What is your motivation

Interview Question: «What Motivates You?»

Emilie Dunphy / The Balance

When you’re applying for a job, you’ll hear a lot of interview questions—and some are trickier than others. One that’s common, but might catch you off guard, is, «What motivates you?» The interviewer is looking for insight into why and how you are motivated to achieve workplace goals and succeed at the job.

The hiring manager will also be seeking to discover whether the factors that motivate you are aligned with the company’s goals and with the role in which you would be working.

By answering in an honest but thoughtful way, you can impress your interviewer and demonstrate that you are the right person for the job.

This is a broad and open-ended question, which can make it hard to know how to answer. It can also be a challenge to figure out the best way to respond. After all, most people are motivated by many factors, including pay, prestige, making a difference, seeing results, and interacting with interesting people.

What the Interviewer Wants to Know

In asking this question, interviewers hope to figure out what makes you tick. The hiring manager wants to know what drives you to succeed. They also want to determine whether your motivators will be a fit for the job’s duties and the company’s culture.

For the hiring manager, it’s important to learn whether your motivators are inline with the job’s responsibilities. If you’re motivated by a challenging workplace, for example, you may not be the best fit for a routine data entry job.

Honest answers can help reveal what circumstances help you feel excited and enthused. (Another common variant of this interview question is, «What are you passionate about?” which also tries to determine what makes an interviewee feel excited and fulfilled.)

Providing insight into the forces that motivate you at work can be a window into your personality and work style, thereby helping your interviewers understand you as both a person and a potential employee.

There’s a big difference between the candidate who’s motivated by building teams and establishing strong relationships with coworkers, and the candidate whose best day is working independently on a report that improves the company’s bottom line. Both candidates bring with them strong advantages, and this question can help interviewers narrow their pool down to the individual who is the best fit for the position and the company.

Watch Now: 4 Ways to Answer «What Motivates You?»

How to Answer “What Motivates You?”

Take some time to research the company and the job prior to the interview. The more you know about the organizational goals of the employer, the better equipped you’ll be to respond.

It can be hard to think of a good answer for this question on the spot since it requires a bit of self-reflection. To prepare your answer, think about the jobs you have held in the past:

Whether it was a successful meeting with a client, a complex project wrangled into submission, a new skill you mastered, or anything else, keep these positive moments in mind when conceptualizing your answer.

Examples of the Best Answers

Review these sample answers and tailor your response to match your credentials to what the employer is seeking.

Example Answer #1

I’m really driven by results. I like it when I have a concrete goal to meet and enough time to figure out a strong strategy for accomplishing it. At my last job, our yearly goals were very aggressive, but I worked with my manager and the rest of my team to figure out a month-by-month strategy for meeting the year-end numbers. It was a real thrill to accomplish that.

Why It Works: This response works well because it’s focused on achievements and results. It’s positive, and it shows what the candidate has accomplished.

Example Answer #2

I’m motivated by digging into data. Give me a spreadsheet and questions, and I’m eager to figure out what’s driving the numbers. At my current position, I prepare the monthly analytics report around sales. The data from these reports help drive and determine how the company charts its next steps and makes sales goals for the following months. Being able to provide that essential information is really motivating.

Why It Works: The candidate is motivated both by data analysis and by being able to provide information to their team. This shows the interviewer that the applicant has both the hard and the soft skills required for success in the role.

Example Answer #3

I was responsible for several projects where I directed development teams and implemented repeatable processes. The teams achieved 100% on-time delivery of software products. I was motivated both by the challenge of finishing the projects ahead of schedule and by managing the teams that achieved our goals.

Why It Works: This response shows the interviewer that the applicant is motivated by several factors—management, scheduling, and teamwork—and has the ability to multitask.

Example Answer #4

I have always wanted to ensure that my company’s clients get the best customer service I can offer. I feel it’s important, both to me personally and for the company and the clients, to provide a positive customer experience. My drive to constantly develop my customer service skills is the reason I earned top sales at my company two quarters in a row.

Why It Works: With this answer, the candidate focuses on why customer service is important, how they develop their skills, as well as how they achieves positive results.

Example Answer #5

I have always been motivated by the desire to meet a deadline. Setting and reaching deadlines gives me such a sense of accomplishment. I love creating an organized schedule for completing a task and achieving my goals on time. For example, when I ran a fundraising event last year, I set multiple deadlines for a variety of tasks leading up to the event. Achieving each milestone motivated me to keep working and helped me to ensure that the event ran smoothly.

Why It Works: It always makes sense to respond in a way that shows you are motivated by your work and by accomplishing goals.

Tips for Giving the Best Answer

Keep the job in mind. When preparing your answer, also think about the skills and abilities that will be the most useful for this job. Try to highlight these in your answer. For example, if you are applying to be a manager, framing an answer around relationship building and helping others succeed and meet goals might be a stronger answer than a discussion about learning new things or working with clients.

Consider the company culture. If the company emphasizes the camaraderie of its staff, for example, you might mention how achieving goals as a group motivates you. If you don’t know much about the company culture, do some research before your interview to learn as much as you can.

Share an example. You might want to include an example from your previous job to explain the kinds of projects or tasks that motivate you. For example, if you say that you are driven by results, give an example of a time you set a goal and met (or exceeded) it.

Make sure the example demonstrates a time you used your motivation to add value to an organization in some way.

For example, perhaps you saved a company money, completed a project ahead of schedule, or solved a problem for an employee. Telling a story about your achievements is always a good way to show the interviewer your accomplishments. This will help the interviewer see how your motivation can benefit the company.

When you answer this question, be honest. If you tailor your answer to exactly what you think the employer wants to hear, you will likely come off as insincere.

Giving an honest answer will also help you see if you are a good fit for the job and company.

Furthermore, keep your audience in mind. While you may be most motivated by receiving a regular paycheck, that answer is not very inspiring from an interviewer’s perspective.

What Not to Say

Don’t make it about you. When you respond, it’s best to focus on work-related motivators. Rather than saying that you like to get a paycheck every week, for example, discuss responsibilities at work that keep you interested and ready for a challenge.

Don’t ramble. Have a clear and focused response to the question. Know what motivates you, and keep your response on target so that you don’t confuse the interviewer by sharing too much information.

Keep it positive. Focus on the positive when you respond. For example, you don’t want to say that you’re motivated because you don’t want to get fired for subpar performance.

Possible Follow-Up Questions

Key Takeaways

Practice a Response: If you write out some ideas of what motivates you, it will make it easier to answer the question during the interview.

Focus on Your Achievements: Focus your response on the motivators that are the closest match to the employer’s job requirements.

Show How You’re Qualified: The interview is an opportunity to sell your qualifications to the hiring manager.

What Motivates You to Succeed in Life and Keep Moving Forward?

Resilience Mastery Coach and Motivational Speaker Read full profile

What motivates you to succeed in life? If you’re sitting there, perplexed, keep reading.

Let’s face it…we’ve all had moments in life when our motivation has been at an all-time low. Even the most motivated of people can feel unmotivated now and then. However, if you allow laziness to creep into your daily life, it will be nearly impossible to achieve anything in life.

The difference between successful people versus everyone else is that no matter what is going on around them, successful people always find the motivation and drive to keep going.

If motivation is so important, then why do so many people struggle with it, especially after they encounter defeat?

Here’s the stone-cold truth:

If you’re lacking in motivation right now to the point that it is keeping you stuck in life, the only person standing in your way is you.

Table of Contents

What Is Motivation?

At its core, motivation is the reason why you act or behave in a certain way. It’s the driving force that pushes you to take action, in spite of your fear or lack thereof.

These needs can be either psychological or physical. It’s important to point out that motivation looks different for everyone, depending on their needs and values. Moreover, levels of motivation can change in different phases of your life.

Why Is Motivation Important?

By understanding why motivation is so important for success in life, you will feel more empowered to take action.

1. Gives You a Sense of Direction

If you aimlessly move through life with no direction, you won’t feel motivated to do much of anything. This is why it is so important that you have a clear understanding of what you want and why.

If you don’t know why you should do something, the likelihood of you actually taking action will be minimal.

Successful people create a vision and know what their purpose is, which ensures that they are pulled towards the achievement of their goals instead of pushed. As a result, motivation becomes effortless.

In the words of Margie Warrell, author of Brave,

“Knowing your ‘why’ is an important first step in figuring out how to achieve the goals that excite you and create a life you enjoy living. Indeed, only when you know your ‘why’ will you find the courage to take the risks needed to get ahead, stay motivated when the chips are down, and move your life onto an entirely new, more challenging and more rewarding trajectory.”

2. Transforms Fear Into a Powerful Plan of Action

Fear is the #1 factor that prevents people from taking action in life, whether that’s fear of failure, fear of success, or fear of not being good enough.

What a lot of people don’t realize is that fear is something that is created in the mind. Hence, it’s an illusion. When you flex your motivation muscle, it slaps fear right in the face. It’s a way of saying, “I’m going to feel the fear and do it anyway.”

3. Helps You Bounce Forward From Setbacks

When life knocks you down (and it will), motivation is the fuel that will allow you to pick yourself up and keep going.

When life tries to convince you that the game is over, motivation will be in your corner, cheering you on and reminding you to not give up.

Life is a rollercoaster ride. You can either scream your way through the whole thing or strap yourself in and enjoy the ride. When you encounter a low moment, take it as an opportunity to unleash your inner strength.

What Kind of Motivation Do You Need?

Have you ever thought about what the driving force behind your motivation is? To answer this question, you can take the free assessment: What’s Your Motivation Style? and find out what kind of motivational factors work for you best. When you can identify your motivation style, you’ll be able to maximize its strengths and always stay motivated. Take the free assessment now!

Also, you can look at the push vs. pull theory. Your motivation to do anything comes in two different forms: push or pull.

When you push yourself to do something, it will naturally feel like you’re dragging yourself through life. You can only operate in this mode for so long before you run out of fuel.

This is why you need to access Pull motivation, which emerges from an intrinsic desire to do something that you love.

As you can probably predict, Pull motivation is what you want to strive towards. It is the product of taking action with the intention of bringing yourself one step closer to your desired destination.

What Can Motivate You to Succeed?

is subjective, meaning that different people will be motivated by different things, depending on what their goals and values are. What will motivate you at work may be different from what motivates you at home.

Let’s explore a few common factors that motivate people to succeed.

Living With Purpose

I am a firm believer that lasting motivation is driven, in large part, by your purpose. When you find what it is that makes you come alive inside, motivation becomes a walk in the park.

If you have yet to find your purpose, don’t stop looking because it’s looking for you, too.

Committing to Self-Mastery

Some people devote their entire life to self-mastery and the sense of accomplishment it brings.

Self-mastery is a process of becoming. It’s not an end goal. Rather, it’s a life path motivated by the opportunity to be your best self.

In his book, Toward A Psychology of Being, Abraham Maslow talks about a powerful force within the human condition, which is a drive for growth. This force propels people forward towards wholeness of Self.

Growth always requires some level of risk because it asks that you step outside of your comfort zone.

I know how scary this can be, but I promise that you will never fail when you commit to self-mastery. When you master your mind, you master every area of your life.

Giving Back

Some people are motivated to give back to the world and help others. They have an innate desire to create an impact in the world.

As someone who helps people for a living, I can honestly say that there is nothing more rewarding than helping people achieve their fullest potential in life. As Winston Churchill once stated,

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”

How to Find More Motivation to Succeed in Life

Now that you know what motivates people to achieve success in life, it’s time to identify what drives YOU.

1. Get Clear on Your Why

Some people are crystal clear about what their purpose is early on in life, while others take more time to define what that looks like. Where people get stuck is that they tirelessly search for their purpose in life, and when they don’t find it, they get discouraged and give up.

You’ve got to understand that your purpose isn’t something that you find. Rather, it finds you. Ask yourself, “What is it that I love to do?” You may find that a great answer is waiting for you.

“Once you understand your ‘WHY’, you’ll be able to clearly articulate what makes you feel fulfilled and to better understand what drives your behavior when you’re at your natural best.”

Once you are clear on your “why,” you need to take massive action. Do things that make you come alive inside, try, fail, try again, and see what sticks.

By committing to a purposeful life, everything will feel more effortless.

2. Find an Accountability Partner

An accountability partner is someone who keeps you on track so that you don’t lose momentum. A big reason why so many people struggle to stay committed to their goals is that they aren’t accountable to anyone other than themselves.

Find someone who has goals similar to you. Together, create a plan of attack so that each of you is inspiring the other to commit to specific actions.

3. Celebrate Your Small Wins

Whenever you achieve a small win, make sure that you reward yourself with something meaningful.

At the time, small wins may not seem like a big deal. However, by celebrating your progress, you are giving yourself mini doses of motivation that will encourage you to keep going.

4. Create an Empowering Morning Ritual

When you take time every morning to nourish your mind, body, and spirit, you set yourself up to win throughout the day.

When you commit to a morning ritual every single day, over time you start to build a massive amount of motivation. The reason why this happens is that you are doing the work to flex your mental muscle.

Find habits that motivate YOU, whether that’s reading inspirational books, watching videos, reciting affirmations, or working out.

Final Thoughts

There is no better time than now to motivate yourself! Take massive action and start creating the life of your wildest dreams.

Zig Ziglar said it best,

“Motivation is like bathing, you have to do it every day. Without motivation, you will never have the drive to take action, and without action, you can never reach your goals and live your dreams.”

If you can master motivation, I promise that there will be nothing that will hold you back from success in life.

How to Best Answer «What Motivates You?» Interview Question

The recruiter asks, “What motivates you?” Hmm… Well, um, money, I guess. And fame. Oh, and that generous sick pay you offer.

Yeah, that’s not going to work! It sounds simple enough, but it’s way more of a trick interview question than you might have thought. But don’t worry. We’ll cover how to best answer the delicate what motivates you interview question, what not to say (ever), plus offer some advice on more specific situations.

This interview motivation question guide will show you:

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Why They Ask “What Motivates You?”

It’s a broad question, and there is no one right answer. However, there is a way to answer it correctly.

When an interviewer asks what keeps you motivated?, they are really asking: What drives you to succeed? What makes you tick? What energizes you? What inspires you?

This question is deeper than how it appears at face value, and your response answers more than just the base question.

Your reply to the motivation question tells them how you would fit in with the company culture.

On top of that, the interviewer gains insight into how you would be as an employee, which is crucial. After all, these interviews are designed to find the company the best possible candidate.

Pro Tip: All candidates being equal, answering this question correctly will put you on the top of the call-back list. Make sure you’ve got a great answer planned out!

This is an important question, for sure, but there are many others you need to get right, as well. Check out this article to get familiar with them: Common Job Interview Questions and Best Answers

How to Answer the “What Motivates You?” Interview Question

First, it is important to understand that when an interviewer asks what motivates you?, they are asking in the broadest, most general sense possible. Don’t assume it means what motivates you at work?, or anything more specific like that.

Think about your strengths, as these are a good place to start. What are you great at? What do you have to offer the team? Also, decide on what your interests and passions are. Do any of these overlap with your strengths? If so, this could make for a perfect answer!

Get your hands on the company values. Use them as a guide for answering the question correctly. Does this organization take pride in its staff’s problem-solving abilities and teamwork? If so, and if that matches you, then that would make for an excellent response to the what motivates you? question.

Most importantly, it is important that you be honest. You can’t make it far if you tell them you enjoy working on a team when a previous work reference would say that you shy away from teamwork.

So, without further ado, let’s check the best answers to this tricky interview question:

Good Answers to the Tricky Interview Question «What Motivates You?»

Scroll down the article to see sample answers for different positions.

Pro Tip: Almost as important as being honest in answering this question is to prepare. This is a tough interview question, and it is not one you’ll do well with if you try to respond on the spot!

As we discussed, a great place to start off with figuring out your perfect answer to the question what is your motivation? is to understand how you’d speak about your strengths. Read this article to get that right: How to Answer the «What Are Your Strengths?” Interview Question

How Not to Answer “What’s Your Motivation?”

Though we mentioned that honesty is key, there are some times when you should just keep your honest answer to yourself. Don’t be dishonest—but keep away from the answers below (even if you’d be joking):

Money. This is the load-bearing pillar unfortunately placed in the center of a dance floor that you and your interviewer must shimmy and shake around. We all know that, in the end, your paycheck is the primary motivating factor. And that’s fine—we all need to survive, after all. But dance around it.

Friends. Telling the HR director or recruiter that you have some pals there could definitely be a motivating factor for you, but it is also one they will most likely decline you for. Employers want to know that you care about the company and the projects you’ll take on. You’ll make some friends if you are hired, teamwork is crucial, but companies don’t want work to be seen as some type of social club. Leave your friends out of it.

Perks. Similar to money, don’t give the interviewer a reason to believe that you are only interested in the company because of the perks and benefits they have to offer.

The simplest way to stay on target is to think of this question like you would when introducing yourself to a date or love interest for the first time. Sure, some of these items might be icing on the cake, but you wouldn’t want to appear shallow, would you?

Pro Tip: Fortunately, there are a lot more possible answers than ones to avoid. However, there could be others to avoid that aren’t listed above. Do your due diligence and answer as honestly as you can, and you should be just fine.

We’ve got tips and advice for all other things an interviewer might throw at you: 50+ Successful Interview Tips, Advice & Guidelines

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Sample Answers to “What Motivates You?”

You know where to look for a perfect answer, and you know some of the worst replies to avoid. Let’s look at some great answer examples to help you form your own.

What motivates you to succeed?

On an interview for a teaching position:

Well, my own baby sister inspired me to want to teach. You see, my sister has a severe learning disability, and it was, and continues to be, a struggle to help her develop educationally. However, she finally got the personal attention she needed, and I couldn’t be happier with her progress. I want to help children in the same way that my sister received help, so this is what motivates me the most to become a special education instructor.

What motivates you as an employee?

On an interview at a large company:

I absolutely love working as a part of a team. I enjoy discussing ways to move forward with teammates, and I love to respectfully debate others to ensure we are moving in the right direction. On top of that, I take pride in the work that I do, and it is humbling whenever I see a product or service being used in the real world that I was a part of.

So, what’s your motivation?

On an interview at a small library:

Literature is both a strength and a passion of mine. As a bookworm ever since I can remember, that love of reading stayed with me through university, where I ended up majoring in western literature. My passion for literature continues to this day and has no sign of letting up, so it continues to be the biggest motivating factor in my life.

What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?

On an interview at a creative ad agency:

I really enjoy flexing my imagination and creative muscles. Art and modern design was my first true love, and my appreciation and devotion to superior artistic direction continues just as strongly now. My adoration for creativity dictates every other aspect of my life, and I’d love for it to be put to use in my career, too.

Pro Tip: Make sure you convey your enthusiasm when you talk about things that motivate you. You’d not be believed if you lack the sense of conviction during your interview!

Opposite your strengths, you may find it much more difficult to discuss your weaknesses with potential employers. But, you’ve still got to answer! Check out this post: «What Is Your Greatest Weakness?» Best Answers (6 Proven Examples)

Getting More Specific: “What Motivates You _______?”

Often, when an interviewer asks what motivates you?, they mean broadly, in general, as we mentioned in the first chapter.

However, they may get more specific, asking what motivates you to do a good job? or what motivates you in life?

Don’t get caught unawares. Here are the some perfect ways to ace these narrower queries:

What motivates you to do a good job? What motivates you to work hard?

These (and their variations) are the most common specific versions of the general one. Great answers include some formulation of a) that you love and believe in what you do, and b) that you enjoy helping people (the customers).

Also, as we mentioned earlier, remember not to say that compensation is your motivation for working hard!

What is your motivation to apply for this position?

Your body language here is just as important as the words that come out of your mouth. Be sure to show how eager and excited you are to be considered for the company as you answer. Include in your response how perfectly the job description matches your interests.

What motivates you to come to work everyday?

The interviewer here is looking for answers that show that you’ll be eager and willing to arrive at the office each day and start knocking out tasks. Make sure that your reply here includes your love of always remaining busy and productive, or perhaps your passion to perform a specific job function for the customers, for example.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

This variation is similar to the last one, but a bit broader, as the employer wants to know in general. As such, it would include what gets you energized in the morning even on days when you aren’t working.

If you like to be productive at all times, this is an easy win and a great answer to give. However, if on your off days you prefer to be lazy, frame it in a way that makes you look responsible:

I really love being productive as often as I can, including on my days off. However, I do know that my body and mind require a break every now and again, so I have to force myself to relax sometimes.

What motivates you to learn new things?

The interviewer will watch your answer to this closely, as it directly relates to how ideal you are for the job. State that you enjoy learning and building up your knowledge. If relevant, tell them that learning on the job helps you grow not just professionally, but personally, as well.

What demotivates you?

Though this is the opposite question, it is just as helpful to employers, as it lets them understand if you’ll be a good fit in the company. Answer candidly, but within reason. Common successful answers include negativity, a boss or teammate that’s given up on them, and lack of focus.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here’s what it may look like:

Key Takeaway

Well, that’s it! Hopefully, you will be able to come up with a great answer if and when the interviewer springs this one upon you.

Keep these points in mind when answering the what motivates you? interview question:

Do you have any questions on how to answer what motivates you? Not sure if your interests and passions match the company values? Get at us in the comments below and we will answer your question. Thanks for reading!

What Motivates You In Life? The 6 Common Factors That Drive People

Have you ever posed this question to yourself, “What motivates me in life?”

So what motivates you and what makes you wake up each morning? What drives you and why do you go through life each day?

If you are just like every other ordinary people, you have no idea what motivates you in life: you have no idea why you wake up each morning and you have no clue what you want to do with your life.

Most people wake up each morning because they have to go to work. And the reason they get to work is that they want to get paid. They want to pay their bills and expenses.

In other words, they are working for money. This is why when they are given a choice; they choose to run away from their work. They will choose to sleep longer and sleep later when they do not have to report to the office.

Is this explaining your life? If this is the life you are living right now, you need to do something about it. Here’s a saying from Seth Godin that will awaken you:

“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.”

Most people spend a minimum of 8 hours a day in their work. And if you work because you want to make money to pay your bills, but you are not fulfilling your calling, you will never have the motivation in life.

You will feel motivated when you chase your dreams and are fulfilling your destiny, not when you chase money.

This is why Kevin Kruse once said, “Life is about making an impact, not making an income.”

Money is the means to an end. Most people thought that all they want is money, but money is not the end product that they want.

In fact, what we truly want are feelings.

People want to drive a bigger and more luxurious car because they want to feel good and prestigious. They want to look good, and they want to feel a sense of accomplishment.

So what they want is not the money. They only need the money to buy the car that they desire.

Therefore, if you chase money blindly, you may end up rich, but you may not feel fulfilled deep within.

This is why Stephen Covey said, “If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster.”

You do not want to end up wasting your life chasing things that you don’t want. What you truly want to pursue in life are the deep meanings that lie within your heart.

Here’s another quote from Stephen Covey:

“Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly.”

So motivation should come from within, not from outside. It is not the physical things or money that will motivate you; it is the feeling of ownership, the feeling of proud and the sense of accomplishment that drives you.

The Desire to Avoid Pain and Gain Pleasure

In one of my previous articles, I have mentioned and talked about the desire to avoid pain and to gain pleasure.

Why do you do what you do in life? You do something because you want to gain pleasure or to avoid pain.

Think about it, why do you read this right now? Maybe you want to avoid the pain you feel while working or you feel bored; that’s why you read this.

Or perhaps you feel pleasurable reading this right now. You feel pleasurable and motivated when you read articles like this.

Everything we do, we do because of these two forces, pain, and pleasure.

When you see a beautiful lady, and you would like to friend with her, what would you do? Would you dare to approach her? Or would you just do nothing?

When the pleasure of getting to know her is greater than the pain of getting rejected, you will go ahead and approach the lady.

On the other hand, if the pain of being rejected is greater than the pleasure to know her, you will never approach her.

That means, if you are not working on your dreams or taking action on your goals, it is simply because working on what you want is painful to you.

If it is pleasurable, you would have done it already.

Yes, if you procrastinate on your goals, it is because doing the work/taking action toward your goals makes you feel pain. Perhaps, your goals are not what you truly want. That’s why you feel the pain. Learn how to end procrastination here.

People love to watch movies and surf Facebook; they feel pleasurable doing it, and that’s why they are doing it all the time.

When you are not taking action on your goals or you procrastinate on your dreams, it is either the pain for taking action is greater than the pleasure of achieving them, or the pain of not achieving your goals is just not strong enough.

A lot of people put off working on their goals. They feel pain taking action, and they feel pleasurable doing something else like watching TV.

However, after some time, their pain of not accomplishing their goals will become greater, and that forces them into taking action.

Do you know why some people put things off until the last minute now? Pain VS pleasure.

You are driven by these two twin forces in life. Hence, learn to master these forces and use them to empower your success.

Now that you know pain and pleasure are the two forces that make you do what you do. So, how can you use them to motivate you in life?

“Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything.”

6 Common Factors that Motivate People in Life

At this point, we already knew that what we truly want to accomplish in life always have something to do with our inner self.

However, let’s just look at things in the big picture what motivates people in life as of now…

1. Money and Rewards

Do I need to say more? As I have explained above, most people thought that what they want in life are monies and the next shiny objects, but what they never realized is that the physical things that they want are just the means to an end.

What they truly after is the feeling of owning the items.

Thus, if you are chasing for money and the rewards, think twice. What do you truly want? Is it the money? Or is it the feeling?

When you understand what you truly after, you will value the journey more. You will appreciate the progress and process more because those are what truly counts, not the end result.

This is why people said that success is a journey, not a destination.

It is your hard work and the effort that you poured in that make you who you are today. It is the journey that shapes you into the person you want to be, not the physical items.

Money is just the reward you get when you win the game, but what makes you win the game is the progress.

So focus on the progress and not the end result. What you have gone through is more important than what you have achieved in the end.

The key to success is really this: to become the right person worthy of the success you desire.

When you grow into the person with the right mindsets, habits, characters, attitudes, and traits, success will come to you.

2. Desire to be the Best

Some people just cannot accept to be number two in their lives. They fight hard and they work hard because they hate to lose.

People such as Donald Trump and Usain Bolt are good examples. They just hate losing.

Why do you think Muhammad Ali works so hard? This is because he desires to be the champion.

“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’”

And because their desire to be the best is so strong that they are willing to go all out and give all their best to achieve the number one status.

They sacrifice their time and work hard every single day to become the best. Are you willing to do that?

Are you willing to sacrifice your weekend or your nighttime to work on your dreams? Are you willing to wake up at 5am each morning so that you can have a head-start than others?

When your desire to become the best in what you do is strong, you will do most things to become the champion in your field. You don’t even want to accept being #2.

Being #2 will make you feel like losing. Thus, you will motivate yourself to work hard, train, and take massive action to achieve the first position in what you do.

This is the drive that motivates most athletes and champions in the world. Their desire to win is strong and they work hard for it. How about you?

3. Helping the Others

Some people are motivated by helping others. They want to see changes in people’s lives and they want to fight for a better future for the world.

These are philanthropists, and they are willing to give up a huge portion of their wealth to make the world a better place.

In 2010, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett announced the Giving Pledge campaign to recruit and inspire wealthy people of the world to give a majority of their wealth to philanthropy.

These are the people who are motivated and driven to help others and to make the world a better place. They are inspired to change other people’s lives, just like Mother Teresa.

While not everyone is driven to help others, but if you are, it will be good news. Use your drive to help others and making a positive impact in the world to motivate you to achieve greater success in life.

You just need to understand what motivates you in life so that you can channel your energy through the right platform and achieve greater success in life.

4. Power and Fame

There is another group of people who are motivated by power and fame. Politicians are a great example here.

These are the people who inspired to become the leader and they are driven to achieve greater power and fame in life.

They want to lead and bring their company, their organization, their people and their nation to a greater height.

What about you? Do you chase for power and fame? Do you start your business to achieve what you want or because you feel good in leading your team?

You have to know what you truly desire deep within yourself. When you know what motivates you, you can then set yourself up to win in the right platform.

5. Recognition

Recognition is another factor that makes certain people motivated. They want to prove that either they are right or someone is wrong.

They want the recognition from themselves or others. Do you know how Lee Iacocca achieved his recognition through reviving Chrysler in the 80s?

It is said that Ford Motors fired Lee and he felt so angry that he wanted to build a company to rival Ford. As a result, he joined Chrysler, which was in trouble at that time.

Lee then led Chrysler to become a great automobile company again. Although Chrysler went bankrupt in 2009, it has truly shown that Lee Iacocca’s drive for recognition and to prove himself was a strong force to achieving success in life.

There was another similar story from Thomas Watson, who used to work for a company called NCR. Tom Watson was fired there and he wanted to prove his ex-company was wrong.

After that, Tom Watson joined a smaller company called CTR and grew it to become what was known as IBM today. He has led IBM for 40 years and has turned it into one of the leading technology companies in the world.

So are you desire to be recognized? Do you want to prove to yourself that you can do it? Or prove that someone is wrong?

6. The Passion

The final factor that motivates most people in life is passion. Why do you think most successful people are successful? Why do you think they are willing to wake up early and work harder than ordinary people? The answer is that they are passionate about what they do.

Think about it, there are times when you feel so motivated for something that you are willing to sacrifice your leisure time for it.

Maybe it is your favorite sport? Maybe it is when you got the chance to travel somewhere you love?

Whatever the reason, I believe that you understand the power of passion. When you are so passionate about something, you will think about it all the time. You will be willing to wake up early and sacrifice your sleep for it.

This is why passion is important because it can drive you each day to achieve what you want in life.

Sadly, most people never develop their passion for their work. They work like a zombie without feeling any passion. They make sure they are not the first one to reach the office and not the last one to leave.

No wonder most people are just plain ordinary.

If you want to achieve great success in life, you need to stop being ordinary and start thinking about being extraordinary.

How To Channel Your Motivation For Success

So now you understand what motivates people to achieve what they want in life. You know why people do what they do and how you can make use of the power of pain and pleasure to drive yourself.

What you can do right now is to identify what drives you. From the 6 factors above, which one do you think can drive you the most?

Sometimes you may be driven by a few factors together, but there will be a dominant one. So, find out the one that motivates you the most.

And when you know what motivates you in life, all you need to do is to enhance the factor and create an intention for it.

For example, if you are motivated because you want to prove yourself right, write down your reason for it and review it daily.

You want to create a reminder for yourself so that you will be reminded by what motivates you.

Steve Jobs used to have a portrait of Albert Einstein in his house. He wanted to remind himself of his vision and to use technology and design to change the world. Thus, whenever he saw the portrait and recalled his vision, he directs himself to the right path.

You can do the same by creating the intention of what motivates you.

Here’s a guide to help you find out why you have no motivation:

Conclusion

Motivation is important. No matter what kind of success you want to produce in your life, be it in your career, relationship, or finance, you need the motivation to act.

This is why Zig Ziglar said that motivation is like bathing, you have to do it every day. Without motivation, you will never have the drive to take action. And without action, you can never reach your goals and live your dreams.

Hi there, this is Shawn. I inspire people to achieve their goals and dreams and to reach for higher success in life. If you want to learn more about me, kindly go to the About page. By the way, have you downloaded your FREE copy of The 90-90-1 Rule? Don’t forget to do so. Cheers. 🙂

How To Answer “What Motivates You?” (With Examples): Job Interview Question

Find a Job You Really Want In

“What motivates you” is one of the most common questions you’ll hear at a job interview. Your answer provides interviewers with insight into the “why” of your career, which is something seriously lacking from resumes and most cover letters.

Answering this question well demands a bit of introspection, a dash of eloquence, and a whole lot of intuition about what the interviewer is looking to hear.

Dos for answering this question: be sure that you’re concise, upbeat, and relevant. Relate it to the job that you’re interviewing for by emphasizing relevant skills and personality traits.

Don’ts for answering this question: avoid long-winded answers, negativity, and tangible rewards. Employers know that you’re there for a paycheck — they want to know what else inspires you.

Be aware of the reason this question is asked: it’s because the interviewer wants to know more about you as a person and a coworker. This question is asked to determine if you’ll be a good fit.

How to Answer “What Motivates You?”

The first thing to consider is the reason that you’re being asked this question. Interviews aren’t just about your credentials — that’s what resumes are for — they’re to learn if you’re a good fit for the work environment.

Therefore, interviewers ask this question to learn more about you, such as why you chose your field and what you’re passionate about as an individual.

Read the job description. Before you start preparing an answer, re-read the job description. Look for the soft skills that describe an ideal employee, as well as the main responsibilities of the job.

Authenticity is encouraged, but a strong answer will show that you paid attention to the job description. For example, if you see that the job doesn’t involve much collaboration or interpersonal communication, you probably shouldn’t say how you’re motivated by personal interaction and teamwork.

Reflect on your past accomplishments. To start putting together an answer, look back on your most significant professional achievements. Don’t just focus on moments when you were praised by a boss or given a reward like a bonus or a plaque.

Instead, reflect on moments when you felt proud of your work or experienced a sense of meaning and purpose in your professional life. Of course, these events may have been complemented by external praise or rewards; just don’t make those your criteria for what you consider an accomplishment, especially for a question like this.

Look back on your history in the field. A very brief history of your interest and entry into the field can provide great insight into your motivations.

For example, having an impactful teacher who made a big difference in your life could have gotten you into education, or an experience of providing emergency support to a stranger in need sparked a desire to become an EMT.

Prepare a story. Stories help the hiring manager contextualize the rest of your answer. If you simply say you’re motivated by solving problems and helping people, it’s a pretty flat statement.

Bringing up a story about how you stayed late during the holiday rush because you were so motivated to make sure each customer was satisfied makes for a much more memorable answer.

Mention your motivation to apply for the job. Finally, it’s wise to bring your answer back around to the job you’re applying for as you wrap your answer up. Tie in those details from the job description that we mentioned in step one.

That way, you can make sure that your motivating factors line up perfectly with the ideal candidate outlined in the job posting. Of course, don’t go so far with this that you give an inauthentic answer.

Example Answers to “What Motivates You?”

I’m motivated by my past achievements. I strive for constant improvement, which is why I make it a goal to acquire at least one new certification each year. Taking on a new challenge and coming out the other side with more knowledge and resilience is my chief motivation. It’s led to some great results. Just last year, after picking up a certification in Google Analytics, I was immediately able to make small optimizations to our site that made a significant difference.

Part of what excited me about this role is that it interacts with a wide palette of clients and departments. I enjoy a job where I’m kept on my toes and constantly incentivized to get out of my comfort zone and learn more.

A fast-paced, deadline-centric work environment has always been my best motivator. At my last position as an editor, I had to handle over 40 articles a week for my company’s blog while managing a team of writers. I have a knack and love for planning and organization, so developing and maintaining a spreadsheet to keep my tasks and delegated tasks was a real treat for me.

I was always able to hit and exceed my success metrics thanks to my keen sense of deadlines and my motivation to reach milestones on assignments. That experience has set me up to thrive working for a publication like yours.

I’ve always been motivated by meeting new people and solving problems. Customer service is a natural fit for my inclinations and motivations. From my first retail job in high school, I knew that helping people get what they need out of an experience was satisfying for me.

ABC Corp.’s commitment to top-notch customer service is well-known, and I’d be thrilled to work in this environment and continue developing my customer service skills.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Answering “What Motivates You?”

Rambling. Your answer to this question should be clear and concise. Hit a few major points — don’t get caught up in a long autobiographical tale of how you got into the field.

Being negative. For pretty much all the most common interview questions, you want to avoid negativity. Your motivations should be because you enjoy something, not because you’re trying to avoid something (like getting fired).

Being too focused on yourself. It’s hard to not get laser-focused on yourself with interview questions like these, but it’s important you tie back your motivators to the job in question.

Tips for Answering “What Motivates You?”

Keep your answer relevant. Interviewers choose questions for strategic reasons, and you need to answer with your motivation in a way relevant to the position.

If it’s a non-profit, focus on feeling good about helping people. If it’s a sales position, talk about satisfaction from exceeding goals.

Be prepared with examples to back up your motivators. You can help recruiters see that you’re right for the job by coming prepared with real-life examples of how you’ve excelled in the areas the job requires. It’s not exactly a behavioral interview question, but you can still incorporate past examples using the STAR method of when your motivations helped you succeed.

Bring your personality into it. Mentioning hobbies is an excellent way to subtly describe yourself as an individual, but relate them to professional situations. For example, if you enjoy strategy games, you can bring up how you enjoy the sense of achievement you get when you solve a puzzle or figure out a replicable tactic.

Be specific. Being vague on a question like this probably won’t hurt you much, but it won’t help you etiher. Discuss specific elements of your job that you find motivating, bring in examples, and draw it all back to the job description when appropriate.

Think about how your answer reflects on you as a coworker. Interviewers want to know what you’ll be like as an employee and as a coworker.
Hiring isn’t just about who has the best skills to do the job; it’s also about who will fit in best with the workplace. Interviewers think about the fact that they’re going to be around whoever they hire quite a bit.

Be aware of variants of this question. The interviewer may not ask verbatim “what motivates you?” but instead: “what makes you, you,” “what makes you tick,” or “what are you passionate about?” The tips and tricks in this article apply these questions as well, and they serve a similar purpose to the interviewer.

Final Thoughts

Answering the most common interview questions doesn’t have to be hard. Take a step back, do some self-reflection, and you’ll have a winning answer to “what motivates you” in no time. It’s not just about landing the job either.

Learning what motivates you can help you get a job offer, sure, but it’s also an important step in determining your career goals. Look at your strengths, the reasons for your past accomplishments, and areas where you get excited about work, and you’ll be on your way to a more fulfilling career.

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