What is your motivation? Profound question isn’t it?  Sure as eggs are eggs, if you answer this one truthfully, and are prepared to accept the answer, you will not only change your job or career, but probably your whole life for the better. When involved in a job search the answer to the question of “what is your motivation” is a vital one to answer if you are to be truly happy in your job. That is why it’s the first question you need to answer in this section.

Linked very much to this, and in a broader sense, with what motivates you in mind, now ask what do I really want?  I mean really want, your most deep seated desires, not just wishes.  You will find that these true desires will be very much in tune with what it is that really motivates you.

At this point I ought to distinguish between mere wishes and true desires.  An example of a wish might be, “I wish I was ten years younger”, or “I wish I could climb Everest for my 70th birthday”.  These are not fully integrated desires.  They might make you feel good for a day or two, but they will not drive you on to achievement like a true desire or need will.

Goals Are Important

There is no secret with a desire, it is something so strong that you will move heaven and earth to get it.  People with fully integrated desires work long hours, make huge sacrifices, they don’t really care how others perceive them, but, they WIN.  They do this because they believe passionately, they sell their case persuasively, make allies of key people, and they WIN.

So…..what do you want?  Still a difficult question?  O.K, let’s make it a little bit easier.

Still got that pen and paper?  Take the question (you should know it by now!)  “What Do You Want?”  and write down the first TWENTY answers you would give.  This may take a little while to do, up to a couple of hours to come up with your final list.

Initially your answers will probably be all over the shop.  ” I want more time to myself”, “I want a new BMW”.  Some wishes, some more realistic.  Some may be idealistic, for example  “I want to contribute something to the world”.  Now, take out all of the wishes and look at the items that are left.  Ask yourself the following;-

What do the items left “say” or “mean” to you?

What do you mean by them? For example, if you say you want more money, what for? Is it for a car? A holiday? A new house? Truly analyse what’s the real reason that you have written what you have – keep asking why until you can’t ask any further.

Understand Your Driving Force

Really get inside each point and understand in as much detail as possible why you have come to that want.  Play mind games with the answers, visualize situations you might find yourself in, have a bit of fun with the idea. Then write down what you see, what you feel.  Once you have finished with point number one, go on to number two and do the same.

Once this course of action has been completed for all the points, leave the papers for a day or two and DON’T even think about them again!

Before you finish, have a quick look at the wishes.  O.K, we all want to win the lottery, but in reality the odds are 14 million to one against, so the chances are, well, 14 million to one!  So don’t bank on it!  Instead ask why you want more money?

The answers will provide significant input into your desires. Let me explain, perhaps winning all that money would put an end to all those financial worries.  You know, too much month at the end of the money.  Maybe it’s that dream you’ve held for the last five years to have a couple of weeks at Sandals.  Maybe, you just need a break from the treadmill.  If you look at your wishes in this light, you will gain significant insight into your reasons, and therefore benefit greatly when finalising your desires or needs.