👷 Imagine two people who wake up every morning, go to a job site, and lay bricks for a living. A reporter stops each bricklayer and asks, “What are you doing?” The first bricklayer says, “I’m laying bricks. What does it look like I’m doing?” 🧱
👷 The second bricklayer says, “I’m building a university. I’m contributing to the future education of our youth. I’m changing the world.” 🏫
Both bricklayers are motivated, but only one is motivated by the self-confidence that comes from having an inspiring vision.
Inspiration flows primarily from your ability to see your life as meaningful and significant. The more you can envision the meaning and purpose of your work, the more confidence you will have.
The more you are able to connect the dots between what you do and what gives your life meaning, the more confidence you will have.
❓Who are the most inspirational people you admire? What makes them inspirational?
The ability to connect your job responsibilities to your values, your passion, and your sense of purpose is called relational thinking.
Think about any deliverable that you have a responsibility to complete. It could be routine (such as a weekly status report) or specialized (such as a proposal on how to improve customer service). Whatever the deliverable, you need a level of motivation for completing the task that is either internal or external, or a combination of the two.
If your motivation is external, you may be motivated by disinterest (I don’t really want to do this, I think I will procrastinate as long as possible), fear (I better do this, or I will lose my job), or reward (if I do this I will be in line for a promotion).
If your motivation is internal, you may be motivated by your values (I am doing this because I value serving people), your sense of purpose (I am doing this because we’re making this world a better place), or because you are good at it, and you love it (I would do this for free because I like it so much).
In each case you are motivated, but as motivation shifts from external to internal, the quality of your motivation improves. Relational thinking is a skill that enables you to shift your motivational outlook from an external motivation to an internal motivation.
The key is for you to clearly define what you are doing in terms that let you express your values, fulfill your sense of purpose, or satisfy your innate interests.
Connect to Value: What do you value most?
Connect to Purpose: What is currently your personal purpose or vision in life?
Connect to Strengths and Passion: What are you passionate about? What are you really good at that you really enjoy?
🔗 Related article: EMPOWER Women @ Work Interview: EMPOWER Women@Work with Bernadeth Lucanas: Embracing CHANGE and Advocating “I AM REMARKABLE” Program
• These contents are part of our Leading Self series programs in POWERinU, which are based on the modules originally created by Karl Mulle – © 2015 Association for Talent Development (ATD).