps us build the required momentum to sustain our success. Having the right motives gives us a better chance of succeeding. So, how do we start out with the right motive.
Examine your motive
Before starting out that goal or business , ask yourself what is the reason behind the goal. Give some thoughts to it … is it based on a positive or negative emotion? Examining our motive will help start the right course of action in achieving success.
Weigh the impact of your motive
Going back to the conversation between the couple – weighing the impact of such motive could either bring a positive or negative result.
The man might end up becoming rich than his peers or the opposite might happen. And when such opposite happens (him not becoming rich), he might be tempted to fake his own success. Then he begins to live a borrowed lifestyle, possibly exposing his family to ruins.
Let your motive drive you
Based on the right emotion, our motive can help us thrive during hard times.
“Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm “~Abraham Lincoln.
Being sure of our motive to achieve success will help us to stand firm even when we have no support from anyone; we become our own source of inspiration.
When we chase our goal with the right motive that matches up with our activities, our results become compelling and satisfying.